THE BUSH LEAGUE RECRUIT Drawings by F. Nicolet By ,

a big league umpire out of a bush league is a man that is brimming over with confidence. N'oth recruit. ing is too difficult, nor ever was too difficult, for him t< Managers, players, and umpires will attempt, and as a general rule he has met with success tell you that that is the trouble with Naturally the player with the "old con-fee-dense," a:- many of the new men who join the Hughey delights in pronouncing it, always makes a hit majors. They cannot see that there is with him. I have often heard him tell the story of s any difference between the major leagues pitcher who bunked him into keeping him as a big and the league in which they starred. leaguer for nearly three years, simply because Hughey Most of them would argue that the thought his confidence would pull him through. Now world's champions did not have much Hughey admits that he was wrong . This pitcher was on their club of the preceding year, even Ralph Works, who later went to Cincinnati and then though it finished third in a class D or¬ to the American Association. ganization. There is a difference be¬ When the new men reported to Jennings in the spring tween the minors and the majors, and several years ago Works was one of the men dug up by the recruit who comes to the big show the scouts to set the big league on lire. The Tiger leader minus the idea that he knows all there was always strong for the tall, angular fellows, and is to know about is a wise young Works looked pretty good to him at first glance. It man, and his chances to succeed are develo]>ed in the first few weeks of practice that he had given a big boost. The umpire who plenty of speed, but could put little or no curve on the refused to believe that Jack Sheridan ball. There was a lot al>out the business of pitching that knew more about umpiring than he did it was soon evident Works must learn if he was ever tc went back to the league he came from, stick as a big leaguer. On his natural ability alone and last year he dropped back another Jennings built his hopes. peg. He might be a big leaguer today Some of the youngsters who at first had not made sc if he had had sense enough to listen to favorable an impression as he did showed continued im- Sheridan. provement; while Jennings was not able to see much change in Works. It was necessary that a number of /""\XE of the biggest problems that con- players be sent back to the minors, so as to conform to front a major league manager each the rule that limits the different clubs to a certain spring is the weeding out of his recruits. numl >er of men. Works was carried through the spring He often has a score of new men to look training trip, and went on to Detroit for the opening of over, many of whom he has never seen the season; but was one of the players selected to call in action, the scouts l>eing responsible upon the secretary of the club for his salary and a ticket for their presence on the training trip. to a minor league town. The duty of the manager is to make a The players always had a lot of fun with the big study of these recruits, their habits, pitcher, and when it became known that he was to "Works took in all the hot air in silence.** manners, dispositions, and playing abili¬ leave the veterans on the club decided to stir up a little ty. Inside of six weeks he must have confusion. All of them made it a point to say goodby to years ago notices that he had gained decided on the men he wishes to retain. If he makes a Works, tell him that he was easily the best of all the SEVERALquite a bush league reputation preceded the'ap¬ mistake and lets some youngster get away who after¬ young pitchers, and that Manager Jennings was making pointment of an umpire to a berth on the American ward proves to t>e a star with another club, his man¬ a horrible mistake in letting him go, and would always League staff, and it was thought that he would prove a agerial stock slumps considerably, and his ability at regret the move. Works listened in silence to all the valuable man to the Johnsonian organization. The spotting promising players is much l>erated. When one hot air that was being handed to him. When he finished duty of breaking in the recruit to the ways of the big considers the many situations and characters that the dressing and started to leave the clubhouse several of league was delegated to Jack Sheridan, dean of the manager has to deal with, it is indeed surprising that the players stopped him and asked if he did not intend umpires. more mistakes are not made by these baseball generals. to pack his belongings and take them with him. The youngster and the veteran opened the season in "Perhaps you fellows have been kidding me about New York. More people attended that opening game ."PlIE New York Americans tried out a number of my ability as a pitcher," said Works; "but your opinion, than the new umpire had been accustomed to seeing recruits last fall. Scouts representing that club had probably spoken in jest, is my real opinion of Mr. during the entire seasop in the league in which he for¬ made arrangements for