The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-21
By HANS WAGNER

In telling of my sale to Louisville 1 was thinking so much about my self that I forgot to mention another young ball player who made history when taken out of our league into fast company.
 Billy Nash of the Philadelphia club had been over to Paterson to look me over. That was when George Stallings wouldn't even pay Barrow my carfare as full purchase price to have me with the Phillies That's how bad George didn't want me.
 Nash was very anxious to get an other player named Phil Gier, then playing in Fall River in a different league than Paterson. He couldn't t come to terms with Fall River and was about to give up. ..
 There's another young player with Fall River," he was told who might turn out to be a pretty good player. Why not take him.
 Whats his name?" asked Nash, though he wasn't interested much.
 'Lajoie-Napoleon Lajoie, they call him. He can hit pretty good and ought to be a good infielder when he gets a little experience"
 T don't care much about him. de- clared Nash. The man l want is Gier.'
 It finally wound up in Nash agree ing to pay S2,500 to get Gier when the management promised to throw Lajoie in for good measure.
 When the season was over Nash went up to Woonsocket to locate the boy Lajoie and sign him. to a con- tract even if it didn't amount to much, as he thought.
 The boy lives here" a policeman told Nash. He drives cab and if you'll go over to that cabstand you will probably find him."
 Lajoie was up on the box looking for a fare when Nash came up. The matter was explained to him and he was ready in minute to sign. So Nash made out the paper right there and Lajoie signed the contract, using the top of his cab for writ ing table. The old paper still shows the marks.
 That's how Lajoie, one of the greatest ball players that ever lived, went to the Phillies. And let me tell you that was some team of hit tersi Delehanty was on the club as well as Lajoie. When those fel- lows lit into pitcher it was tough going. Delehanty made four home runs In one game l believe he could hit ball harder than any, body I ever saw except Babe Ruth. The Chewing Tobacco That Bit.
 l am trying not to ramble but it seems like | can't ever get away from my days in Paterson. As I was looking up the old dope on La joie I ran across a note from a fan asking me to mention odd plays and accidents during my days.
 I reckon l am the only player in the world who ever had to play first base half inning with my gloved hand only, because the other was locked in my hip pocket. All of us in those days carried loose chewing. tobacco in our hip pockets. Many ball players do now. That is what got me into trouble.
 Our Paterson team was playing Hartford and Sam McMackin was pitching. At the beginning of the inning I walked over to first base. picked up my glove and then reached in my hip pocket for a chew l went to pull my hand out and in some way the lining caught and I was locked. I couldn't get my hand out to save my life.
 I must have looked funny to the bench The players say I did. I was struggling with one hand in my pocket and waving my other at McMackin trying to tell him not to pitch. I was helpless
 Sam evidently didn't understand. He shot the ball over and the batter hit 1t down to Goat Fitch at short stop. I waved and waved. but that didn't stop Fitch. He picked up the ball and whipped it over to me like bullet.
 There was but one thing to do. So. holding my bare hand in my pocket reached up with the free gloved hand and caught the ball. In the stands and on the bench they thought was crazy.
 Finally Manager Barrow discovered there was something wrong and called to the umpire to stop the game. He came over to me and seeing the diff ficulty led me back to the bench. Even Barrow couldn't get my hand free and he had to cut the pocket out with knife so I could go on with the game. The lining had wound itself around my wrist like a rope.
 70 O O You Can't Keep A Good Man DOwc. It was about that time that | got my first injury in baseball. I was hit on the knee or got 1t bruised in sliding and the knee got worse and worse. It swelled up as big as your head, The doctor was called in day