Ogden Evening Standard | 1911-07-22 | Page 11 | "Nap" Rucker and His "Jinx"

i "NATKUCK L Fv W, H I 3 J I NXr I II I DISCOVERY and! Rise of the Georgia Southpaw, I I Who, Having Overcome a Wild Craving for' Pea- 9 f I nuts and Ice Cream, Became a Gourmet, and Later jj L I Showed Brooklyn He Was Also a Star Pitcher J irV NAPOLEON RUCKER ' i. ? ---l? ' fS?1 TKl " : (Copyright. 3011. by tho "ow Tork rteralcl Co. All rlcbts rcsorrctl.) I ; ' - "V H -vou 'P''" yelled the delighted bunch I . 1 ot Alpharetta folk as for the seven- l ;. -teenth time the barefooted, freckle faced, !, I red headed youth who occupied the pitcher's box for the home team sent a Si disgruntled baiter "back to the bench without hitting "fi the ball. Two more went out by the same route H : before the gaone was over. It was trreat work, and M Captain Otto Jordan, of the Atlanta Club, out on a OIJj scouting trip, congratulated, himself for stopping off (Wl at Alphaxetta, Ga., and strolling over from his hotel to 'Ildl watch the game on the lots. The pitcher did not look Hr prepossessing In his bare feet, tattered trousers and ,WI black shirt, but Jordan took a chance, and slgaed him T L o the spot jgj", One would look In vain now for the barefooted M pitcher on the Alphaxetta lots. He is -now known as jjf J Mr. Rucker, one of the highly respected citizens' ot 32 51 tlie "town, stockholder in the bank, and as a merely g . sartorial proposition he Is surely the glass of fashion '2? ' for Milton county. His fame has gone far and wide, j and he now shares with "Ty" Cobb, of tho Detroit ij team, the baseball honors of the State. Thev have fit - 'rift even named cigars and plug tobacco after "Nap," and S in the estimation of the "Crackers' this Is the dizzy IF, height of fame. ISZTfl What Mafchewson is to the New York Giants and i Brown to the Cubs, Rucker is to the Brooklyn per-, formers. The Superbas are never mentioned without naturally bringing Rucker's name Into the conversation, conversa-tion, for since he joined Charles H. Ebbet's outfit he has been practically the only winning pitcher on the I j team. He has become the Idol of the rubber plant ' community and the "fans" greet him with the same wild acclaim as his friends at home did when ho I stepped into the box. ? Rucker's work has been greatly handicapped. The possessor of one of the most mystifying crossfire de- ' r liveries ever seen in the big leagues, he is tied to a j second division club, where he has to use all the cun- I nlng at his command to overcome the shortcomings of his teammates to win a majority of the contests In J which he works. It is rather an odd fact, but he has had the worst of every close decision made bv the umpires since he Joined the big league. He opines I there 13 an implacable "Jinx" following him, and has said so time and again. "The worst, luck I ever had," said "Nap" to a party of baseball writers one day, "was at Chlcngo, on I August 9, 1909. I'll remember that game as long as I I live. '! "We were going along fairly well then, and had j J Just broken even with the Pirates, who were leading 1 4 the league at the time. The Chicago newspapers tj touted us as being dangerous, and I was slated to j t work against Reulbach in the first game. It seemed 1 as if the whole town was at the ball grounds that day, I for it was the biggest crowd I ever worked before. t "I was in grand form and was confident of getting t . away with the game. Things looked pretty rosy for j me for three innings, with no one hitting the ball and I tho boyB going good behind me. It was In the next round, though, that the big blow off came. j ; "The boys behind me seemed to go to pieces, and g f before I was aware of it three errors had been chalked against Brooklyn and one hit had been mnde, which HI 6ent thrce me across the plate. That was all ior JMj. Chicago. They made only two hits off me during the nine innings and I certainly wanted to win that Wj Gnmc, but the old jinx was after me and I simply could gm. not put it over. The Chicago crowd handed me one of ! j the greatest ovations I ever received after I went to M J the bench in the eighth inning, but the dav was g j lost, and I certainly wanted to win that game." con- j eluded the big pitcher, and he shook his head and jj I walked off. dg ! Rucker feels his losses keenly, and after he is de- jm feated goes back to his room and tries to figure out v3 the reason ior hifi defeat 5 Like most Southern ball ivto players, he la a deep thinker and Is always devising 'J'i ways aDd means of improving his delivery. He sits H i for hours in his room trying to study out new breaks j for terrorizing the opposing batsmen, as he relies n'i-H n'i-H , Jinost abbolutely on his curves to fool the battel. 4, While It Is not generally known, like most of the good ball players Rucker's first attempt in ihe minor leagues did not meet with a Jiowling success. "After warming the bench at Atlanta for a couple of weeks," said Rucker, telling of his first experience as a professional ball player, "I was Anally siven a chance to work. In practice I showed good form and had the ball breaking right every time I threw a curve. There was a fair crowd present, but 1 did not mind rhc people much I was dreadfully afraid of the coachers. though, who looked at me and grinned and nld. 