The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-18

deliberately raced back from seco
On time in a game at Cleveland,
Germany announced to the stands
that Williams, our next batter, would
drive a single, ten feet to the lef.
OF second base. He didn't miss his
guess by more than a foot. 1 was
the next batter and Schaefer again
turned to the stands and shouted,
s'Old Barney himself will now pro-
coed to handcuff the third base
man. / swung at the ball In
my natural manner and driving a
wicked liner toward third base it
actually hit the third baseman so
hard his wrist was nearly broken.
Schaefer made no end of such pre-
dictions and often called the scores
correctly in advakce.
So far as I am concerned, the
most interesting incident i'm Ger
many ScI1aefer's career was the
clubbing OF. me as Barney" But
to tell the truth, / don't remember
the exact circumstances, and
every time the question COMES up
an argument is under way. Even
Mrs. johnson recalls the incident
differently than / do.
Anyway, I once onwed an old
fashioned, tWo-cylinder motor car.
The first day took possession
Clyde Milan and Germany Schaefer
were along. The salesman insisted
on giving me many complicated in
structions, but / just took hold of
the old wheel and stepped on the
gas. We'd only gone two blocks
when a motor cop picked us up for
speeding This is Barney Oldfi cid, "
said Schaefer to the officer.
The officer believing him released
rs. and as remember that's how
my nickname started Others, in
Guiding Mrs. Johnson, say that it
happened this way. One afternoon
1T Washington / had struck out
nine battefs. using practically noEh-
ing but my fast ball. AS the tenth
batter fell victim to the speed,
Schaefer is said to have shouted,
Barney OlcfieId's got nothing on
that baby for speed" Whichever
way is correct, one thing is certain,
Gernany ScEaefer was the author.
That old car I owned was fit for
a museum 1t had no horn, and
always carried Schaefer along to
whistle at pedestrians. The car had
no brakes, so whenever we wanted
to stop Germany would twist the
wheels toward the nearest curbing.
III never forget my last glorious
ride on Sunday morning with
Milan and Schaefer as companions.
After going ten blocks it
stopped dead still. We had plenty
of gas, so | couldn't figure what
Jumped out and announced that
flst rolled into the gutter. We
an three walked home and /
never saw the car again.
One Of the funniest things 1 ever
saw Nick Altrock do was chase a
live frog along the foul lines at
ST. Louis. Before the game started
Nick got down on hands and knees.
beside the little green object. Then
the frog would hop, Nick would
leap and initiate its funny wiggle.
The frog went through tricks as
though trained for the occasion and
Altrock got great applause from the
crowd
But Altrock's chief success has
really come through his pantomime
His slow motion comedy is a riot
of fun. / have never seen a better
pantomine comedian on the movie
screen or anywhere else. His golf
matches on the ball field always get
n great laugh. Accompanied by a
small-sized boy. carrying the ban
clubs immense batbag, Nick tees
off at third base and then starts
hiking fox the first hole" gener-
ally in deep center field. After a
lot of funny stuff. he winds up his
game at home plate, presumably
the eighteenth hole" There is
a box in the ground, near the bat
ter's box, where the umpires keep
new baseballs. and after trying In
vain to make his final putt" Nick,
in disgust, concludes his golf act
by shooting the ball into the hole,
using a baseball bat as a billiard
cue.
The features of Altrock's comedy
is his originality and timeIiness. Aft
er Dempsey beat Firpo, he and AL
Schaeht worked up wonderful slow
motion. burlesque on the fight, stalk
ing off a miniature ring with ropes.
along the first base line When
Papyrus, the great race horse, was
occupying the sport pages, Altrock