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Show LOVE OF BASEBALL LURES TENER BACK Pennsylvania Governor Tells Why He Accepts National League Presidency. . SATISFIED WITH GAME New Head Does Not Expect to Make Any Radical Reforms. By BOZEMAN BUXOER. NEW YORK. Doc. .-John K. Tener, Covornor of PcunHylvunla and the now head of the N'atlonat Icasoio, la a Eriant, physically and mentally. Don't make any mistake about that. Ho will run the National Icasuo. and while ho la doing It ho will build up a biff tiling to run. This was Impressed upon mo beforo I had talked with him ton minutes in the library of the exccutlvo mansion at Har-rlsburc;. Har-rlsburc;. lie saya there Is nothing tho matter tvltli baseball as it stands. The Job ho will undertake Ih to keep It that way. Governor Tener thinks Christy Mathow-son Mathow-son a groat credit to tho Icaffuo and will Inslbt that ho be kept there aa manager or owner long after his usefulness as a pitcher has ended. Is Six Feet Four. The governor stands six feet and fou Inches in his stocking reel. "When ho took my hand In that big, pitching right of his my lingers felt lost like a peanut lu a sack. In his eye Is tho same old love for tho game that caused A. Q. Spalding to select hlni as star pitcher for tho trip around the world back In 1888. Tho fifty yeard or more that hang lightly on tho govornor gov-ornor can not dim that. Tho .one great need of baseball, according ac-cording to Governor Tener, la continued health. "You asked me that question," he said, "aa If you had brought a patlont to a new doctor. Tho trouble la you have no case. Tho patlont Is a strong, healthy, civic Institution. It needs no doctor. If more wore any symptoms or disease, i might be willing to suggest a remedy, but if everybody was as healthy as baseball base-ball tho physicians would li.ve to shut up 6hop." The governor laughed heartily at the implied suggestion that ho would be called upon to do some doctoring. Hanging, Hang-ing, hla Immense frame over an easy leather chair ho llghtod a Pittsburg stogie, and through tho smoke could be Eoon that twinkle in his eyo that made him enough followers to bocome governor gov-ernor of ono of the greatest states in tho union. To Keep Game Clean. "No." he said, "I will not assume the the role of doctor when I take charge of tho National league. It will be my purpose pur-pose to eeo that the game Is kept, sanitary sani-tary and avoid the little things that, if left alone, might bring on disease." The govornor is highly delighted with the opportunity of getting back Into baseball base-ball and he dearly loves to talk. It. V baseball man Is always welcome at tho executive mansion, and when the day's work Is dono statecraft is dropped out of a sldo window. Tho" "sporting pagon are brought In and the governor begins to figure on new pitchers, ponnant-winnlng chances and winter doals. I found him in tho library of his home. Just nftor a good dinner, and ready for reminiscence. "Send right down and get your bag." ho said, with a cordiality that goes right through one, "and we'll talk baseball till bedtime." I suggested to him that I wanted to catch a 1 o'clock train for Now York, If possible. "That's all right, then," he said, "if we can get through by that time." That meant five hours. "Galther, here," and he introduced his private secretary, "1b an old newspaper man, and he has Just succeeded In teaching teach-ing me how to read a newspaper. Until I met him I didn't know that In reading a paper I had to first figure on what tho writer was thinking about when he wroto it," "Well, you needn't have any doubt this time," was explained. "This ono la going go-ing to bo about you." "By the way," he asked, as a sudden thought struck him, "what has become of that big fellow James, who started out b0 well for BoBton last sfprlng? When I first saw htm work I thought sure ho was going to ho a econd Mathewson." Ho was assured that James wan still on. the Job. "Well, if he gets going in the spring again, Mr., Goffney and George Stollings ought to mako it hot for a lot of tho clubs next season. A Real Leader. As I talked I began to see that John K. Tener was going to be a real president presi-dent a constructive leader. It was hard to reconcile such a thought with the way things have been run In tho old league in tho past The magnates have not beon given to sacrificing personal financial interests in-terests for the soke of elovatl.tg the league as a body. But things will be different under John Tener. Ho will not only direct, but will build. "Tho one great feature In tho success of tho American league." and the governor gov-ernor paid this very cautiously, "Isthat President Johnson has taken a personal hand In constructing the various parts so as to keep It on a level keel." "Governor." I asked, in an effort to yank him out of tho fan talk, "why did you agroe to tako tho Job as president of the National league?" "To tell the truth." ho replied. "I wanted want-ed to got back in the game. I love -basoball and I want to be Identified with it. Thero oro two things of which I am very proud, One Is that I was in professional baseball, and anothor Is that I am an Elk. I can never countenance Impressions Impres-sions of contempt about thope two institutions insti-tutions from anyon?." Fill Out Term. "I would liko to explain, though, that I would not havo agreed to accept the presidency had I not been assureds that my friend Brown of Louisville could not bo oleotcd. He In a delightful personality personal-ity and I think a lot of him, but when the owners assured me that he could not bo selected I agreed to serve." "When do you expect to take charge?" I asked him. "Well.' and he smiled, "It is corlaln that I