The Washington times., 1925-12-26

mat league was nOCcn lower
well, Son." said my father o.
nate-being released after two ds
tone that electrified me. "Don't &C
This sympathy and encourage
ment, this way Of instilling in me
the principle of fighting battle
until it is won helped me more than
any lesson I have had in my life.
/ saw INV father, dignified profess
gor. in a new light. / loved, ad.
mired and respected him more than
/ ever had before. For his sake,
now. was determined to win II
had to give up q leg or an arm in
doing 50.
/ accepted the offer from the lit
tie tennessee lamaba League, and
went to join the Admission team.
There / played my head off, as we
cay in baseball. concentrated
every thought on mastering my
aew profession. / made good, too.
Dad Graves was the manager OF
the Admission club and he gave me
every help and encouragement pos
sible. He seemed to understand
knocks and experience had given
him a broad understanding Of
human nature in general. He
handled his players as individuals.
They all loved him.
And, it so happened, toward the
end OF the 1904 seasOn-my first
year I'm professional baseball
that Andy Roth succeeded Con
Ser0utl1ers as manager of Angus
a IN the SOuth-AfIantic League.
I had refused to 20 back to
Augusta to play for 6trOuthers
but when Roth sent for mo
came flying.
Here I am back near home with
the satisfaction Of having played
out a season of league ball and
ready to start in a higher grade.
That club managed by Andy Roth
developed a great spirit. Every
man on the team was proud Of 1t
and all of us worked together like
q machine.
Roth started the 1905 season with
rood players and as the season went
on they got better. I don't remem,
her ever having known of a minor
league club that had as many
players who afterwarad gained big
league regulations. All Of this I
nIITlOuI6 10 1SOlu WOLuC1l0l
sight into a boys nature. even II
he didn't make us succeed collec-
lively.
On that Augusta club, where I
really began to- attract attention
higher up, were Andy Roth. Slyde
Engel, Pucky Holmes. Nap Rucker.
Eddie Cicotte, Polchow. Browne,
George Leidy and myself.
with Augusta got off to a
good start and. prOfiting by what
learned the first year / soon
Z. had q reputation as a good batter
and q baserunner. Being native
son the fans encouraged me at all
times.
Naturally news Of the individual
success of young Cobb got back to
Royston, but a short distance away.
The people were just as proud of
Nap Rucker and could say nothing
but good things about our team
mates who are not of the soil as
My father had become the editor
pf the local paper, in addition to
his other duties. So much had
been said of his son that. to my
delight. he was converted. He sud
And when a father who had OBJ
lected to professional baseball learns
n enjoy the sport Of a. he becomes
me most rampant OF fans. Mine
Was no exception.
so great had become the baseball
enthusiasm in Royston that my
father decided to write up the local
games in the paper-the Royston
games. I mean. There was no
reason, he figured, why Royston
shouldn't have a baseball column
as well as the big papers.
So. taking pen in hand, my
father wrote up the account of a
game played by the ROystOn Reds.
believe me. he tore down on the
aaIectives. That he was thor
Ough convert and an enthusiast
was clearly proven in that re-
marIxabIe story. With plenty Of
space and time, he let himself go.
The whole town was surprised,
for he was so dignified.
Now, the tide had turned; instead
Of my father having converted me
To Annapolis or West Point, had
converted him-at least, the game
had--to a baseball fan. ! was, III
deed, happy.
A little way back spoke of
George Leidy. He was a veteran
rho understood baseball and base
hall people thoroughly, having been
In the game all of his life. He
later became my manager, succeed
ing Roth. From him learned