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Show ROGER BRESNAHAN THE "FUNNY KID" "Roger Bresnahan." says Tom Clarke, second catcher of the Reds, "is the 'fining kid. He punishes any of his men who offend him by slapping slap-ping on a fine, and hin Idea of a finable fina-ble offense is something original and wonderful Anything you do according accord-ing to your own lights, according to Roger, Is dead wrong, and should be punished b a fine, and anything vou do, according to his ideas, If it doesn't go through successfully, has been done In bonchead 'fashion and must be punished by a financial sting. I have even heard that Roger, figuring that a bunt was the proper play, was, nevertheless, tempted by a ball over the middle and tool; a crarik at it A double play resulted and Roger fined himself for disobeying his own orders. "Somo of Rogers fines were really wonders. Some time ago a aturdj ' catcher named Murphy joined the St Louis team a fellow who had had brief trials with both the Cincinnati Reds and the St Louis Browns. Mur- I phy was takon on only because both Biesnahan and Bliss were both crippled crip-pled and wasn't actually expected to do an work. It happened the day Murphy came into camp some sliphi accident befell WIngo, the third catcher of tho team, and Murphy had to rush into the chest protector and the glove. "A now man was roosting on fint base. As soon as tho new catcher had I assumed his robes of office the runner broke away. Murphy didn't come near getting him, and the stolen baso ultimately blossomed into a run. When the inning was over Bresnahan addressed ad-dressed Murphy sternly: "'Murphy,' said he. 'you are fined $24.' " 'Fined $24,' cried Murphy. 'What for?' " 'Because,' .explained Roger, 'you were not in position to make the throw when that man stole ' "And the catcher never lived who could stay out of the harness for weekG, go right Into a gamo, and, on the first ball pitched, get himself Into proper pose to make a decent throw "The richest ono of all, though, came off when the Reds and Cardinals were playing a desperate, extra-inning game. Wingo, the red-headed youngster who has been catching for SL LouiB, came up at the finish, with two down and the bases full of eager runners. Ere long the call waB two and three. A fourth baso -would force in the trying run. Tho ball came along way wide and head high almost a wild pitch and Wingo swung at it, missing It a mile. The game was over. "Bresnahan burst into the dressing room like a mad man. 'Wingo,' he bellowed, 'vou are fined you aro filned ah ah you aro fined $100.-000.' $100.-000.' '"Young Wingo stood up, flaming with protest and defience. "Mr Bresnahan,' Bres-nahan,' cried he, at my present salarv it will take me nearly fifty years to pay that fine, and if you think 1 am going to work fifty years for this club for nothing you are mistaken. I won t stand for It; I'll quit baseball right j here and I'll go hack to South Carolina Caro-lina for the balance of my days!' "And when the big laugh was over. Bresnahan, who had meant to say that tho kid was fined S100, chopped it down to 25 " |
