The Washington times., 1938-04-14

! BIN cOTum with the Gus.
tomary thanks to Kipling, q Ma
t tional Lacquer from first to last.
This story began a good many
years ago in Jersey City, N. j.
: when a resident Of that city
brought some baseball gentle
men home with him at q late
hour.
The son of the house had re-
tired. But the father thought
that he would be thrilled ana
pleased to shake hands that had
shaken the hands of John j..
McGraw, Christy Mathewson,
Ty Cobb, Hans Wagner and
others.
| STARTLING QUESTION
The young man was too sleepy
to be thrilled and remained
grumpy, bored and yawning un-
til his father turned to him and
said: "Son, how'd you like to
own the Giants some day|
Gee whiz, Pop!" was all the
youngster could reply. But he
suddenly was wide awake, and
had a hard time going to sleep
when he got back to bed. and
spent the rest Of the night In
wild dreams Of seeing his Giants
win a, World Series.
Which is still a wild dream,
as a matter of fact, but that's
not our story.
The next morning the young
man still didn't believe that he
had heard correctly. For he
was a red-hot baseball fan and
player-at this time he still was
carrying his fielder's mitt In his
hip pocket when he went to his
meals-and the Giants were his
heroes and his idols.
PROMISE FULFILLED
SO it was only natural that he
would think his father was fool
ing. No kid could own the
Giants. Surely no kid who was
trying to make the team on q
corner lot in Jersey City.
But three or four days later
he got another thrill, a long dis
lance phone call from his dad
in Indianapolis.
"Well, son." said the voice on
the other end of the wire,
they're yours"
"What?" he gaSped.
They're yourS-the Giants
you own EN-"
Gee whiz, pop" he replied
again. But this time he knew
1t was true"
Which is a little story behind
the story Of how Horace Stone
ham grew up to become the
youngest owner-preSident of a
major league bali team.
He had to make a sort Of
grand tour Of the colleges Of
the Atlantic seaboard first.
Here and there, as he went
rapidly through Princeton.
FOrdham, Rutgers. williams,
Rosey's, ct al, starting at the
main entrance with Q stack OF
books under his arm and wind
ing up at the back door with
his suitcase, he played a little
football and a little hockey.
HEADED FOR GOAL
Even so, he always was ahead
Of a lot of those college players.
He was headed for the Giants.
A lot of water worked its way
down the Harlem after that,
and spring after spring the
Giants were sold, especially to
the RinglingS. That hasn't hap
pened in recent years.
In any case, the late c. A.
stoneham never varied his re-
plies to these repeated and tire
some rumorS.
1.-The Giants will 60 to
Horace" he would say. II don't
say they will never be sold, but
not unless he wants it."
Young Stoneham took charge
of the Giants two winters ago.
He was 80. He'll be 35 on April
~. Already he has seen his
team win two pennantS, and late
last night he got back from a
tour Of the South predicting
that this year the Terryers
would make it three straight.
KNOWS SCORE
It may be that the Giants hit
Stoneham like he owns 'em, be-
cause he does. But don't get the
idea that his estimate of a ball
team is that Of an optimistic
young fellow who doesn't know
the SScore. He not only knows
it, he keeps it.
Joe Cronin was talking about
that not long ago. =.
81 had occasion to talk to
Stoneham about a DEAL" said
the pilot of the Red Sox. II had
no idea that he knew 80 much
about players. In fact, I had
been under the impression that
Terry was the whole show with
the Giants, not to mention the
scenery, but I'm wiser now"
Which is a shrewd summary
Of a young man who goes about
quietly tending to his business,
and tending to it well.
Horace was accompanied on
his Southern trip by Frank
Mackin, Americas tourist.
kackin is out of Philadelphia
and is an intimate Of Sam Rid
die. On Man o. Wars twenty
first birthday last week, he sent