Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 147, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1912 — EDDIE FOSTER A STAR [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

EDDIE FOSTER A STAR

His Work Has Been Beneficial to ■ - Washington. -i.:.-.-Former Rochester Player Not Thought Good Enough for Now York Giants Has Proven Tower of Strength for Griffith. There are Innumerable instances where good ball players have been let out by one major league club only to become stars for another after a little experience in a minor league. Eddie Foster is one of these. The question Is often asked how Foster came to get away from New York. That club sept him to Rochester with the agreement that it would have the pick of the team in the fall. It is said that John Gansel, the manager of that club, gave it as his opinion that Foster would not be of any help to his team, and he then consented to the sale of Foster to Washington, a deal which he undoubtedly has had reason to regret. Maurice Rath furnishes another Instance pf where a good ball player was allowed to slip through the hands of two major league clubs and is now making good for the White Sox with a vengeance. Philadelphia and Cleveland both had Rath, but he made good for neither because he was not played at the position where he belonged. They tried him at third and be failed, while he appears to be & wonderfully clever player at second. What a wonderful difference the addition of one man can make in a ball team is proved in the case of Foster. While of course there have been many other changes in the make-np of the Nationals since last season, none of these appears to have been as beneficial to the team as the acquisition of Foster. He has filled a place where the team, has always been weak and by his clever work at the bat has filled even a greater gap. TO Foster belongs the credit for most of the victories the Nationals have earned this spring. When he has not taken a part In the offensive end of the game he has prevented disaster by his remarkable fielding around third base. With a player less capable than he covering that position, it can be easily figured that three or four of the games which have been won would have been defeats. On what he has shown this spring Foster Is a remarkably clever ball player in every respect, One wonders that a man of his ability should have spent so long a time in the minor

leagues. Few third basemen have shown themselves In the same class with the little fellow, nor does it seem Reasonable to suppose that his showing has been a flash in the pan, tor he is keeping up his good work at a consistent rate. ; . \

Eddie Foster.