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Show CARDINALS' PHENOMENAL SHORTSTCt PURCHASE j-r:,'e. An of o: ; ''',: from Charles Wc-r-::im.-.n of I t-'-.e Ch:. ago Cu;'i :wo years iat-. ' - A :::i !::lt.,r his f;:; y..-ar in the n-!::ors. A .11 specdha'.l crLis: er , iir.-t y.-ur in the mahjrs -t'.vo seasons jha-.r. A sho:t. cho;py, crouched baiter j in the fall ,,f 1015. a long. I ree-a nJ -easy. l'-?-3:-ji:l lerue letter in the sjr:r.g of fl'i- A frail-look;: kid. vight U-j P-j'inds in the fall of L;5. A husky, scrupi'y athlete, weight 170 pounds, in the i -spring of 1 b I C . These measurements are worn by Rogers Horr.sby no extra initials, ini-tials, spo.-ts around i ep" for bis nickname. nick-name. He did not bluw into the National league escorted by a parade of scouts, columns oi recommendations and guarantees guar-antees to make the fans forget lion us I V a g tier. '1 he discovery of Hornsby is unparalleled. unpar-alleled. It is uni-iue unioue in the extreme. ex-treme. He did not crush his wav to minor league fame with doubles, tuples and home runs. Major league s-outs and managers were not burning the tele- j graph wires bidding sky high. The O. K. ---tamp was put uu Rogers by Hub Con-net;, Con-net;, scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was developed by Miller J. Uugglna, but the one who saw him in "No Man's" ;and was a railroad conductor. I Tho in 14 Cardinals were toe to - toe with the Boston B ra v e s a nd the N e. w York Giants for the pennant. Art Butler, But-ler, as the shorts topper, was making wild pegs over to first, he was popping easy Hies with runners on second and third, and day after day J Juggins and Country sighed because thev did not have a shorl-I shorl-I stop of the Maranville type. "Get me a shortstop and I'll win this pennant," was a story Hoggins gave out in St. Louis. He appealed to the owners, own-ers, but the minor league fields did not" I show another Maranville. i The scene is transferred to the club-; club-; house of the Cardinals in St. Louis, with ; Muggins emerging from ' the dressing j room, sour, peeved and disgusted. He was beaten that day bv the Braves, 2-0, and pushed from second to third place. Scout Followed Tip. "You're Mr. Huggins, aren't vow?" said a fan. "Well, I'm Charley Reese you don't know me and I don't know you. I'm a conductor, a railroad conductor .travel between St. Louis and Texas. They all tell me you're trying to get a shortstop. short-stop. I'll give you a tip on one a kid down at Denison, Tex. Look him over!" But Huggins was in no humor to hold a conference with a fan-pest. He had received such tips be for1, and it was old stuff to him. The railroad conductor conduc-tor and the shortstop at Denison, Texas, dropped out of sight in Huggins' mind dropped out of. sight until the spring of 1915, when the Cardinals, were training at San Antonio, Texas. A feature of Huggins' system in managing man-aging Is a nightly conference with Scout Bob Connery. They go over the day's play, study this player, that one, fiddle through minor league box scores, looking look-ing for pherioms, and in one of these sessions the thought struck Huggins, and he burst forth with this: "Say, Connery, are we near Denison, Texas? Remember that fellow last summer sum-mer who said something about a shortstop short-stop at Denison, Texas? "I have a pretty good tip on a fellow named Massey, up here with the Texas university. I'll take one team to Austin Aus-tin for an exhibition game, look at Massey, Mas-sey, and see If you can't arrange a game at Denison and look at the other kid." The two games were booked. Huggins Hug-gins Interviewed Massey, . a collegian, but discovered that the youngster had promised Joe Birmingham, manager of the Cleveland club, that he .would report re-port to him if he decided upon a professional pro-fessional career. "How did yours look?" was the first question Huggins passed out to Connery when the scout joined him a week later. "A little light. Plug, and I don't like the way he stands at the plate," was the report from Connery. In the summer's scouting Connery 's territory was the south the Texas league, the Southern league, the Atlantic At-lantic league, Cotton States, Kitty and others. Coming in to St. Louis during midseason Connery saw the need of a shorstop for the Cardinals again. "Hug, remember that ,lad down in Texas I looked at in the spring?" whispered Connery. "Well, I'm going to take a chance on him. If I can get him cheap we might be able to do something with him. What I fancy about him more than anything is his pep yes, they call him 'Pep' because he's talking and fussing fuss-ing around continually. There are too many silent players on our club that's why we're seventh." Placed at Shortstop. And Rogers Hornsby arrived in September, Septem-ber, 1915. He was bought for $750; 'Tn practice In his first game his. uniform was covered with dirt ten minutes after he walked on the field. He slid around the field, going after grounders; he called down Frank Snyder for making wild throws to second base and he told Huggins Hug-gins he didn't know how to hit infield grounders. After the first day Connery asked Huggins Hug-gins for his report. "Hasn't any style about him, but you're right he's fresh, full of energy, ROGERS HORNSBY. ! ! - m :-! --V;- . ;!:" . ' ' ' '. N : -- .v- ,V- -,t vV c : 'ti-- ti::titi: . ' :s'- M '. j?;V ? fe-i : jssp&' -ti "s I :;:;:'r 1 'I'vSi :ti.yryti:y.