The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-17
CHAPTER 2 The Baseball That Blew Up


 Manager Barrow, I think. took 8 sort of fancy to me. I must have made him laugh. He knew that could hit that baseball-sock the old onion, as they call 1t nowadays-and let me do lot of things. I played in about every job, except pitch. He had heard about my pitching in Akron. He did let me pitch In an exhibition game once. I was always willing and eager to do anything. was a big, husky boy and simply loved to play baseball.
 While I was playing with Paterson they got up the first idea of play ing night baseball. You see, that idea is not new at all.
 Barrow and Mckee made arrange. ments for our team to play the first night game at Wilmington, Del. They had the place all illuminated with big electric lights and 1t looked like 1t might be success. When dark ness came on and the crowd got there the prospects didn't look SC good.
 The light was too dim to see g line fly and 1t was impossible to make a good catch in the outfield To hit an ordinary baseball would have been out of the question. They had made up a sort of baseball like the indoor baseballs they use now It was even hard to see that.
 The public was disappointed from the start. AS the game went along they got worse and worse and gave everything the razz The players began to take things as a joke.
 Wilmington had a pitcher named Amole who was quite a kidder. He had been planning to get me all eve ming. The second time I was up he pitched the big white looking base ball at me and when I smacked into 1t the whole thing exploded and came near blowing up the place.
 They had got a torpedo and put 1t inside one of those balls just tc did get one. I'll never forget that thing flashing and going off like g cannon when l slammed it.
 The crowd didn't get any laugh though. Instead they got sore ant made a rush on the box office to get their money back.
 What Stallfngs Wouldn't Give.
 Before that Mckee and Barrow and the Wilmington fellows hao counted up and divided the money I'll never forget the way those fel- lows scooted down the street to es- cape the crowd and save what little money was taken In.
 That was the end of night base ball. l had almost forgotten tha' torpedo ball until Barrow reminded me of it while l was digging up ole Incidents.
 Ed Barrow was a smarter base. ball man than l realized then. Ht must have seen that I would land ir the big league some day so he SC about to get a good price' for me There were scouts around there every day toward the end of the season There were five of them on the bench at one time.
 George Stallings, who was man aging the Philadelphia club, came over to take look at me. He ant Barrow were close friends and Et had tipped him off
 On that day l was playing the out field and. in trying to show off, made two long throws to the plate. I go them entirely too long and botf throws went into the grandstand making spectators scatter. Sailing. must have been disgusted.
 Well, what will you give foI him?" Barrow asked George.
 Give for him?" Stallings repeated with sniff. Why. I wouldn't give that big bum his carfare from here to Philadelphia"
 That is why. I reckon, I did no, join the Phillies. And I don't bame Stallings at that. I certainly was heaving 'em wild.
 Then there came a lot more scouts Prominent among them was Harry Pulliam. then connected with the Pittsburg club, of which Barney Dreyfuss was the owner. Harry Put.