him out
of the business and nothing else, and had it not been for that drawback
he might still be playing ball. At the present writing he is engaged in
the poolroom and bookmaking line at Chicago and making a living, to say
the least of it.

John Clarkson was a really great pitcher, in fact, the best that Chicago
ever had, and that is saying a great deal, as Chicago has had some of
the very best in the profession since the game first became popular
within its suburbs. He was the possessor of a remarkable drop curve and
fast overhand lifting speed, while his change of pace was most
deceiving. He was peculiar in some things, however, and in order to get
his best work you had to keep spurring him along, otherwise he was apt
to let up, this being especially the case when the club was ahead and he
saw what he thought was a chance to save himself. As a fielder he was
very fair, and as, a batsman above the average, so far as strength went,
though not always to be depended upon as certain to land upon the ball.
His home was down at Ocean Spray, near Boston, but he came to us from
Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was released to the Bostons in the spring of
1888 for the sum of $10,000, and played with that team for several
years. He is now in the cigar business in Michigan and is, I ant glad to
learn, successful. Pitchers of Clarkson's sort are few and far between,
as club managers of these latter days can testify.

Jim McCormick, who was Clarkson's alternate in the box, was also one of
the best men in his line that ever sent a ball whizzing across the
plate. He was a great big fellow with a florid complexion and blue
eyes, and was utterly devoid of fear, nothing that came in his direction
being too hot for him to handle. He was a remarkable fielder and a good
batsman for a pitcher, men who play that position being poor wielders of
the ash, as a rule, for the reason, as I have always thought, that they
paid more attention to the art of deceiving the batsman that are opposed
to them than they do to developing their own batting powers. The most of
McCormick's hits landed in the right field, owing to the fact that he
swung late at the ball. He came to Chicago from Cleveland, Ohio, but
prior to that had pitched in Columbus, Ohio. He was going back when he
joined us, but for all that he pitched a lot of good ball and won many a
good game, thanks both to himself and also to the good support that he
received. After he left us he drifted dow