The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-30

every club in the league. One
afternoon at Cleveland, in 1920,
Iris Speakers club, then pointing
Tor its first pennant, slammed me
for five runs in one inning and
drove me to the showers I'm q
hurry. / mention these unpleasant
little thoughts to show that no
one In baseball escapes hard
bumps.
An occasional lacing is the best
thing in the world for any pitcher.
It prevents over-confidence, which
is the curse Of young fellows who
gain success too quickly. And /
want to tell you, when q pitcher 10
hammered out OF the box, as l
have been. he is no better at that
particular moment than the worst
beginner in the league. As he walks
or the Held, sweater thrown over
his shoulder and perhaps listening
70 a Few wise remarks from the
bleachers, take my word for 1t, it's
enough to remove the conceit from
the greatest player who ever lived.
Fans viii remember the report
that came out few years back re.
garding me joining the Cleveland
club. These stories of course were
all news to me, as were the stories
about Boston trading Babe Ruth
for me in. 1918. / never learned
how much truth. II any, there was
to these stories but it is interest
ing to recall that at that time, Ruth
was demanding q salary Of SIG, 900
or three-year contract for &c.,
600 per season. remember that
Frazee, then owner Of the Red Sox,
had made a counter offer to Ruth
OF $500. That Is q modest wage
the highest salarTed ball player
who ever lived, has now been re-
ceiving 1000 per year Tor the
last three years.
Aside from the seReraf 0ccasions
mentioned above, The only time my
sidered was s. Sr1 niisr the red
eraI Leagne cot after me- And
that We enlS kinls / Was ever
Interested 81 change The de-
sired ehanHe was nureiY = matter
Of financial gain and at no time
have q win y as b player ever
consider leaving Washington for
any other city im the major leagues.
Joe Tinker representing the Chi
|cago EeacAis, offered me $4,000
Il year 6or three years and I felt
Justified in e g the offer, as
WaslIingfon ge 'ilfng to pay no
more than $1,000 When I left
1aahin9kon 90 spend the winter on
NY Kansas Farm Z ted Clark Grit
filth. the manager of Washing ton,
that ~ needn w11N figured
everything would TIRE out all
ffxhf and was haUtng comfortable
started 81 the papers. The thing
fhaf really upset me was letter
from Ben Minor, president OF the
club, IN which he reminded me or
nv bad year in 1914 and said other
things intended to discredit me with
the FederaIs. About that time.
Fielder Jones, Of Chicago, came
down to CoffeyviIle and handed me
a contract to sign, at $4,000.
told him that was q lot OF money
but that ] would not sign as long
as there was q chance to talk things
over with Griff.
Things were finally Strengthened
out when Grif asked me to meet
him in Kansas City. When he
cOuVluCC0 uO b4A1b EO0CENO
clause in my contract with Wash.
ington was binding, l stopped all
further dealings with the Fed.
erals and signed an agreement
that still finds me with the same
old club today.
That was ten years ago and thetc
has never been a time before or
since, that / have considered trans
ferring to another ball club. had
hoped the world series would te.-
inmate my career in the major
leagues, as had many opportu-
mites to acquire interests in minor
league clubs. Eighteen years Of
baseball travelling is more than
enough, especially to a man with
wife and four growing children.
I wanted to stop it for their sake.