Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-03
SIGNED WITH MACKMEN
IN 1906 AT AGE OF 19
Used Name of Sullivan to Protect Amateur Status
With Varsity Team-Singled Off Walsh
. in Big League Debut.
4 The SUNDAY following Labor

DAY, 1905. ! met Ms nas st,
~ Avenue Hotel in New York
City. and signed a. contract
TO play ball with the Athletics the
next season. | was 10 years aid. -z
The interview was arranged. by
Billy Lush, ma mayer Of an independ-
en1 team at Rockville. Conn.,- where
had played for several weeks. Dur
ing my vacation that Summer | also
had played at Red Hook, n. Y, and
at PlattShurg and Rutland in the
Northern League. THAT Wassnly first
professional experience and ! ia1ad met
with consitlera hle success | had hat
ted over 400 for the season and had
fielded fairly well at shortstop.
Several times during the Summer
had been solicited by one of Mack s
scouts to sign with him. j did not
sfhink / ever could learn to play well
kenough TO hold a major league job,
Tand as l did not care to become a
eInere minor league player l turned
the scout down. 1ale day before our
season closed Lush. the scout, told
me Mr.. Mack had asked him TO bring
1ne In if he first had to handcuff me,
go T agreed to so and see what he
slaad to say.
Md0e Sue Agreements.
- / did, not sign until the Athletics
header had made side agreement not
TO trade. sell or farm me to any minor
league club. Having nothing TO do
until school opened, accepted an in
Sftation to go to Philadelphia, prac-
tice a week or so and then make the
last Western trip with the AS.
The day l reported Boston was the
visiting attraction. and Comics office
was full of reporters He saw me, be-
fore they did jumped to the door,
partially closing ft behind him, and
said loud enough for them to hear:
Hello. Sullivan. go right dbwn to the
clubhouse. Glad to see you" Then
he explained in an undertone that l
was to go away at once and work out
only In the mornings, lest / be recog-
nized. I was the captain-elect of the
Columbia team for the next season,
and he did not want me to risk dis
Covery.
That is how l. came to play my
games that season under the name of
s'Sslilivan.". Howevers the ruse did
not save me. Twas reported and lost
nay captaincy. but was made coach In
stead, the. only instance 1. ever heard
ef where an undergraduate coached
bis college team. ,,.gs
Many Youngsters i'm Party.
sOn that trip, our party was largely,
composed of young players, there be-
ing, among others, oldri1g, Coombs.
ArTnbruster, Nichols and Shean- -
:. Connie chose to Introduce me! to
Che American League In our first
game in. Chicago. The White Sox
narlt. and, we were beaten in IL in
riirgs, Waddell pitching for us against
big Ed Walsh To me the outstand-
ing event of the day was the fact that
Ia my first time at bat made a safe
hit. When I realized that ]. had sin:
gled against the mighty spitballer. I
experienced a strange thrill, and
never In my life have # run faster
than / did then OH.ny waN6 IS FIST
sf had entered, Columbia ur;irrssrssbfSys
"a my sixteenth year and hsade'e. t1e
Tam my first season, 1900. One Of
our games was with the NsE. York
Giants and for three reasons that
game stands out. viy1iiy in. my mem
ory. The New York team of that
season contained many. giants in
ability as well as I'M stature, among
them Mathewson, McGinnity, Nc
Gam, Bowernan. Bresnahan, Dahlen,
Taylor and others. q
Made One. OF Two Hits.
In our game McGinnity pitched
against US and allowed but two hits.
AS I made one of them 7 considered
myself quite a hero.< Another time
at bat / indirectly but Internationally
changed Roger sBre &nahan from a
third baseman to. a catcher.
In his previous experience Roger
had pitched and played the outfield
an well as the inaeid.2 but his favorite
position was third base. AS he was
big, fast and strong that looked like
his spot. On the occasion ] mention.
edr j hit the, ball. toward third, and
in fielding it Bresnahan slipped, hurt