The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-12-20

baseball than cat, and he's got
wonderful appetite, at that.
Go Get the Laurel
But. George Gibson, his boss.
ably realizes that no matter how
Traynor will sttll wear 81
hat. lie elocuted still urther
on the prowess of Pie.
One day at the training camp
in Hot Springs last year" said
George, II put him on third base
for the Yannigans. and told him
to stick there until l told him to
change. You know how the boys
hit en- down toward third base
in the spring? Well. for two days
this kid stopped everything they
hit at him. and 1t was a treat to
see him at work. On the third
day he came to mo and said:
Mr.. Gibson, you know best.
and if you want me to stay at
third base I'm satisfied. But, !
would like to get away from there
for awhile.
Why? 1 asked him.
Because he replied, 4 don't
have anything to do there. Put
me at shortstop for a few days,
will you
Cant beat that mucd. can your
I moved him over to the short
field, and after few days I knew
l had a priceless ball player. even
IL he was a year or so rem owed
from major league class. l sent
him to Birmingham when the sea-
son opened and he Just ran away
with that league. q paid $4,000
for him when he was just green
kid with the Portsmouth club,
In the Virginia league, and you
couldn't buy him from me now.
Why, he's one of those old-f fash
Toned ball players who take
real delight in playing ball. Base
ball is the only thing in life
worth while to him. When he isn't
playing ball he's talking about
1T, and I believe he dreams about
it at night"
Still Another Incident
The scribes who trailed with PIE
in the 1921 season. and who saw
his enthusiasm as he went to
the firing line every day, realize
that Gibson spoke a mouthful.
The boy is like that. He's never
happier than when he's tossing
the old apple around. Gibson, in
closing his comment, said:
Here's another one he pulled
at Hot Springs: We practlced
morning and afternoon. and one
day when we were preparing to
go in to the hotel after the morn
ing session he asked me IL he
could stay out at the park with
Bigbee and one or two of the
other fellows. told him he
could. Well, when I returned to
the park in the afternoon Bigbee
said to me:
That kid Traynor Is a glut-
ton for punishment
What do you mean? I asked.
Why he replied, he came to
me and asked if 1 would show
him something about running the
bases. Said you told him he was
flat-footed. I told him I didn't
Know much about running the
bases myself, but I'd show him as
much as ] could. Sos I told him
what his faults were and he start
ed to run around the sacks, keep
Ing my remarks In mind. Well.
sir. he ran those bases for so
minutes without let-up. and
when he got through had to
stop him, or he'd be running vet
he asked me to hit grounders to
him. I hit 'em to him till I've
got blisters on both hands. IF
you don't steer him away from
me Til be wreck
That" concluded the Pirate
leader, Should give you some
idea of Traynor. For further in
formation look him over when he
appears in the Pittsburg lineup
at the start of next season"
Sure to BE Regular
From this it would seem that
Pie Travnor is to be a regular
on the Pirate club from the jump
next spring. And local fans are
happy. Many of the faithful
rams at Redwood doped him as
the most promising youngster
ever to perform here. And, now
they'll be tickled to learn that
Gibby's opinion matches with
theirs. Pie is everything his
manager said he was and he's
such an earnest and sincere ball
player, with such wholesale
quantity of natural ability. that
he will come to be recognized as
one of the greatest performers in
the national pastime eventually,