'More meat boys, more meat!' 1 tried to put one over on my first attempt and missed the plate by about six feet My next one was high, and my confidence started to leave me Before I kucw it I had walked the first man and could not locate the plate for the second. I did not lat long. Jordan took me out and I never pitched another game for Atlanta. They farmed me out to Augusta and I was drafted to Brooklyn Brook-lyn from that team." When Rucker pa me to Brooklyn In the spring of inOS he was unquestionably verdant, though not to the "B'gosh!" degree. It Is even said that Otis Crandall. of the Giants, was a rounder compared with him, and this is "going some," considering the fact that the latter an his first Western trip sat in the railroad station for twenty-four hours after he had missed his train for St. Louis and waited for the same train to tnke him to the Mound City the next day. They had to tie a string to Rucker .-$. 'v vr'--? . w ?. '' '-' - ' ,. il ft ' rol'r'-' ''"' M .l , . , -mi J&Miti hy--- ; VV ,K '"- . But Jordan Took a Chance and Signed Him on the Spot x- My X&BM' tS stir jKM $$?) In this respect he is unlike the great ?.Iii'tliow6ori, who puis the least possible strain on, his ami by outguessing out-guessing the "batter. Rucker has as large an assortment assort-ment of curves at his command as any qthei' pitcher In the league. He Is a most difficult man to catch and a hard man for the umpires on balls and strikes. lie never "kicks" on decisions. The only time he ever raised a howl against an umpire wns at St. Louis two years ago, when he asked Johnstone after the game whether the latter had not made a mistake on some of the balls he called. Johnstone John-stone was so surprised that for a minute he was speechless. The umpire turned on the pitcher and said in a terrible ter-rible voice: "The next time I hear anything from you In this series off you go." This was enough for Rucker, and he has never made a peep since, although he freely admits thnt ho is getting the wrong end of everything this year. Refusal of a Raise in Pay. A great many stories are told of "Nap" when he first broke Into the big league, coming up from the Augusta team of the South Atlantic League, where he first attracted the attention of "Pat" Donovan, who managed the Brooklyn team nt that time. After Ruckor had been with Brooklyn two weeks In the 6pring of 190S he was called to the ofllce to receive his first check He had been promised a raise If he made good, and It was with unconcealed anxiety that he went Into Mr. Ebbet's private ofHce to receive his first chuck. When he looked at tne figures on tho paper he was dumfounded to find that he had received more money than was coming to him nnd handed back the check to Mr. Bbbets, saying that ho had probably made a mistake. The president of the club looked up. In his cold, businesslike manner and said: "No, that's all right I raised your pay." "But I haven't mnde good," sobbed Rucker, breaking break-ing down completely. "I haven't even won a game for you. I ean't accept this check." To say that Ebbets was surprised Is putting It mildly. Never In his career as baseball man had a player refused more money, and he was and Is the proudest man In the league to think that he hns a man on his teum who will not accept money unless he delivers the goods. Ebbets knew he had a jewel from the moment he saw Rucker work, and it was this that prompted him to raise Rucker's salary. He forced "Nap" to keep the check, and" sopt "Billy" Mnlouey, who was then captain of the team, and "Doc" Casey to win him over to the correct point of view. Ebbels bus never regretted his act nnd In Rucker he has the most conscientious man on the team. Siue he. joined the Brooklyus Rucker "has pitched more games than any other Superbu pitcher aud won Xar more contests. !? keep him from going astray. But it did not lake "Nap" long to get acquninlcd. He surprised his teammates, team-mates, who were stopping ul Hie St. George. In Brooklyn, Brook-lyn, by walking in one night dressed In the height of f.-lshlrn and swinging a H?ht cane This was the beginning be-ginning of the new Rucker. and the onre barefooted ball player became the dandy of the National League- On Rucker's first trip to rittsburg he was Invited by some of the ether players to look over the "dip." Rucker did not know what they meant by "dip." and thought thoy might mean a plunge or n shower, and answered an-swered that he would take his plunge after the game Of course this caused a good deal of laughter, and It wns afterward explained to Rucker that the players had meant to take him to the Carnegie Museum to see the dlpodocus with the tall that was SO feet long.' In hiscfirst year In fast company "Nap" did not pay much nttenlion to his diet. Peanuts aud Ice Team was his fnvorlte dessert .while, contrary to the general gen-eral rule among ball