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OLD ALEX FINDS NO BALL MINDED KIDSTour Through Bushe* With House Of David Team Convinces Alexander Youths Are Losing Interest*DENVER lt;API—Young America’s feet aren’t itching these days to bum a path around a baseball diamondGrover Cleveland Alexander has (learned that while touring the hin-°it'erlands this summer And much ass i the great old pitcher is saddened by‘ the fact, he’s decided there isn’t | j anything to be done about it.Once the bushes were filled with youngsters whose hearts yearned for a place in the big league spotlight Now Alexander finds only lads who want all-Americnn gridiron honors or Olympic championships.Alexander is piloting a baseball squad of House of David Bearded Beauties” on a cross-country trip “If there are any kids left in the country who are enthusiastic about baseball or who want to become Ty Cobbs and Walter Johnsons, I can’t find 'em.” he said “I’ve covered lots of bush league territory since J joined up with this three-ring baseball circus.Pitched For $50 A Month. When I was running around the farm barefooted, I thought playing ball was the only thing I d ever want to do, nnd I still feel the same way,” said the veteran “I can remember how crazy I thought a bunch of Central City Nebraskans wore when they offered me $50 a month to pitch for them— the first baseball money X ever earned.Alexander's ride to baseballheights included only two way stations—Galesburg, ID., and Syracuse, N Y* He broke into the big leagues as a member of the Philadelphia Nationals in 1.011 and stayed with them until 1918 when he was sold to the Chicago Cubs. He won world series fame with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1926 It’s different now,” Alexander shrugged “I’d rather see a big farm boy knock one of my fast ones a mile than to see him strike out.**I never made any money to speak of in baseball T pitched for the fun of it. I liked the big thrills. Nowadays the boys play for the big salaries They don’t even get to take a nice swat at an umpire, fines are too costly Mavbc the Cards still have their old ‘knot hole’ gang of kids I don’t know If there are anv kids left who like baseball, it must be the bovs Babe Ruth finds In the orphanages ‘ You can t find them in the hushes any quicker than you d find One-Eve Connolly in line at a ticket window ”
Newspaper Details
Cedar Rapids Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, US
Sun, Jun 25, 1933
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael W.
NA, 20 Jul 2023
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