The Washington times., 1920-01-24

umOen, ".
Kid Gleason was born in Camden,
N. J., on October rs. 1865. and was
brought up in a neighborhood where
a youngster had TO fight his way to
recognition. The Kid always has been
able to take care of himself and de-
spite his size there never was a bet
ter two-fsted fighter in baseball. And
when he landed with those fists IL
was like the kick from a mule.
In his teens he began to attract at
tention around Camden as a pitcher,
! and in 1887 he pitched for both VIII
Transport and Scranton. His work up
there was SO good that in 1888 he was
signed by the Phillies.
While the Boston Nationals were
the first team that Gleason faced in
a championship contest, he got some
pretty good practice that spring while
pitching against the Athletics of the
American Association in the Philadel-
phia city series.
Harry Wright evidently thought
well of the Kid, as he selected him to
pitch the opening game of the city
series. This was started on a Mon
day, April 9, and drew 5.Oss people,
far more than the opening National
League championship game. Gleason
pitched well. but lost the game, 4 to 2.
Had Another Gleason.
Oddly enough, the Athletics also
had Bill Gleason. the old-time in
fielder. who came to the Athletics
from the st. Louis Browns. 1t is In
teresting to note that a description
- of this game records the fact that
"Bill Gleason OF the Athletics COACH
ed in the finest approved st. Louis
style, but with only tolerable sue
cess, since Pitcher Gleason would not
be ratified"
In this game the double umpire sys-
tenn was tried for the first time.
Doescher, the American Association
umpire, rendered decisions at the
plate, while Daniels, of the National
League, looked after the bases.
The Phillies lost three games in
the series, before Gleason. pitching
his second game, won the fourth ana
last game by a score of s to 2.
After losing the opening gamL OF
the National League season to Bos-
ton on the errors of his catchCr, the
Kid lost another tough game to the
Bean Boys in the same series. being
defeated in a game in which he per-
! mitted only three hits by a sc"r" cf
3 to /. Boston did not get hit OF
him after the second inning. On his
third try, on April 16. the Kid lost
| again, this time to the New York
Giants. Ed Crane was his successfu;
pitching rival.
Finally Wins a Game.
But eventually success crowned his
efforts, for on May l, 1888, he won
his first real major league victory
over the Washington club by a score
of IL to f.
In his first season with the Phillies
Gleason pitched % games and was
opposed by 791 batters. Fifty-seven
earned runs were scored of him, Civ
ing him a percentage OF 2.4S earned
| runs per nine-inning game.
From 1896 to 1900 inclusive the
Kid played second for the Giants. but
jumped to the Detroit Tigers of the
| new American League in 1901, whore
he played under George Stallings, the
present manager of the Braves. After
two seasons with the Tigers, the Kid
returned to his first love. the Phila-
delphia Nationals, in 1908, and pay ii
second for the Quakers until Otto
knabe displaced him in 1907.
Not Ready To Retire.
Despite a twenty-year romp in the
| big game. the Kid was not yet ready
to quit, and the next four years he
played with sundry minor league
| clubs-Jersey City, Harrisburg, Utica
and Binghamton. Despite his forty
122 games for Binghamton in 1911.
Gleason then returned to his cafe
in Philadelphia and announced that
he had enough, but you just can't
keep a uniform off him. There came
| an offer from Comiskey to work for
him as scout and coach, and the Kid
joyfully accepted. Soon he graduated
to assistant manager of the Scx. and
| last season he was full manager.
After thirty-two years of knocking
| around in professional baseball the
| Kid was put in full charge of great
ball club. Comiskey's faith in Glea-
| son was vindicated when he won the
American League championship In
his first year as pilot. Even the loss
of the worlds championship should
not take any of the glory from Glea-
son for his successful handling OF
the team in the American League
race, for with a team boasting OF
| only two real pitchers, he beat out
such powerful clubs as Cleveland
the Yankees, Tigers, Red Sox and
| Browns.
Copyright, 1920. by Al Munro ElissD