1903 Spring Training: New York
Frank Farrell and Bill Devery successfully purchased the Baltimore Orioles franchise and moved it to New York to place it in direct competition with the well-established Giants. A stadium is being hastily constructed so the new squad has a place to play come Opening Day. Hilltop Park, as it will become known, is being built on one of the highest spots in Manhattan, in part resulting in the team being called the “Highlanders.”
Clark Griffith was secretly named player manager during the winter and was successful in raiding California of one promising pitcher.
Jack Chesbro, 28 and hailing from North Adams, Massachusetts, hasn’t had much of a stable career to polish that promise since he first broke the majors in 1899 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Adjusting to the professional ranks, he went 6-9 with a high 4.11 ERA, walking twice as many batters than he whiffed. In 1900 a full season netted him a 15-13 mark and a slightly better 3.57 ERA. He still struggled with his control, which for 1901, landed him a spot-starting role in a strong pitching corps that included 20-game winners Deacon Phillippe, Jesse Tannehill, and Rube Waddell. He finished at 6-8, 2.91 ERA. Unsatisfied by his progress, he was traded by Pittsburgh to Sacramento of the California League. While the men he was traded for have either not seen a baseball diamond since or have struggled in the minors, Chesbro struck gold in California in 1902, going 26-22 with a solid 2.48 ERA. He got his regular starts, working a whopping 434 innings for the second place Senators. He found his control, walking only 56 against 161 strikeouts.
He hooked up with
Elmer Stricklett during the All-Americans/All-Nationals tour of California and studied the spitball to bolster his already improving arsenal. Chesbro was sold on the idea of coming back east for 1903 and will join former teammate and star Jesse Tannehill as aces of the New York club. Under the tutelage of both Stricklett and Griffith, Chesbro looks to
excel at mastering the spitball and could quickly become one of the top pitchers in the American League.
Harry Howell, 26, has five years of professional experience, pitching for Brooklyn and coming over from Baltimore as one of the team’s steady and regular performers. While not sporting an impressive career record of 56-45, Howell has improved slightly each year while perfecting his craft. Never the fireballer, Howell uses wits and guile to get batters out with an average change of pace. Griffith felt Howell needed an edge and plans to work with him in developing the wet one. So far he’s struggling to control the pitch, and may ditch it when the regular season begins.
Young
Slow Joe Doyle has no golden arm but will throw everything but the kitchen sink at hitters to get them out. He enjoyed some success in the semi-pro ranks to warrant a look at Newark last year but saw very limited action in relief. Wanting to make an impression in his tryout with the big club, the 1 tool but 6 pitch hurler listened in on conversations between Griffith and Chesbro during training. As a green rookie, he won’t get much direct instruction, but Doyle will do well with the spitball if given adequate work at Newark again this year.
George “Slats” McConnell is another rookie in camp looking for the right stuff. Out of Shelbyville, Tennessee, a rare gift of intelligence gives George a slight edge over the other eastern recruits this spring, and choosing to learn his craft by way of the spitball could do wonders for his career. But he’s 25 already and may not quite harness his talents if he does not land a starting role at either Newark or Austin this year.