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| His skills were demonstrated outside the United States as well. Chase and Elmer Emerson, a teammate at Santa Clara, visited Emerson's relatives and went sightseeing in Victoria, British Colombia. During this trip, Emerson was contacted by the management of a semi-pro team based in Victoria. Emerson and Chase were eventually convinced to play for the team. Emerson provided good pitching for Victoria but his vacation guest was the standout addition. Chase played third base, first, left field (one game), recorded one pitching victory, and became catcher after the team's regular backstop was injured. He batted .353 and contributed mightily to Victoria's 21-8-1 record. Victoria management was hopeful that Chase would return for the following season, but Chase had other things in mind. He returned with Emerson to California and the university. Santa Clara was playing against St. Vincent's college one day in Los Angeles. Jim Morley, the president of the Los Angeles team of the Pacific Coast League, was in the crowd. He spotted the young flashy fielder, and Chase's college days were over. Morley signed Chase to a contract with Los Angeles, and he was switched to first base. As his signing bonus, Chase received a .22 caliber rifle. His debut in the Pacific Coast League came on March 27, 1904. It was an inauspicious start as he went hitless in three trips against Oakland. In the field, however, he showed the dazzling moves that foreshadowed greatness. On March 29, The Los Angeles Times reported: "Chase has a future before him that any ball player might look forward to. He plays first base as well as anyone would care to see." At this time, Chase was no longer a youngster in tattered overalls and bare feet, but a star waiting to be discovered. The Yankees, by a stroke of fate, would be the team doing the discovering. Luckily for Yankees' manager Clark Griffith, a baseball scouting friend of his was traveling on the West Coast and wrote to Griffith about the young phenomenon. In October, 1904, at the close of the PCL season, Chase was drafted by New York. |