players, he would load up to full capacity before a ball game, and was hardly In con dltlou to give a star performance at times. . ' "Patsy" Donovan, wlio managedthc club In Rucker's Ruck-er's first year, was extremely puzzled over "Nap's" behavior, for If Rur';cr could not get enough at the hotel he usually gorged himself outside. Douovan MRS. BINKLEY'S WAY. SUNDAY afternoon, when Mr. and Mrs. Blnkley went out walking, they Invited Binkley's old chum Elverson to no along. Elverson did not know Mx-s. Blnkley very well, and it occurred to Blnkley that then was a good time for him to make her acquaintance. acquaint-ance. Afterward he wished he had waited for a mure opportune time. Mrs. Blnkley was not as entertaining as usual, ner mind ran principally to figures. She did a great deal of looking around and but little talking. When she did speak she said, "That makes three of them." or, "That Is the fourth one I have seen," or something to that effect, which cxclamntory remarks, being uu-accompanled uu-accompanled by a diagram, were totally unintelligible to at least one of her companions. Such conduct was most certainly something one would never have expected ex-pected from a woman of Mrs. Blnkley's reputed accomplishments. ac-complishments. It puzzled Elvorson aud made Blnkley Blnk-ley mad Still, he tried to laugh It off when Elverson pulled hlru Into a cigar store aud asked anxiously what rfhe meant by it "I'm afrnid," said Elverson, "that she Is mad because be-cause I came along. I think she wanted you all to herself" "You're away off there." returned Blnkley with the wisdom of a man-led man. "I'm not of that much Importance. Im-portance. It's her clothes that alls here. She feels herself out of the picture, I haven't been able to get her one of those newfangled summer suits and she Is countlnc the other women who aro out In their old duds. She always does it." caught him red handed at Boston, and this ended tho days of feasting for the pride of Alpharetfi. The team wasat a hotel which is famous all over tho circuit for Its excellent dining room, and "Nap" was in his element there. He was warned time and again by the players not to eat too much before th game, but "Nap" never took heed, and went through his regular programme of starting at the top of the menu card and eating his way down. He was very careful not to sit near Donovan, for he knew that if the manager wns Informed It would be all over for him. On the third day of the team's stay "Nap" was slated to pitch and felt that he could do better work IS he ate a planked chicken. He sat off In one corner of the dining din-ing room, where he could not be seen by the others, gave the waiter his order and loosened up In preparation prepa-ration for the feast I End of Gourmet Days. - Donovan sat at a table wlbh Ilarry Mclntlre, who wns at that time a member of the Superbas but 16 now a twirler on the Chicago team. Just as thoy had finished a light lunch Mclntlre spied the waiter coming along with the chicken on a large tray. He called Donovan's attention to It by singing out, "Who gets the ' gunboat?" Donovan looked up quickly, got a glimpse of the load and out of curiosity called the waiter over and asked him who had ordered the feast. The waiter, grinning from car to ear, said, "Why, worse than the woolliest bush leaguer. He know? It, II ' nnd does not attempt to put nnythlug on the ball His' II crossfire ball Is one that has all of the hatters swing- l lng when it Is breaking well, and when right he l perhaps the best left bander' In the National League. 1 Tho ball starts low. and shoot up to the batter with H a shore jump at the end. The ball de-elves the urn- plres greatly, and for this reason Rucker finds It difficult to work at his best with this particular shoot H "Humpty" McElvcon. third base jinn of the Brooklyn team, says thnt ho would rather face any other pltcfler , in the league than Rucker whn the lattrr's half Is' Jumping In good shape. "I'd rather take a ride In your automobile." he remarked one day to the pitcher, "than 1 fl get In the way of one of your shoots." ifl "Talking 'about automobiles brings to mind the fact , that Rucker is a motor fiend. He bought an automo- I II bile after he was with Brookyn for two seasons and SI used to burn up the country roads around Alpharetta, making quite a name for himself as a driver. He 31 even, went so far 'as to challenge "Ty" Cobb, who Is 11 some driver himself, to n special match race to pre- III cede the Grand Pri7c event in Savannah Iat?t fall. All vilH arrangements had been mnde for the event and "Nap'V llU brought his car to the track to prepare for the race iitffl when "Ty" called the affair off. II VI The president of tho Detroit club absolutely forbade I HI Cobb to start In the event, fearing that his tar would k H be Injured, while Charles Ebbuts was almost frantic Ifl when he heard of the proposition. Ele telegraphed to fl Rucker not to start under any circumstances, but 911 "Nap" was determined to drive, and If Cobb had U$ shown up at the mark the Alpharetta hoy would have IMffl been In