Show START OF MANAGER CHANCE leader of champion cubs received early training on pacific coast aw ward at first BY FRANK CHANCE copyright 1910 by joseph B bowles I 1 got my start trying to catch at fresno cal when I 1 was ras about eight years old I 1 had no thought of play ing the game professionally and only wanted to play it I 1 played other games but baseball always was my fa evorite and I 1 would desert school m meals eals or anything else to get to catch looking back now I 1 will say this that it if I 1 had known the hardships and the troubles and worries and strain involved in playing the game as a pro bession I 1 think I 1 never would have tried the public hag has little idea of the pain pains and troubles of a player I 1 have no complaint I 1 have been successful above the average yet I 1 would not ad vise a young man to enter the protes slon sion unless he Is prepared to sacrifice much of his life and happiness to work harder than he must work in al most any trade and to bear more strain both mental and physical than he would be called upon to bear in al most any other line it Is a hard life and one hat wears a man out rapidly but to return to the start I 1 came east to visit at sullivan III one sum mer and there played with the first regular team I 1 ever joined and when I 1 went back to california I 1 had ideas of playing ball in the great teams I 1 never had seen them play but I 1 was determined to get in I 1 played with the fresno high school team and then baug caught t for the university of southern california for a time and tried to play the outfield my chance to get into professional baseball came the year that the san francisco examiner organized a tour 41 manager frank chance lament between the high school teams of the state fresno went into the tournament with a fair team and I 1 was catcher we could not win but we gave them a hard battle and fin dished just behind oakland and stock ton they charged that there were ringers on the teams and I 1 think the investigation was what brought me to the attention of the scouts any bow how danny long of the san francisco team saw me catch and recommended me to chicago that was the ambi tion of my life to catch tor for chicago because when I 1 was at sullivan every one made an idol of anson I 1 did not aspire to be a leader like anson then but hoped to make th the team bill lange was playing with chicago and after long had recommended me for trial lange met me and boosted me to the chicago club they offered me a trial aid I 1 jumped at it I 1 had my own troubles making good as a catch er mainly because I 1 was nas awkward and kept getting hurt indeed I 1 never got started until selee insisted on put ting me on first base I 1 refused to play at rt first I 1 had tried it once at baltimore and forgot to catch the ball when it was thrown to me I 1 did not think I 1 ever could play the bag selee bad had to argue tor for a week and pay me more money to get me to try and then I 1 discovered first base was my best position the rest of it has been just hard work and determination to win and the help of the b st tt and smartest crowd of players any team ever owned |