The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-11

baseball now as great collegian.
Moguls indulge in pop-eyed scrambles
for the stars of the various universe
ties
But twas not always thus.
Not SO many years ago, collegian
in baseball was as rare as an elevator
in submarine. Eventually when a
few drifted into the big leagues, life
for them became an existence of in
suits, slurs and sneers from their
mates as we'll as their rivals and the
crowds.
For in that era a collegian was re-
garded as a dude" or ''sissie" or a
"mollycoddle"-and there seemed no
place for them in baseball as it used
to be played.
The first real collegian in major
league baseball was Lefty Richmond,
who starred on the diamond for Brown
university-and was signed to play
for the Worcester, Mass. team, then
part of the National league. That
was in 1880. Richmonds advent into
pro" uniform was a signal for jeers
and boots. A man made of less stern
stuff than Richmond, or of less bril-
liancy as a moundsman, perhaps would
have passed out of the game quickly.
But Richmond was a superb twirler
and so great were his pitching feats
/ year after year that they practically
silenced the earlier ''razzing" that was
accorded him.
Tenney Razzed
In 1894 Fred Tenney, likewise a
| Brown university man, was signed to
catch for the Boston Braves. Unfor
tunately for Tenney, he debutted in
the majors at time when rowdyism
was rampant-and rowdies ruled.
Riding" Tenney became favorite
pastime. The name of dude" was
constantly slung at him-and dude
in those days, was a gross insult wher
applied to fighter or baseball player
They referred to him as "sissie,'
called him ''Dearie," LOWE" AND
names of that sort-all because he haG
| been collegian.
One afternoon the Bostonians ar
rived in New York for a game with
| the rough, tough Giants of those days
Hardly had they gone out on the field
for practice when Dad" Clark, ther
one of the twirling stars for the
Giants, singled out Tenney and opened
up on him a flood of billingsgate-a
because he had been a college man
i Tenney Opens Up
Tenney listened calmly until Clarl
| had finished. Then Tenney opened III
on Clark in a way that made Clarl
gasp, and which stunned the othe
Giants who had been in the groul
grinning over the ride" Clark wa
| giving the young collegian.
Il may be a college dude" concluded
| Tenney, throwing aside his glove an
advancing toward Clark in menacin
fashion, but the day will never com
when l can't whip you or any of tina
white livered gang of yours. viii yo
fighter will you run away, you ye
low gutter snipe?"
There was no fight
/ And from that day on Tenney be
came one of the most respected atf
letes in the game. His comeback a
Clark that day and his challeng
changed to certain extent the feelin
which players of that era had abou
! collegians.
When Arlie Pond and Jimmy Nh
!, James Joined the Majors, fresh fror
college diamonds, they weren't exactl
welcomed into the fold by the ca
loused baseballers of that day-bJ
they weren't opposed or jeered at TIL
: players remembered the Tenny-Clar
incident.
Conditions Change
. In 1900 when Christy Mathewso
entered the Majors, from Bucknell co
lege, the opposition to college player
was wavering. Then came Eddi
Plank, a college hero, and Charlie
(Chief) Bender, who had gained fam
with the Carlisle Indians. Each ne
year added several more collegians {
the major league rosters, until no
the truly greats of the game are me
. who gained their first real fame
the uniforms of their alma matters
college players are an honor
baseball" declares John McGraw. "E
= perience has shown that they hay
, brains and know how to use Their
that they are easy to handle. that the
> recognize the absolute need of GOO
4 habits-and they are in the game pla
e ing 1t with their whole hearts ar
I souls. I'm for them-every day
=. the week"
Copyright 1921 by King Features
I syndicate, Inc.D