-.f $ .. yy;- ;:-y.:. . ; ; .;.. :.:::.:v. l::f rv! I Jllilllllii jfiSlvSK 1 bb i g?f?s'?: :ifii , -- -v! K -nv'1, ' 1 : i!!!ili m m ItimmmiSW WMpsMm$Mi II m i tiPfeiHiM mm H 1 f V.V . - "4 I P . ! J v"- . m . i , i - ' v " K, as i s , " v v .v Z - ... ::: ADVISES FREE SWING WHEN BATTING. AH major league fence-busters are not swatting fiends in the minors. Rogers Hornsby batted .2H2 in his firnt professional season. He batted .246 in a brief trial with the irit. Louis Nationals in the fall of 1915. He changed ! from a short, choppy swinger to one with a long, free crash, and overnight became one of the most dangerous hitters in the National league. Hornsby is compared with the late Ed Delahanty, considered one of the greatest batters in baseball. The tip on Hornsby was received by Miller Huggins, manager of the Cardinals, from a railroad conductor in Texas. Hornsby weighed 140 pounds when he reported to his big league club. j He was considered too light for major league timber, lived on a Texas farm, a diet of milk, eggs and fresh air to take on weight. Hornsby was bought for $750. Magnate Weeghman of the Cubs offered $50,000 for him two years later. He started his professional career in the spring of 1914. In the fall of 193 5 he was in the majors before he was 21. He was the phenom of the 1916 season. : and in four or five years he might be ripe. Nothing doing for next year, though," was Huggins' s answer. Hornsby was placed at short for the i remainder of the season. He averaged .240 in eighteen games, had a crouch position posi-tion at the plate, . choked the bat and in i fifty-seven times up did not send a single long hy to the outfield. His hits were rollers through the infield or little pops in front of the outfielders. Pie looked like an ideal second-place batter, one for the hit and run if he ever became . a big leaguer yes, if he ever became a big leaguer. The season was over last game played and Hornsby, fresh Texas kid, was the l first to interview Iduggins. I "Well, Huggins, -what do you think ; about your Texas wonder?" snapped j Hornsby at the manager. "I'll tell you, son," came - back Hug-! Hug-! gins. "You're a little light for this big' league stuff might be able to do some-; some-; tiling for you next spring, but I guess ! I'll have to farm you out." j Hornsby and Huggins , parted without 'another word. During 'the winter the kid i shortstopper received a letter from Hug-! Hug-! gins to report at the training camp at San Antonio, Texas. "What a change in an athlete over ' winter ! Plugging and Connery couldn't believe their eyes when they saw their I Texas wonder. He hopped from a lightweight light-weight to a near-heavyweight. The shirt , pinched the neck and from the hips up he looked like a wrestler. "What what in the world did you do this winter?" asked Huggins. I "Where do you get that stuff?" said Hornsby in a serious tone. "Didn't you tell me to get out on a farm? "Did't you tell me I was too light? Well it's been the farm life all winter for me, with nothing but fresh eggs, milk and country air." The physical change In Hornsby was remarkable. He was a big leaguer, physically physi-cally at least. Change in Batting Pose. "It's up to us," Huggins told Connery on the first day of practice. When the regular work was completed Connery and Huggins toiled with Hornsby. Connery shot grounders down to him for half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon. Huggins had Ames, Sal-lee, Sal-lee, Doak, Meadows and the other pitchers pitch-ers pitch to the rookie. They inspected the bat and saw it was light and short. A new model was ordered a long, heavy j thing, and Rog was moved at the plate, j I-le was pulled away from the edge of i the rubber, to the -xlge of the chalk line i and the pitchers pitched. With this toe-hold position at the plate i Hornsby started lo h)it at the training I camp. The outfielders had to go to the j fence - for his drives and the infielders I bad their palms scorched wh b stop his lln.-rs. He slm V derful arm in llnvwiu ften" und be mastered the steps x't of second ir roller.