The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-03-06
KID GLEASON MIGHT
HAVE Been FAMOUS
fHTICUFFING CHAMP
~ FRANK g. M.sNKE

II William (Kid) Gleason had gons |
in for fisticuffing instead of baseball, |
he perhaps would be remembered as
tie greatest warrior his division ever
knew.
In all baseball history there's no
man more powerful, more amazing in !
powers of endurance, handler with his
fists, than the present leader of the
White Sox. Although he's beyond so
now--and little more than light
weight-it's doubtful If there's man
in the game who could beat the Kid
in fistic mixup.
AS hard as iron. still as agile as a
cat. still possessed of unerring eye
sight, Gleason is an athletic marvel.
And little wonder For in his earliest
days, Gleason devoted his hours not
to enjoyment, not to loafing, but to
the upbuilding of his physical powers.
In the spring camps, when Gleason
played the game, most of the players
disported as they do now. Worked an
hour or two in easy fashion-and call
ed il day But Gleason, from the mo-
ment he hit camp until the season
was overland then beyond-worked
increasingly to maintain physical mt
ness
Kid Walked
One year the ball park used by his
team was II miles from the hotel. The
other players rode back and forth
twice a day Gleason would walk there
in the morning, bat fungoes for a
solid hour, play full ball game-and
then run the eleven miles back to the
hotel for lunch. He'd walk back to
the grounds in the Afternoon. work
two or three hours at top speed-and
then run half the way and walk the
I other half way back to the hotel.
4 What other ball player can submit a
record which equals - or even ap-
proaches it?
In the matter of courage it's beyond
the realm of inauguration that any
ball player ever eclipsed that of Glea-
son. It's related that once while play
ing the second bag, he was spiked
from the hip almost to the ankle-a
succession of jagged gashes more than
an inch. He played out the game,
without ever calling for doctor, or
for bandages-played the game with
his leg seemingly on fire from the
CHASTITY pain and blood streaming down
in torrents.
Gleason Is Game
Once Gleason, sliding into the bag,
colided with an opposition baseman.
His ankle was turned. 1t quickly
swelled in an alarming fashion. But
Gleason played through the game. He
had to be carried from the cab to his
room after the diamond fray was over.
Then he called for a bucket of hot
water
AL Through the night and until an
hour before game time the next day
without wink of sleep-Gleason kept
his foot In pals of hot water That
afternoon he reported for work, insist
ed upon working-and did work.
In the second inning of that clash,
Gleason was spiked badly around the
knee of his bad leg and in the third,
one of the players on the opposition
club, trying TO cripple him so as to re-
move him from the series, spiked him
along the shin bone OF the other leg.
But Gleason stayed in that game
and played right along without taking
day off for injuries.
Some BrawI.
Years ago when Gleason was with
the Phillies, he wandered into cafe
which had a restaurant attached. He
q ordered his meal A half dozen fel
y lows, in an ugly mood from too much
liquor, began looking around for some
one to taunt. They decided dpor
Gleason
Gleason stood ii as long as he
could. Then he jumped up reached
the biggest of the gang with righ
handler and broke his nose. The 9th
ers grabbed for him. The Kid knock
ed one down and loosened the teeth o.
another by which time, he was circleC
and thrown to the floor.
The sextet pummelled the Kid-anC
then tossed him out into the sidewalk
When he arose he found he was hat
less. He went back into the cafe fol
his hat and the gang jumped him agar
and tossed him out. He got up-anC
back he went. Once more, the 81,
swept down upon him, but not before
the Kid had landed a few smashes OF
the first members of the rushing sex
tet.
third time the Kid was thrown
bodily from the cafe onto the side
walk. And for the fourth time he go
up and went back. That time he go
his hat-and someway, somehow
dragged himself to his hotel
Kid Gleason suffered a rupture tina
night. three broken ribs, a spraine
left arm, a sprained leg-and a scor
of cuts and bruises on his face an
body.
Yet the next day William lKid
Gleason played nine full innings i
splendid fashion at second base TO
the Phillies; an achievement in tn
matter of gameness unlike any in al
the annals of baseball.