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Jack Glasscock; Jesse Burkett
Jack Glasscock; Jesse BurkettJACK GLASSCOCK
Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, March 27, 1896; p. 3
SPORTING COMMENT
Jack Glasscock's Arm is in Good Shape.
An Incident of 1890
Jack Glasscock, once king of 'em all at short field, leaves Wheeling next Monday for St. Paul, where he has signed to play during the coming season. It is dollars to dimes that he will find snow ball more in season up in Minnesota than base ball. When asked if it had been settled what position he would fill on Comiskey's team, Glasscock replied that he was to take Count Antonio Mulane's place at first, the latter to be used exclusively in the box. Shugert, the former Pirate and Colonel, has been signed to play in short field.
"How about your arm?" was put at Jack.
My wing is just as good as it ever was," was the somewhat startling reply. "I have not been bothered at all this spring with the lameness that knocked me out of the game most of '95. I believe I can put up just as good a game at short as any of them."
Here's hoping the "vet" will show his old time form this season.
Glasscock tells a good one on Jesse Burkett, who led the National league in batting last year, and can field his position about as good as the next man. In '90, Glasscock was captain of the New York league team. On account of the brotherhood revolt, there was a scarcity of players, and many minor leaguers held positions on the big league teams, who would have been cast off in a minute but for the strike of the players. This condition of affairs explained the engagement of young Burkett who came as a very raw recruit from the Scranton team. He essayed to pitch, but his curves were not deceptive and second rate batsmen made first class averages off his delivery. Then he was tried in right field. Here his funny breaks furnished lots of amusement for the cranks. One day during the summer campaign, Boston was playing against the Giants at New York. Burkett was in right field. Hardy, the Boston catcher, was at the bat and caught the ball for a beauty to Burkett's territory. Jess went after the sphere in the angular, awkward style that made him famous. Just as he tought he was about to nab the ball, he collided with the right field foul line and tumbled all over himself, knocking the flag staff down. he scrambled to his feet in a bewildered way, but couldn't find the ball. Walter Brodie, who was then with Boston, was standing near the bleachers and yelled to Jess that the ball was in the "hole in the ground." Never suspecting that he was being kidded, Burkett got down and began scratching in the dirt as though his life was at stake. Burkett was still at work at the hole when Bassett came out from second and fielded the ball in from near the fence. By that time Hardy had made the circuit of the bases.
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