The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-08-03
THEY PLAYED THE GAME --
EE-yah! Colorful Jennings Grabbed
Opportunity On The First Bounce
Forty-SiXth of a series.
BY HARRY GRAYSON
NEA Shorts Editor

AS in the case of Miller Higgins, Hughey AM
brose Jennings brilliance manager overshadows
his achievements as player.
Hughie Jennings started as a 90-pound catcher
developed into phenomenal shortstop with the i'm
mortal Baltimore Orioles, and when his arm went
bad, he became first baseman on the pennant-win-
ming Brooklyn clubs of 1889 and 1900.
While his ability as a ball player got him out
OF the Pennsylvania coal pits. Jennings played while
beating tuberculosis In his earlier days.
Jennings, red-headed, freckled- faced kid, made
his own way He never failed to grab opportunity on
the hrst bounce
AS Hugh Fullerton once pointed out he could not
nit yet he became the most respected clutch hitter
on famous clubs, bated 800 better for six years in
succession.
He wasn't fast, yet became one of the more ac-
complished baserunners-sole go for the Orioles in
95 ~ In 49, 60 again in 97.
He had no early schooling, yet became college
graduate and lawyer He crowding 30 when he
took up the study of law while coaching Cornell.
He was scoffed at as manager. They said he
was too impulsive and too good fellow but he
handled such as Ty Cobb and Charley Schmidt, led
Detroit to three straight pennantS and later helped
John McGraw and the Giants to four in row.
THE GRIN THAT ECHOED
Jennings was besabll institution for IS years.
An even-tempered Scoch-Irishman, Hughey he
was christened, was as ready to shake hands as he
was to fight
He had cheerful disposition and lost
boysh spontaneous grin. Umpire Tim Hurst called it
"the grin that echoed"-back from the stands.
Jennings shri utterances ZEE yah!" and Alta
boy!" became the slang of the world
AS player Jennings of the original hol-
Ter guys You always knew when he was In the ball
park He could be heard. He was the personificaton
of pep.
Jennings perhaps the most colorful manager
in baseball history With Hughe whistling and EE-
yahing! in the third base coachs box-arms spread,
right leg hoisted highland Cobb the bases driving
teh opposition daily all confusion, the cub
porter reported.
There wasn't much grass left around the coaching
boxes when Jennings had made the rounds. He had 1t
pretty well plucked.
Hughe stood five feet eight, weighed more
than 100 pounds He wiry tough, agile and quick,
but not strong.
A RIGHT-HAND KELLER
Jennings was in the nature of right-hand hitting
Wee Willie Keeler with whom he wrote glorious chap
tiers in Baltimore and Brooklyn under the man who
further reVolutionized the game, Ned Hanon. Jen-
nings and Keeer were line hitters. Jennings could
swat the ball little farther than Keeer, but in
no sense power hitter.
AT bat Jennings had one foot in the bucket while
with Louisville in 81 and 49, but corrected the fault
in Baltimore. He wasn't afraid of fast ball or the
devil In "a, he set record for being hit by pitched
balls, getting 40 times that way. In game when
the umpire ruled he being hit purposely he
struck three times in
Hughe lost no time in getting his batting average
right up among the elite He batted 1856 for the Orioles