-!. "i V was there; hut hew h,ng 'n tn de elop was another mu-s Roy Corn. in, P;udih- C.mm Uet, was e.-lCsUiered the ,-0 ' j, stop for tin- 'avdut;ls dm- " pi: with llornshy m.-ivl.. Two days before leaving t St. Louts t pen the spi In the li row ns, LVrhun -prn in ankle. j "Don't worry, don't won-'' nie in against those AtmV'! ; pitchers ; give me a. eriu-1; begged Hornsby the (lav he K ries started. The i 'urdinais opened Urow 'it.-', considered a prima i with Fielder .Kmes in churn i such hill artisis n Carl i; 'Knob, Dave Davenport, Hob ;'' 1 The opening aine, x '''' pitehinir, went 0-0 for fK I the sixth the Cardinal- h : w ith Hornsby up. n,. mt ,j I fence oi the fly for a t, .';J runs. The Browns tied p hi : ! Two more mi for the Card jI eighth. Hornsby up a pain. (1' a Hue drive which lilt the h-f, Another triple. Two more . Cardinals won, -1-2. Star Hefore Arc of 20 j, lnr. lit; nuido i-very liilfiriilniV KhortNtop's l.oolt. n skUH"-his skUH"-his rlnM. In ba.-k .f ih.- ih i: Hlld I.'lfkril t'linllhliTS. bacli of .soooiid. Jl.. Hiim.-hc? ors in liai'k uf thr piu-li.-r m-Jl a throw from Loft l.'h ui,,,. throw out l!ort Sliotlon, : Si'oro from first on a ilouhlo -1 HUi! dotml was miei'taculnr, ' lluy Oorlwn roorivcl ,i.. :':J turnod to tlio I'aoifio oi'nst,'" )iornslty, wlio ia(i not n' ;J twontiotlt Mrthilny, was th - roolar shortstoptH-r. - ills coiitraot called to,- J' 1IH6 iMifim, as when ho was i,T Kins or no one olso o,)oolod main with tho chili as lnr as " was Rivon a $rIH bntuis ii t ' tile soason, hIkhoiI for 'train y last year ho Hino.l a two-y with the Cardinals ralllnx soason. llornaby liaiallos his" like this: Get Bat to Fit Swing. "t took to hasohall hormis.rt of time at home. l.lviiiR noar Toxas. tho kids alwavs ila I'! was one of thorn. 1 ootikl (:l and have oaulit, ultohod, lu Hold and everything on tho the Texas and Oklahoma Ion j Banlzed in JIU4 I ivooivod So with the JJuko team. T-r at short berause the oiIht po'' filled. In the middle of tho t ' transferred to Denison, 'J'oxa "But I wasn't a hall player- with an idea of ever eottitiM major league. ' 'I played ball In the t, worked in a dry Roods sloro.V ter. Tho cornhinataaj satlsfjfc was plenty of fun in baa 1 liked it. -"When they sent mo to HI-the HI-the follows there told mo -money was In tlio Kaine, 1 i' that baseball was tho raino couldn't got enough of it, lo-and lo-and watched how the other: played. .,, "Of course, the same is p majors. The minor loaBUes I was one of them, and tinn much attention to the Inside them it. is swinging and 1 throwing when you ifc.l tho h . "I saw tho channe in t league, where different batter-: ferent fielders, where one sor: ers toward left, another has"1 putting them over second. to do is to play for vour studied them and foil into the-' "Of course, one rule on not fit every ease. Tho U i f 1 ' alter tho advice. "Some batters like a low like the high ones, some fa l others pick on speed. With . no particular choice anyt comes within reach suits in say that. 1 can hit everything lot. Not exactly. "The most important advict is to get a bat which fits and be free and loose at the pr "I was changed around : when I left the minor. :' trouble in the minors the: managers who know how to faults of youngsters. Fortun" gins and Connery corrected pulled me away from tho pla covered that I was the typo-bat typo-bat held rijiht at tho hamlJi "Try to adopt a forward n. which carries you risht in wi; If you pull away, throw tlu down the third-base lino, yC get a square smack at the b;, "There arc a numljer of . pitchers too many to pick two and put them ahead of For myself I believe Ale:: Vaughn are two of the great-: I have faced. There are other; and Jim always show me a v.'t when I'm at the plate." How many players have tui averages for VJ'J' games in tl: league, with 17 doubles, 15 trip home runs before they have vote in the ballot box? H' I Rogers Hornsby is one. In his second big league ranked second in tho book iv with a figure of .327 for 145 ; had 86 runs, 171 clean smacks.-17 smacks.-17 triples and eight home n Roush, average .241, had to 21-year-old youngster out of of leading I he league. ' During the year just fin:sbe ranked second among NhTIc sluggers. He batted three po-Ed po-Ed Roush of tho Cincinnati oi ter's mark being .321. Homsu games at third base, 37 game stop and 25 games at seeone addition, he played five a-"" base, thus making the rounds principal infield positions. Thev say mighty swatters not nifde. Hornsby did not minor league pitchers treifi ill-carried ill-carried a bat to the plate. " '32 in 1!'14 and had a percent for 1l!t games before he repoi Rt. Louis Nationals in IjIS. that season ip 'he big has'" aged .24C for e'ghteen game", not crush his way to Ih-- iron first whistle. He was; born -county. T-xas. April |
