Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 196, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 September 1917 — “SMOKY JOE” WOOD FIRST PLAYED AS AN INFIELDER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“SMOKY JOE” WOOD FIRST PLAYED AS AN INFIELDER

Sthrted Baseball Career as Shortstop but Injuries on Team Gave Him Chance at Pitcher’s Job. Joe Wood started his* professional baseball career as a shortstop. “Smoky Joe,” when an amateur at Kansas City, Mo., was a pitcher and Infielder. Some one recommended him

to the Hutchinson (Kan.) team of the 'Western association as a shortstop and Joe grabbed the job. It was the old story from then on. All the regular pitchers were crippled, manager tore his hair and ejaculated, “A pitcher, a pitcher—my kingdom for a pitcher.” Up spake Joe Wood, the hard-hitting shortstop. “I am a better pitcher than shortstop. I can hurl the leather so fast they cannot hit It.” He was a ptfeher from then on, except that when playing with. Kansas City the following season he* firstbased, second-based*, third-based, shortstopped and played In each of the outfield positions. The catchers managed to keep intact or he might have been forced to go behind the bat. *1 was some wild man in those days,’’ says Joe, reminiscently. “Perhaps I nevar would have gotten over it had it not been foj Hack Spencer, who was catching for Boston, whejj I joined. Hack was on his bad behavior then, so they punished him by making him warm me up. Now I want to say thls about Ed Spencer: I don’t believe a better, catcher .ever lived than he. He surely did wonders with me, and I believe I owe my success to him."

Joe Wood.