The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-05-13

The baseball fan or the news
paper reader looks on Scott's work
with interest, but in most cases
his reaction is shown in words like
these: well, there's another won
derfuI record that should stand for
many years" Such words are
mighty true. 1t really is won
derful record and / doubt If any
of us will live to see it broken.
preciate what good fortune, what
nerve. and what fine physical con
6lition is necessary TO run up such
a record.
An example, for comparison. is
my own record for playing 430 con.
secutive games. It's hardly Wort h
mentioning alongside of SCOTS
1906. but there was a time when
$50 was something to blow about.
1uderous. once with the Phillies,
held the modern record before Scot-
ty by playing $50 games without
O miss.
My own short string started
May %, 1898 after an experience
with Judge Lands. Since that
squad this spring, 1 hadn't
schedule. Many a time / played
when / imagine I'd have been
better off on the bench.
But think of Scott, with three
times my total! It means that he
lad three times as many chances
for accident or illness. / know OF
a dozen times while he was with
the Yankees and also the Red Sox,
when he had reasons for laying
off that many players would have
grabbed at.
There are around 500 players in
both major leagues, but you will
find few players who take part in
the full schedule of their clubs each
season. For exampla, Ty Cobb, a
twenIyyyear veteran. was the only
player on the Detroit club to stand
the gaff for the long schedule in
1924 without missing game.
entioned this to Cobb at the series
in Washington, and ne said: A
managers got to do lots of things
for good example" know that
against orders of the club physician.
Regardless of age, any player who
goes through complete season with
strong physique and strong will.
Manush, Bassler and Heilmann, all
of Detroit, are husky fellows. but
accident or illness prevented them
from keeping pace with their yet
eran manager And yet, what Cobb
did in 1924 Everett Scott has done
year after year, since 1916. A total
Of 1896 games IN ten consecutive
seasons.
When / say that good fortune
helped ScOtty. besides his nerve
and physical condition, l think of
many. narrow escapes his record
had. Twice. the missing of
train connections nearly. ruined
his string and on one occasion a
wild ride I'm a taxicab from q
country town put him at the
ball park about the sixth inning.
Just in time to get his name in
the box. score. I've often heard
Higgins suggest he clay off" but
Scotty refused to take the count.
And yet he wasn't as excited
paper articles made it seem. His
one big goal was the One-thOu-
sand mark, which he reached in a
series at Washington two years
ago.
After that, the club noticed he
played steadier. His nerves settled
down and he forgot about records.
Before we knew it another hundred
games rolled around and then two
hundred. Just the other day the
1900 marker went up, at Washing.
ton again. and the following week,
Scotty watched a game from the
bench for the first time since 1916.
A year before America entered the
war-that's how long ago his rec
ord started.
Of course Scott or any other
ballplayer can't expect to control
accidents on the ballfield. The
simplest things can put a big
husky on the bench for a month.
Another time, some player might
crash into a wall like a locomotive.
as l did one time in Washington,
and be back in the lineup right