Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 221, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1914 — RECRUIT HAS PITCHED WONDERFUL BALL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

RECRUIT HAS PITCHED WONDERFUL BALL

(By FRANK G. MENKE.) ' The showing made by Dick Rudolph of the Braves, this year will prove of big help to the recruits that John McGraw has “canned” and may turn loose in the future. Rudy belonged to John some seasons back, but John placed the “N. G.” tag on him and cast him adrift. Rudy, after a season in the minors, felt that he deserved a chance in the big leagues again. He appealed to several managers. His record was good, Rudy was young, but v he was branded with the “N. G." McGraw stamp, and most of the managers turned a deaf ear. “If McGraw says you are not good enough to keep, I guess you aren’t,” they told Rudy- “Any player that shows any promise is kept on the Giants’ payroll. McGraw didn’t keep you, so I don’t want you.”

As the above may show, most managers got to the point of thinking that McCray as a baseball judge, was infallible.' If he cut a player adrift they didn’t care to have anything to do with him in the future —that is, all of them felt that way except George Stallings of the Braves. Stallings Xvatched Rudy and Rudy looked to have the goods, Ha-signed Rudy and that pitcher has been the big factor in the wonderful spurt made by the Boston Braves fin the last two months. r Rudolph has pitched wonderful baseball. Few of his games have been lucky wins. He has won through sheer pitching ability. The players have battled behind him at times, but never enough so that he could allow the enemy an average of two runs a game. He had to keep their average under that—and he did.

Dick Rudolph of Boston Braves.