Evening star., 1925-01-22

DIDN'T finish the 1918 season in
were small and the clubs were
playing in more than 80 games
Baltimore Dry Docks, Club. He G;
leaguers and developed fast team
might make utility infelder.
My showing with Buffalo had
games. had put on some weigh
pounds. Still had trouble doing
inheld. l gathered only IS extra-bas
and ] triples. | didn't have a home
did fairly well in the field, but
my average was nothing to boast
about. 1 was in Sc games as a second
baseman. 1 played 20 games at
shortstop. My average at second
base was .944. At shortstop my aver
age was only .906. There were plenty
of infielders who could play rings
around me.
Several pitchers who later came up
to the big leagues were in the Inter
national that season. Dazzy Vance
was with Rochester for a short time.
He won three games and lost five,
not showing the form which brought
him to the top. But even then he
had a world of speed. He struck out
better than an average of four men
a game during his short season.
ROmmeI Conner Then.
Ed Rommel. later a star with the
Athletics, showed he was a promising
prospect by winning IL games and
losing IS. Waite Hoyt was with
Newark. He had been turned down
by the Giants. He won two games
and lost three. He struck out 25
batterS.
Hoyt and I became good friends.
He impressed me as a coming pitcher.
When l signed up, Frock told me he
was in the market for pitchers and
asked me to recommend one.
urged him to get Hoyt He did so.
but Waite didn't perform in many
games The next season found him
in the American League where he
has made notable record.
The Dry Docks Club was a fast one.
Joe Judge of Washington was on
first. l played second. Willie Wort
man was our shortstop and Fritz
Maisel held down third Frank
Schultz. the old time home-run king,
Johnny Bates and Bobby Roth made
up the outfield. Eddie Ainsmith, who
earned fame as Walter Johnson's
catcher, was the mainstay behind the
plate. The pitchers included Scott
Perry. Ed Rommel, Dave Danforth
and Allen Russell. We didn't lose a
game that Fall.
Veterans Show Him How.
learned more in a few weeks in such
company than in all my previous
base ball career. The veterans went
out of their way to help me. 1t
didn't seem as if they could do
enough to round out my educati
Ainsmith taught me how to cover
second in taking a throw from the
coached me in making the play at
the plate on a double steal Maisel
and Judge worked with me on the
pivot for a double play. Schultz gave
me lots of pointers on how to i'm
prove my batting.
Under such tuition l really i'm
proved. / played at a faster pace
than ever before. l felt as if l had
to hold my end up with the finished
product of professional base ball.
was like the boy who is thrown into
the water and knows he has to swim
or sink 1 was fortunate enough,
thanks to the advice and help of the
seasoned players, to swim. Soon l
fitted into an excellent infeld ma
chine.
You got a nickname, Harris?"
Schultz asked me one day.
They call me Bucky," I answered.
Buckcd Like a Broncho.
Garry Schmeelk made it stick on
me when l was playing basket ball
! had d couple of players on my back
in a rough game. When l shook
them off and shot a basket he said
! bucked like a tough little broncho.
was called Bucky as a kid. but the
name was being forgotten until Car
ry came along"
Keep right on bucking," the vet
eran advised. you've got to fight
for everything you get in this world.
If you battle hard enough you'll
reach the big leagues. And when you
get there keep right on plugging
away. The guy who stays at the
top longest is the one who fights
the hardest. They say there's lots
of room at the top. Maybe so. But
l haven't noticed any one hanging
on in base ball who loafs on the job.
There always are dozens of young
sters ready to step in and knock the
loafer out of his uniform"
Another time this star of the IA
nous old-time Cubs said: "Bucky,
you're on your way up. I'm done in
the big leagues. Take care of your
self and save your money. And never
be a roughneck on or off the field"
Rated Not Worth $1,000.
When I disagreed with him that
his days as a player were numbered
he told me his legs had gone back
on him and that his throwing arm
was weakening. He still could hit,
however. In the 1918 season his bat
had been a powerful weapon in help
ing Washington finish third in the
pennant race. He was one of the
most graceful batters 1 have ever
seen. He could knock a ball over
the fence with apparently no effort.
He was one of the greatest players
the game has developed and thor
oughbred of the diamond.
Schultz urged Clark Griffith to buy
me from the Buffalo club while we
were playing together. So did Joe
Judge. The Washington leader learn
ed l would cost $4,000. He looked up
my batting and fielding records and
found them unimpressive. He knew
I was expecting an early call to the
colors. Under the conditions he re-
fused to buy my release. l don't
blame him, though l was disappoint-
ed at the time. But my failure to
land with Washington soon was for
gotten. I received n call to military
service and was ordered to report to
Camp Crane, at Allentown, Pa.
Copyright, 1921