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Show STICKS BY DAVE ROBERTSON FROM START fJO ' ' -' - ) n a . r "' . ! y '.'---: V:, i' 7 f V'. : . ' V ' i V-"'' 1 tiv : J ' v i 1 "IVr.:o:i l'" Holvrtioii. whoso' bi'iiy b.:::::f s'.:irti-J tlu- Hunts climb- ' Irs c: t of the ct-ll.ir. is th- sonsjtiou : cf tl.o c.irly lastdjall season. I A'.'.d Iavo Krtit:soa Is th b'5t an- j s-r to tl.t' aru:r.,':.!s of thoso who; thir.k John Mot.: raw is a tjsthall doilo. ; ' voa IhiTtf" u imJor a;o. study-! lug Toti-r-.t-.arT s-rK-ry and pitchtng ' in a Tidewater leasuo club down la Virsir.-.a. when McCraw first got a lma ' on t::a. V:th b: father's permission. Rctt-rtsoa was stgnoj up to a contract g.vir.ic his serTlces to the Giants. Ha played a little cor In the. Tidewater kas-e ar.d then went back to college In North Carolina. Robertson is a big. powerful fellow and a great all-around athlete. Mo-Graw Mo-Graw advised him to cut out football for fear some injury might Interfere with his ability. Robertson had been p'.3y;ng baseball under an assumed tno. Back In college he couldn't aToid getting Into the football lineup a (rain without making some awkward eiplanatK ns. lie played football. As I a result, in the last game of the sea- son he had his left shoulder broken. "And right there." says John Mc-! Mc-! Graw. "I lost the greatest southpaw j the game nor knew." j Robertson's shoulder mended, but a pitching arm must be a perfect ma- i l'.me. He was n.-ver able to stand ! the rack of pitching again. After , rnishii.g his studies Robertson report- e l to Meilr.iw and ent to Marlln j with the Gi.ints. Wise people advised McGrsw to let! the cripple ball player go. They said j Robertson never would be any good.' Robertson offered to go through the season w ithout pay. but Mrtlraw kept i him an insisted upon raying him the j salary his contract called for. He had . the youngster's shoulder treated and lei him rest. Three years ago Robert son went to Marlln again with the Giants. He tried to ritch. and rut the weak shoulder out of commission. Mi Graw induced Mike Ktnn of the Mobile team to take Robertson for the season sea-son and use him as an outfielder. Right there ' 'Demon Dave" beiran to ' pick up again. He couldn't pitch, but be could play In the outfield and he i could knock the seams out of a base- ball. He became the hitting sensation i of the South. A-'d then McGraw reached down and took him back again. McGraw had been sticking to ! Robertson principally because he knew the boy could hit. One morning at practice in the Polo grounds he saw I Robertson take a short swing at the : ball and knock It into the centerfleld bleachers. |
