Clipping:A collective hold-out
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| Date | Wednesday, December 12, 1883 |
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| Text | ...Corcoran's name is not in the list [of players signed by Chicago], and the reason is that he wants more money than the club will pay. Just before the club disbanded this fall, Flint, Corcoran and Gore agreed to strike the club for big money. Flint asked for $3,500 for next season; Corcoran put his pitching at the neat sum of $4,500; Gore, the best one of the three named, was not so much of a hob and asked for 42,500 only. Mr. Spalding never lost a single night's sleep over this tremendous strike. He engaged all the other men of the old team at a fair advance in salary and waited for the syndicate to tumble. Flint was the first to weaken. He came to Spalding with a yarn about being offered $2,000 to go to St. Louis, and as his wife's folks lived there he resolved to would accept. Spalding talked to him a few moments and the result was that he signed to play for about $2,500, and catch only half the games, as Kelly had been raised under a contract to play half the schedule. Gore held out for a long time, but as he was starting for his New Orleans tripe he came to Spalding and signed to play for $2,000. Corcoran, however, had set his mind on $4,000 at least, and went East. He was offered $2,100 next year, but he refused to take it, and Spalding refused to consider the other absurd figure at all. If Corcoran does not sign with the Chicago team he will have to give up the business, as the reserve rule will be strictly enforced. However, the club will not fare badly as to pitchers. Goldsmith is at the top, with Crosby, late of the North Side Stars, second. Captain Anson thinks Crosby will puzzle the boys for a few games at least. The Sporting Life December 12, 1883 [See TSL 12/19/1883 for a letter from Corcoran denying any collective action.] Larry Corcoran, who signed a contract with the Chicago Club, after having signed with the Chicago Unions, did so, it appears, because he dreaded the blacklist. He had just two more days grace to sign, as on Monday the 9 th he would have been penalized by the Chicago Club, he having had a month to declare himself. Mr. Spalding, president of the Chicago Club, was interviewed on the subject of the prodigal’s return and expressed his gratification thereat. “What salary do you pay Corcoran?” he was asked. Mr. Spalding replied: “Twenty-one hundred dollars; not a cent more.” “How do you account for his action?” “Good sense; that’s all. Larry had no fault to find with our treatment of him, and he knows that $2,100 in cash goes further than $200,000 in promises.” “Do you think he falls into line willingly?” “Yes he has not been bulldozed, bribed, coaxed or frightened. We have proceeded quietly and naturally. He will return and pitch just as good ball or better in 1884 than he ever did. He is no shirk. I know him well; he never does anything by halves.” The Sporting Life January 16, 1884 [from an interview of Henry Lucas] “I am, indeed, surprised at Corcoran’s defection. I thought he was made of more reliable material; that he had a mind of his own. Still it may be that I ought not to blame him, for I have been informed that Mills, Anson and Spalding threatened him with everything but death.” The Sporting Life January 23, 1884 the qualifications of a modern pitcher; fewer balls to a walk speed up the game; more base stealing than previously; catcher signals; pitchers poor batters First, it is essential that the pitcher should have the curve—as the one out curve and accompanying slants and change of pace are termed. With these deceptive items must be coupled an ability to pitch swiftly or slowly at will, and with such delivery as to render it difficult for the batsman at the plate to gauge the pace of the ball until it is too late to bat it effectively. A skillful change of pace is the most valuable item in a pitcher's work, as Radbourne's success—due chiefly to it—proves. The so-called “drop” is either a ball started at the shoulder and slanting in its course, like Daly's, or a skillfully delivered slow ball, dropping naturally through lack of speed, such as McCormick and Radbourne use. The latter is the best, because easier for the catcher to handle. Then the ball should be so handled that time may not be wasted in the first motion to pitch and the act. Failure to do this, with the improved base running of the day, not only gives the runner a start, but handicaps the catcher in his throwing. McCormick, one of the first-class pitchers of the day, has this failing, and a fatal one it has often been. Command is another feature of the pitcher's work, and this is a technical term for placing the ball at will. League legislation lately has been made so as to shorten the game, by giving the pitcher less change to play with his batsman by means of well-placed ball,s which an anxious man will hit at and fail to drive effectually. Perfect command enables the pitcher to put balls over the plate and at the called-for heights at will. Failure to possess good command means bases given on balls—costly things in a game. Half of these qualifications were enough for the pitcher of eight years ago, but he is called up0on for much more now. He must watch the bases when men are on them and hold them close to their points, and often, when balls are batted to right short, necessitating fielding by the first baseman, he must cover first and make the put out. Added to all this, he must endure for nine and often more innings, and watch his catcher's signs or signal himself. Lately the catcher's signals have been used effectively for watching bases, the pitcher only throwing upon receiving a sign. Then his work must be quick and accurate, or no good results from it and often bad. With all this work it is no wonder that the base-running and batting pitchers are scare. The great pitcher is a valuable man, an expert of an almost art, and well worthy of his high salary. The Sporting Life December 12, 1883 |
| Source | Sporting Life |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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