The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-08-05
old-Time Pitching Ace
Becomes Modern
Slugger
BY Bill. KING
Ap Eaaiurs Service Wrifer

- - f<ASSAhGEs 1OAdY
the Braves owners prize Cooney.
as a 40-year-old outfielder, lust
as highly.
And for good reasons. Johnny
not only ranks as the National
leagues best defensive center
fielder but has also improved so
much around the plate that he
has been bidding for the cir
cults batting championship with
an average around 800. AT pres
ent he is within reach of Pete
Reiser, the Dodgers sensational
rookie, and the Cardinals mighty
Johnny Mize, who are running
one-two for those smuggling hon
ors.
The affable Cooney denies
there has been anything miracu-
lous in his change from pitching
saee to outfield star.
Il 4 was an outfielder when /
started playing semi-pro ball
8 before the FIRST World War, he
says. 7 didn't realize was a
pitcher until 1920 when. while
playing for a Providence team,
] was ordered to come in from
the outfield and relieve our
pitcher whose name. oddly
enough. also was John Cooney,
not related.
Il must have had some stuff,
for was used as pitcher there
after and the Braves signed me
as such after / had worked against
them in an exhibition game that
same season..
Excessive curveballing and a
habit of coming to a full stop
after strenuous windup took its
toll from the Cooney salary whip
after several successful years.
The Braves sold him to Toledo,
then managed by Casey Stengel,
his old-time Boston teamnaate.
Cooney had submitted to three
operations from 1927 to 1881.
Surgeons removed nine bone
chips after the last one.
Stengel, after year, conclud-
ed that his old pal was all wash
ed up as a pitcher. He sold the
31-year-old Johnny to Indianap-
oils in 1882 for d song. "a
Il knew then I was through
as a pitcher. cooneY recalls.
II was sure. though. that
could return TO the majors as
an outfielder. for had always
been around 800 as a right
handed batter. But / had TO
prove it and I SET out to do so.
''The operations on my left ell
bow had made that arm shorter
than the other and it was almost
impossible to straighten it out.
To get real power behind a
swing, a batter must follow
through with the arm nearest
the pitcher, the left in my case.
Because / couldn't unlock my left
arm fully and lash out hard
enough to get all of my weight
into my cut, l had been getting
scratch hits.
Il had to try for a more open
stance, with my feet turned more
to left field to pull the ball bet
ter and get more heft into my
swing 1t wasn't as easily done as
said, but had to master that new
style or get out of baseball.
When Stengel sold Cooney to
Indianapolis, Johnny was a puny
1863 hitter. Four years later, as
Brooklyn manager, Stengel paid
dearly for Johnny, who had
stepped up his batting to a .37l
average and the American As
ISOLATION championship.
Under Stengel in Brooklyn,
Cooney was one eof the Dodgers
leading sluggers, up around 300.
But then Stengel gave way to
Burleigh Grimes and Grimes,
evidently convinced that a 37-
year-older was poor risk for
the future, passed Cooney on to
the st. Louis. Cardinals. Grimes
action set the stage for his own
dismissal, for Leo Duorcher, the
Dodgers current pilot, came from
the Cards in that deal.
CooneY's age also was against
him in st. Louis and he was
cast adrift as a free agent aft
or a brief trvout. But Sfengel.
then managing the Braves.
jumped at the opportunity TO I
grab no his old friend. That
friendship is still paying divi-
dends. af1 a3ggst
Cooney's astounding j .2l-year
major league career surprises
everyone but Cooney. He has an
unusual baseball background.
His father played for Cap An
sons famous White Stockings
and three older brothers, Jimmy,
once with the Red Sox, Harry
and Frank, were also active base
ballers.
Like most baseball patriarchs,
Cooney is eager to talk it for
hours at stretch. But he is 81
lent on the subject of home runs.