the race despite objections. Hp has sold his wjM automobile, however, and now takes occasional rides Eh only. Ho got rid of the machine after he was hit In jIU the arm with a stone by a youngster while driving vll through the country and almost iost his effectiveness. Ml Rucker is content to remain at home in the winter (HI time, and "spends his lime between the bank and his jB shooting and fishing excursions. He a crack'shot. H and his fishing stories rival many of thoc told by H our Northern fishermen. Pishing Is his favorite tonic, and he tolls many of his experiences on the H water to hi friends when he comes North. H Last winter the baseball world was startled when HI .It was announced that Rucker had a narrow escape HH from death on one of his excursions when his boat WM overturned and he tried to save his favorite gun. Fie E tried to -swim ashore holding the gun In the air and collapsed. Luckily a log tloatcd by and he grasped it IH In time, ne dragged himself ashore so exhausted fH he qould hardly move. -But l avod the gun." he IjjH said, .proudly as he ended up the narrative later to KH some of his friends. It took Rnclcer two months to get into his stride this , season. During the months of April aud May he won HH only two games and tried to start .In as few contests 4IH as possible, although the manager, Dahlcn, had faith 11 In him and could not sec why he lost. As usual, the ' old "jlux" was there aud he got the worst of all of the "close ones" and for a time was discouraged. H Like all great pitchers, he is not immune from bad seasons, and he thought, and in fact every one con- fjl nected with the gamc,was,of the opinion, that Rucker ull mm : m If ft' ' ' ' ' - 1 m l!lrv v- II s jGmssaMtP 'V'.Y. v i U EBsfMBSBm " 111 III W v -yW. rwn H vTsSXi WHKKSvv; ri' "' MMnHf 11 v - . JHSHL mm H ' 'wL tesife - wm II .w,a 1 Wll 1 1 ''& l&? Wi 81 Jta W$8i Rucker in Action tj ii sJWik (ii Mr. Rucker is going to eat thia bird." "Not if I know It." shouted Donovan, and he ordered the waiter to take It back in spite of Rucker's protests. pro-tests. Then he gave that young man a lecture on what a ball player should eat before a game and told him also that If he was out of condition when he went Into the box he would be fined a week's salary. This wqke pp "Nap" Rucker to the fact that he was playln,g In the big leagues and thnt he must lake care of himself. Donovan watched him like a hawk for a long time, but while Rucker has overcome his bnblt of eating heavily before a game, he still clings to his old dessert of Ice cream and peanuts. The Alpharetta phenomenon was practically discovered discov-ered by Donovan, who had him drafted from Augusta. Donovan coached the youngster along, and his grent experience as manager and plnyer in the blgeagucs enabled him to give Rucker many pertinent pointers. Rucker's second year In the league was probably his best The Brooklyn team in that year was in poor shapp, and was nearly the Joke of the league. "Nap" pitched a tdtal of thirty-nine games that season, sea-son, and wns victorious In half bis contests; which ivatj going some, considering the poor work of the men behind him. It was Iu this same season, In 1J09. that Rucker twice equalled the National League strike out record by fanning sixteen men In games against St. Louis and Boston. He struck out more than two huudred meu durliig tho season. ' His one great weakness is his tendency 'to get wild. Whou ho cauuot locato -the Dlatc ho ajjpoura would have a bad year. The hot spell in the West, 1 M while the Brooklyn team was on its first trip, how- 1 ever, smashed all of these predictions to smithereens. N "Nap" started to work the kinks out of his arm hi St fll Lopis, a notoriously warm place to work In, and as a MH result the onrushiug Cardinals dropped two games to flH the Brookljn "southpaw." Hl With the satisfactlou and confidence which follow H victories of this kind the Alpharetta boy attacked the ' champion Cubs In their home town, and Prank' i Chance's men fell twice before his onslaught f 11 To round out the trip In appropriate style-' the Chlr Il clqnati Reds were cnlled uKn to act as victims to M fatten Rucker's average on two occasions. When the, ffl tcapi returned East, Boston fell -jefoiv his shoots, nnd 1 JM he held Philadelphia to three hits, shutting out Dooln'sf jH men with Earle Moore against him 'Ills work since ' fl: has been of the gilt edged order. He Is going along in . top form now and should be well among the league IH leaders before the season is over. He does not expect jH Brooklyn to finish in the first division, but says the team oughtto head the socoiid division, and has bright tH hopes for the future. I "We have a hunch of young fellows this yenr ho . H sayts. "but you watch out for us next season. I'm H going to pitch on n world's championship team some day. In fact, it Is my one ambition, and It looks as HJ ' it'll have to be in Brooklyn. While there's life thero's iH hope, and I hope the day is not long distant when wc ' jl shall be fighting it out for a world's title nt Washing-,- Ll ton Park."