can't tako chargo until I am elected. elect-ed. Again, I am still governor of Pennsylvania Penn-sylvania and will bo until 1915. Naturally, Natu-rally, T cannot afford to neglect any of my duties In this high office. I will give no time to baseball that interferes with my duties hero. If they want me to act In an advisory capacity, I will do 60, while John Heydlor -looks aftor the details. de-tails. Ho Is a very able man, and I be-llovo be-llovo tho affairs of the league could, be left perfectly safe In his hands." "You know," went on the governor, "I am proud of having: been a professional baseball player, and I am also proud of having beon electod governor, because I think it haa shown that a man of the diamond can do other things. "Who do you thlnk?'"he asked, "was tho first man to bring that idea out among the baseball men? McGraw. I was In tho Waldorf hotel ono day when the Giant manager came up to congratulate congratu-late mo upon .my election. 'Governor, ho said, 'your election Is a great uplift to baseball. It has shown that a ball player can be a big man if' ho adapts himself. Your election has been of more benefit to baseball than any ono thing I know of. and for that reason we1 aro proud of you.' "By the way" ho camo out again with one of thoso unexpected questions "do you remombcr Georgo Woods, tho old outfielder, who played on tho team with Delehanty and Focarty at Philadelphia and also at New York?" I did. The last time I Etiw old George two years ago ho was almost down and out nnd working on the turnstiles nt tho Polo grounds and at Shlbe park In Philadelphia. Phila-delphia. "Well, ho's doing well now," tho governor gov-ernor said, and I got anothor Insight Into tho character of this big man. It seems that Connlo Mack and some of tho ball players wroto to Govornor Tener asking If ho could do Bomothlng for old Georgo, that he was in hard luck and that any faults he might have wore duo to his bad luck. Governor Tener Investigated and thon gave George a Joh as messenger at $000 a year. A Helping Hand. "Ho stuck so close to business." Mr. Tener explained, "that I loaned him money to get his goods out of storage and to bring his wife on. He didn't know where his mother wa3. In a fow weeks I got him a promotion to a Job that nald S1100 a year. Geonro rented a house rent Is cheap here, rou know and ho had enough ground to start a garden. Seeing that he intended to stick to his Job nnd work hnrd, I later got him an appointment as special marshal mar-shal to tho public service board. That Job pays S2000 a year. Soon George brought his mother on and ho now has ono of tho prettiest little places In Har-rlsburg." Har-rlsburg." "Tom Lynch imiBt havo been a great umpire In his day?" I suggested while the governor was Insisting that I be ac-cllmatod ac-cllmatod and try a Pittsburg stogie. "He certainly was," ho replied. And Lynch will go down In history as a great credit to the game. lie la also a good president Never Was Fined. "By the way," and Mr. Tener laughed, "Mr. Lynch Is the only umplro who ever threatoncd to fine me. It was In a tilt with him that I came closest to being fined and put out of a game. You know I was never put out, "On the occasion I refer to I was pitching for Chicago and wo won wo always remember tho games we won. Well, a stage of the game camo up when thero was a man on second and one out and a heavy hitter at the bat. I made so as to got at a weak hitter who had been easy up to that time. I had It all planned out and purposely walked the heavy hitter. When the weak batter bat-ter came tip I thought I had him struck out, fcut Umplro Lynch waved him to first a base on balls, I was angry ull through. " 'Why, that ball was over!' I exclaimed, ex-claimed, "What do you mean by walking walk-ing him? I was hopping mad because my plas ha1 gono wrong. "Mr. Lynch, who always insisted upon being called 'ik. threw off his mask aud, with that cocky walk, came toward me, j Saved His$50. ' '"Mr. Tener.' ho. said, pointing his finger at me, 'If you repeat that remark It will cost you $E0 and out of tho game you'll gol' " "Woll. nnd I caught myself Just In time, all right but ' "I Tvent right on pitching and won ouL Slnco thon I have often thought how closo I come to losing, J50 and rny reputation for not having been put out of a gamo." Tho governor aroKe and walked across tho room. His every movemont bespoke tho athlete. His immonsa'framo was carried car-ried aa lightly as if he had been a dancer. I "How do you manage to keep In such j tood physical condition?" I aaked him. I "Why do you know," he replied with a show of surprise, "there has not been a year since J was 20 years old that I haven't had on my tmlform playing baseball? base-ball? I even played first bnso In a charity game lost year since I havo been governor. gov-ernor. I figured, though, after I had passed 60 that it was time to stop, even though the thought of 1t elves me & pang of regret, I don't get sore, either, H know how to keep myself In shape. I have taken up golf of lato years and find it a great game. I also play tennis. Still, tho game that I love Is bufieball, and I wish it was so that X could play It until 'I am 100." Tho governor is onojof the fow old-tlmors old-tlmors who believes that baseball has Improved. Im-proved. ' 1 don't think individual play haa Improved Im-proved a great deal," he explained. "But today much mora attention Is paid to details. de-tails. In the old days wo pitchers nover thought of pitching King Kellov a high ball, but If we failed It was not considered consid-ered a crime. Today" a slip Hko that Is looked upon as a serious break. "The boat catcher I ever pitched to." ho uaid. "was Buck Swing. They have never produced a better on." |