A Ball Player's Career: Being the Personal Experiences and Reminiscensces of Adrian C. AnsonAnson, Adrian C. (Adrian Constantine)
History
A Ball Player's Career: Being the Personal Experiences and Reminiscensces of Adrian C. Anson
Anson, Adrian C. (Adrian Constantine)
Baseball
Jim McCormick, who was Clarkson's alternate in the box, was also one of
the best men in his line that ever sent a ball whizzing across the
plate. He was a great big fellow with a florid complexion and blue
eyes, and was utterly devoid of fear, nothing that came in his direction
being too hot for him to handle. He was a remarkable fielder and a good
batsman for a pitcher, men who play that position being poor wielders of
the ash, as a rule, for the reason, as I have always thought, that they
paid more attention to the art of deceiving the batsman that are opposed
to them than they do to developing their own batting powers. The most of
McCormick's hits landed in the right field, owing to the fact that he
swung late at the ball. He came to Chicago from Cleveland, Ohio, but
prior to that had pitched in Columbus, Ohio. He was going back when he
joined us, but for all that he pitched a lot of good ball and won many a
good game, thanks both to himself and also to the good support that he
received. After he left us he drifted down to Paterson, N. J., which
seems to be a sort of Mecca for broken-down ball players, and became
identified with the racing business, owning and training for a time
quite a string of his own and horses that won for him quite a
considerable sum, of money. He is now running a saloon in that New
Jersey town, and is fairly well-to-do.
John Flynn, who was the third pitcher in the string, came to Chicago
from Boston and was another good man in the twirling line. He had a
wonderful drop ball, good command of the sphere and great speed. He was
also a good batter for a pitcher, and a fast fielder. His arm gave out
while he was with us, however, and besides that he got into fast company
and, attempting to keep up the clip with his so-called friends, found
the pace much too rapid for him and fell by the wayside. John was a good
fellow, and with good habits, and had his arm held out, he might have
made his mark in the profession, but the good habits he lacked and the
arm was not strong enough to bear the strain, so he dropped out of the
business, and what has become of him I know not, though I think he is in
Boston.
Moolie, who had been signed to relieve Kelly and Flint behind the bat
and to handle the delivery of Flynn, was never much of a factor in the
game, he not being strong enough to stand the strain. He was let out
early for that reason and never developed into a player of any note. He
is somewhere in New England at the present time, but just where and what
engaged at I am unable to state.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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