AWARDING THE PRIZES
It would be impossible to describe in words the reception which the
team received upon its return to Lowell after this memorable game at
the Polo Grounds. Of receptions, there had been plenty to victorious
teams at Lowell, but all those that had gone before could not compare
in any way with the glorious welcome that was given the team of 19--.
Commencement was still a few days off, but the season was over and it
was time to put away the ball, bat, and glove, so far as real games
were concerned. Very soon commencement day would arrive and that day
would see the departure from school of some of the greatest players the
college world has ever known.
The evening before commencement the scholarship prize winners were
announced by the Intercollegiate Athletic Association. There were
hardly any surprises on this score, for it was apparent even before the
games with Jefferson, to the few who had seen the two teams play, that
Lowell would again carry off the prizes.
The wonderful showing made by Case, Hagner, Radams, and Robb during
almost the entire season, put them so far ahead of all competitors
that there could be but one result.
Hans, of course, standing head and shoulders above all of them in the
records, carried off the prize as the best all-round man. Hagner was,
next to Hal, the happiest man in school. No more selling books for him.
His college course was assured. Furthermore, he received an invitation
from the Pirates to join them at the end of his course at a salary
which was so tempting that right then he signed a contract to begin as
soon as he graduated, or before, if he chose.
Case also need not worry in future about his college expenses. All
tuition and five hundred dollars per year during his college course
was a wonderful thing for him, he thought; but when the manager of the
Highlanders came along and offered him five thousand dollars a year to
play with them after he was graduated he could hardly contain himself.
[Illustration: Hal and Hans get offers from professional ball clubs.]
Radams was the winning pitcher, according to the records, and after
considering a lot of offers he agreed to play with the Pittsburg
Pirates, upon leaving school, if at all, because Larke and Gibbs had
wanted him to.
Robb drew the other scholarship prize and there was a great scramble
among the professionals to induce this heavy hitting outfielder to come
with them. Jenkins, however, took Robb aside and told him quietly that
instead of practicing law right away, he was going to play professional
ball for a few years, that he had received such a tempting offer from
the Tigers to manage their club that he could make more out of it than
out of the law, and that professional baseball had been put on such a
high plane in the last few years that it was as good a profession as
any. He got Robb to agree to play ball with the Tigers, if he played on
any professional team in the future.
Talkington fell a victim to the wiles of a Red Sox scout, so far as
his promises were concerned, and agreed to join them as soon as he was
graduated.
Several of the graduating players thought as Jenkins, and could not
resist the tempting offers of large sums to join the big leagues and
play ball for a living for a while.
Larke and Gibbs, as stated before, joined the Pittsburg Pirates. Larke
as manager, and that’s how Radams came to show up there later.
Everson said he was going into the shoe business in New York State,
and he did; but he couldn’t resist the temptation offered him by the
Cubs and for many years played a rattling game at second base for them,
and made a lot of money in this way. When he got there he was much
surprised to find Miner Black pitching for them.
Delvin was signed by the famous New York Giants and for years was the
premier third baseman of the country.
And as these alumni boys traveled over the country entertaining
thousands by the display of their ability in the national sport they
ran across most of the Jefferson team of their college days.
Frank Church became captain-manager of the Cubs where Everson and Black
played and of course they had to talk over the great college games of
19-- again.
Twitchell was showing the fans down in Cincinnati how to play right
field.
La Joy turned up as manager and second baseman of the Naps of Cleveland.
Sam Warcford and George Mellen found old foes and made new friends
when they met Jenkins and Robb on the Tigers, and you would have seen
the surprise of your life if you had been present when Howard Cam
and Tommy Beach hunted up the manager of the Pirates and found it was
former Captain Larke of Lowell.
Roger Brest, it was learned, was trying his hand at managing the
Cardinals of St. Louis, while Hollins landed with the Athletics of
Philadelphia, and Harry Laird went with the Red Sox of Boston.
And so, boys, you who read this have read the story of the two greatest
baseball teams ever known and seen how most of them learned their
baseball; and you who live in the big league cities, if you want to see
some of these boys play, you can do so almost any day from April to
October. These fellows are just as much the heroes of the game to-day
as they were at Lowell. They like to play the game for the fun there is
in it as much as the profit. They like it for its thrilling situations
and its excitement. They love to see the big crowds and when the stands
are filled and they have to let the crowd out on the field they play
their best and they all are just as anxious to win every game, as they
were back in those good old days at Lowell.