Show Mattys Matty's Locker at the Polo Grounds Empty for the First Time i in Six Sixteen teen Years Wave Wave of Sentiment Engulfed Baseballs Baseball's Most Famous Pitcher When He Called to Gather His Effects and BidI Bid I His Teammates Goodbye I The The last visit of Christy Chri ty Math Mathew Mathewson w- w son to the Giant clubhouse stirred up a wealth of memories for the pitcher who had risen to be baseballs baseball's greatest greatest greatest great great- est idol It was a simple leave taking for the man who had been the mainstay mainstay mainstay main main- stay of the New York club through so many gruelling fights yet it was filled with Something of its spirit was caught by Bozeman Bulger Bul ger baseball writer of the New York Evening World 1 I By Bi BOZEMAN BULGER LONG low hung car pulled up A A at tha clubhouse as the rain spattered down on a o. sign proclaImIng proclaiming proclaiming pro pro- claiming No game today A Abig Abig Abig big shouldered blue climbed from under the wheel and slowly made bis his way up the steps to the intimate home of oC the Giants Nobody stopped topped him th though ugh h hf did not belong blon to t the New York club In the corner of or the clubhouse the clubhouse the new clubhouse clubhouse there there was a a. locker that had performed it Its duty for more than a decade Clubhouses Clubhouses Club Club- houses houes had changed several times bu bunot but not the locker The little iron grating was fastened exactly as it was fastened fastened fas faa on that day when the Giants licked the Athletics and won tho this worlds world's championship back In 1905 The big fellow mopping his blonde blonda brow fitted a a. key to the lock and began dragging forth things that had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been touched for or many years Idling around on th the benches several I pink skinned athletes watched the rifling of the locker in oppressive si si- si lence Over in a corner a plain pine table had been rigged up for tor et un and a deck of cards was carelessly scattered over It Jt Three or four of the tho muscular fellows clad in little littlemore littlemore littlemore more than a a. breechclout sat eat down to have a try at the game same The big fellow fellow tellow tel fel fel- fel low turned from his demolition of oC the locker to watch them Say Matty one of them yelled dont forget that checkerboard and mind you theres there's a 1 tab there on the shelf showing how much the gang has wo won i or lost during the last two months The blue eyed athlete located the sheet of ot paper and walked over to the table He had be been n the club bookkeeper bookkeeper bookkeeper book book- keeper and mathematician since a lad Come on fellows he lie said and and kick in Im I'm leaving and this things thing's i got to be straightened out One at a time the debtors were cornered cornered cornered cor cor- and settled And nay aay Natty Matty another yelled dont forget torget that Larry and Poll owe owea a dollar on that last checker game earne Another dollar doUar or two was turned over oyer to the big pitcher I hI guess there isn't much more use for these towels he said spreading them out on the table Ill Til stake you to this one Fred and I guess Fletch will grab the other one All AU right yelled Larry Get that locker straightened out and sit In with us for tor a few tew minutes Wed We'd like to have you lose ono one time before you go In a a. few tow minutes the locker was Vlas stripped and the steel grated door swung idly on its hinges with a a. key stuck in the lock The man who had used It tt for years vears stood there scanning a slip clip of ot paper that evidently had been lost in the tho dust of time On it he lie made out thi this memorandum memorandum- Mertes 25 26 Bowerman Bowerman Bower Bower- man 60 Tenney 50 Wilson 50 Wiltse Ames 75 An old twenty one score he mUmbled mumbled mum bled and there came the trace tiace of at ofa a a. tear in the big blue eyes ees Evidently he regarded it settled for he started to tear it up and then on second thought carefully brushed off ort the little slip sUp and placed it in a card case Are you In an impatient athlete shouted from the un et table Come on and arid take a hand Theres There's no ball game today Never leYer mind about that new club of yours Just then the blue eyed fellow dug up from the bottom of oC the locker a kodak print of ot a party of at old timers In the middle he stood flanked by Arthur Devlin and Bill Dahlen That he also tucked in the big card case Are you coming or not the athlete athlete ath ath- lete late demanded from the table Weare Wo We 0 are starting the deal More tear drops trickled down the I cheeks of the big athlete He edged over to the un et table I Larry he said In a half halt broken voice I 1 dont don't know whether I want to become the manager of ot another club or not This is the only locker I ever had In my life Deal me in the game The cards were slowly dealt not a sound smothering the flip flip as the pasteboards fell on the table Larry Lam said the big tell fellow ow without without with with- out studying his hand the only we ev ever r had was when you accused me of ot saying you had been drinking a bottle of beer Remember you cracked it at me in an au exhibition game down at Norfolk Im I'm sorry that you you thought that Forget it counseled Larry Old boy and he slapped him on the back we are with you hook line and sink sink- er The game broke up without a hand having been played and as the big athlete bundled up his things and trundled over to the clubhouse of the visitors there were ere tear tar dimmed eyes Even the clubhouse boy felt badly Mattys Matty's locker was empty empt It was empty for the first time In sixteen years |