most of them to report immedi¬ Works as a pitcher. I don't intend packing my be¬ merly worked. ately upon the closing of their minor league season. longings, because I don't intend to leave the club. I am The umpire who jumps from the bushes to "the big This system enabled Chance to get a line on a number of show," as the two major leagues are known, is making the men secured for the purpose of strengthening his quite a leap. He has just as many rough spots as the* club. Right here I might say that Chance did not pick player from the same organization. A fellow can um¬ up enough recruits with big league ability last fall to pire for fifty years, and still be able to learn something make him a pennant contender next summer. Some of new about the work. As was to be expected, the recruit the men sent made him wonder if some of his scouts did a number of things that did not quite conform to were absolutely blind. big league ethics. It was the painful duty of the veteran It happened that one of the recruits selected by the to point out these faults, so that the newcomer might baseball sleuths for fall delivery was a Texas League overcome the flaws in his work. player who lived some place in New York State. Al¬ The wise fellow always accepts advice, but does not though this fellow came to Chance as a youngster, it always act on it. The fellow who believes that he is too later developed that he was thirty years old, an age at wise to be told anything is lost. In making certain which most ball players are classed as veterans. At the decisions the new umpire persisted in viewing the play close of his season a wire was sent to him to report at from a very bad position, thereby constantly laying once, and notifying him that transportation awaited himself open to criticism, and making his chance of ren¬ him at the station. Imagine what the owner of the dering an incorrect ruling much greater. New York club thought when he received the following One day after the youngster had given an excellent telegram! exhibition back of the plate, Sheridan believed that the Refuse to report unless transportation is al»o forwarded proper time had arrived to tell him about the things he for my wife and two children. was doing wrong. After lauding his work for that day, This player evidently thought that big league clubs he shifted the conversation to the game of the preceding were making enough money to look after the entire day in a nice way, and pointed out the mistakes that he family. Chance smiled as he read the message, and as believed the recruit had made. The latest addition to he dictated the following answer the smile grew even the staff listened until the finish; although he several broader: times displayed unmistakable signs of being much dis- Have no place for other members of family in the turbed at what he regarded as a lecture, rather than a line-up. If you want a chance to show, you better hurry talk for his own along, as supply of uniforms is running short. good. "Called him aside and handed him >300." "We never did those things that way in the league I The youngster who turned out to be a veteran re¬ came from," said the recruit as Sheridan finished. ported on the first train out of the Southern city in "But you are in the big league now," answered Sheri¬ which he had been playing. It did not take Chance not going to let Jennings make the mistake of his life by dan, "and there are some things you will have to do long to discover that the player's big league ideas as a letting me get out of the big league." differently if you want to succeed." whole were as hazy as his transportation demands. It As he finished he closed the door, leaving the stars "That was a pretty fast league I came from," flashed will probably be "dear old Texas" for him again; for he staring at one another in silence, and proceeded to the back the recruit, "and I can always go back there if I did not go south with the New York Americans this office to interview Mr. Jennings. desire." spring. "I understand I am to go back to the bu 'ies," said "You may get the opportunity sooner than you ex¬ Works as he was ushered into the presence or the man¬ pect," replied Sheridan, who by that time had become managers like youngsters who have plenty ol ager. sore. ^J^I.Lconfidence; players who down in their hearts be¬ "Yes, I think you need a little more experience," re¬ Instead of taking the advice of an umpire who had lieve that they can make good in "the big show." yet plied the suave Hughey, who wanted to let the pitcher served for twenty-five years as a big leaguer, this recruit are not prone to tell the world what they think they can down easy. resented the honest and well intended criticism of his do. There is a difference between confidence and nerve, "You're making a mistake," argued Works. "I work. Sheridan was simply doing what the president the nerve of the boasting type. don't need any more minor league experience. If I am of the league had instructed him to do,.trying to make Hugh Jennings, famous manager of the Detroit team, not a better pitcher than some of those fellows you in-