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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1922)
if New Team and Individual Records Hung Up in Western League During 1922 George Boehler Sets Mark for Most Victories Carl East Hammers Sphere for Total of 433 Bases, Beat ing His Former Mark of 418 Marie in '22. When Joe Berger and his wallop lng Witches wrecked nearly every hatting record in the Wfestern league , in 1921, It was predicted there never l again would be such a massacre of Pitching in this circuit. It didn't seem possible that any aggregation ever would l>e able to hammer the hall ns hard as It was paupded that year. , But event* of the 1922 season proved that nothing is impossible in the slugging line In the W’estern league. According to the official records which have Just made their appearance, a score of records went tumbling, most of them team and league marks. A new record was set In the num ber of men who went to bat, 47,001 J0 being charged with walking to tho r I'lnte and fnlllng to draw a base on halls, get hit or sacrifice. The former record was 46,362 in 1921. A new record was set In the num ber of runs made—K.004 against 7 421 In 1921. A new record was set In number of hits—14,172, ns compared to 13 719 In 1321. Home Run Mark Set. A new record waa set in number of two bagger*—3,024, as compared to 2,677 In 1921. A new record was set Jn number of home runs—682, ns compared to 655 in 1921. A new record was set In number of total bases—20.276, ns compared to 19,061 In 1921. A new record was set in batting percentage—.301, as compared to .296 in 1921, and it was the first time ,n the history of the league that it was a .300 circuit. Tulsa set a new league record by having 6,029 men charged with a time at bat, the previous record being 5,940, made by Wichita In 1921. Tulsa set a new league record by making 1,964 hits. Wichita with 1.907. also bested her previous record of 1.892 made In 1921. East Breaks Record. Wichita set a new league record by chasing In 1,190 runs as compared to j the previous record set by the same club In 1921 which was 1,180. Tulsa also bested the former mark by put ting over 1,184. Tulsa set a new league record by mashing out 461 two baggers as com pared to 419 made by Wichita In 1921, the former record. Wichita and Sioux 0®fclty also bettered the previous mark with 436 and 423 respectively. Four teams batted above the .300 mark, the first time in the history of the league. The only Individual batting record to be broken was that for total bases, Carl East of Wichita registering 433 a* compared to his old record of 418 mado last year. Hershel Bennett of j Tulsa also broke the former record ! with 419. It would seem that against such Btlckwork, there would he no chance for pitchers to establish records, yet George Boehler of Tulsa nnd Boy Al len of Oklahoma City both did It. Roehler Reals ’Em All. Boehler set a new league record by winning 38 gnmes, the previous record being 29, made by Ragan of Omaha in 1908, and tied by Long of Des k Moines in 1909. Ragan pitched in 42 games and I.ang in 62, while Roehler tied the league record for appearing in the greatest number of box scores— 62—mado by Cluster of Omaha last year. Roehler set a league record by : pitch ng 441 innings, the previous rec ord being 331, made by Olasler of Omaha in 1921. Because of his unprecedented time on the hilltop, he enabled his oppo nents to mnke 204 runs off his deliv ery. three more than the league's pre vlous record made by Roy Allen of Oklahoma City In 1921. Allen's bid for fame this year was to pitch 60 games without making a fielding record, thie first time this has ever been done. ^^^Boehler came within four of the league’s strikeout record, fanning 333. Musser of Des Moines whiffed 337 in 1917 in 60 games, with the assistance of a spltter and shiner. Skate Stars Compete in Chicago Ice Derby When the seventh annual renewal if the Silver Skates nnd Diamond medal ice skating derby is run In I Garfield pavk on January 21, follow j ers of the great winter sport will i have an opportunity to see interna tional. national and sectional men nnd women champions in competi tion. The entry lists for the meet will include one of the greatest col lections of stars ever gathered to gether for an ice meet In the country. Last year the entry list included 1.235 skaters, more than three-quar ters of this number starting in the raw's. Four races were staged last your, bvt the events for the 1923 der by nelitde six races, two events being added. In 1922 races for senior and junior men and senior nnd junior women were run off. The 1923 derby will see races for senior, intermediate and iunior classes of men, a diamond medal race for previous winners of tlie senior men’s derby, nnd the two women's events. Reddy Pilots McArthur. 1 Jack Reddy, matchmaker for the St. ‘’“’’^Pattl boxing club, writes that he has taken Earl McArthur, Sioux City ban tam, under his wing. McArthur will move to St. Paul, he says. Sarazen on Coast. Pan Francisco, Dec. 30.—Gene Sarzen, golf champion, was due to arrive hjre today from Colorado Springs, solo. He will play a number of exhibition gamea here. i Walter Mails Becomes Discard for Failing to Grasp Chances One reason for the scarcity of good hall players Is the inability of some of the good ones to stay good. Generally speaking, there are three groups of players, today's stars, yes terday s luminaries (more commonly known as "has heens) and the great army of ‘'never-wases." Sprinkled through the first two groups are many performers who might have been, could have been, or would have been great. If— More often than otherwise, that "if" is their own fault. The foregoing reflections were prompted by a four-line Item almost buried at the bottom of n sporting page, telling of the release of Walter Mails by the Cleveland club to a minor league team. Not that the tall Indian Fielding Yost Discoverer of Forward Pass Famous Mentor Used Spiral Throw to Teach Punters How to Put Whirling Motion on Ball. Chicago. Dec. 30 —(By A. P >—The discoverer of the play chiefly respon sibie for the modern day style of football—the forward pass—has just been found. He is Fielding H. Yost, veteran coach at tho University of Michigan. Twenty-five years ago, nine years before the forward pass was used in football, ho introduced the spiral throw, using it first at Ohio Wesleyan university to teach punt ers how to kick a spiral. Using his hand instead of hi9 foot, for Yost says he was a poor punter, ho explained to his squad how to impart a whirling motion to the oval, to give It speed and direction. For many years he used this trick in coaching his hnckfieid. and In 1905, the yenr before the present day for ward pass, he published in a book on football, illustrations of his method j of getting off the spiral throw. “In executing the spiral throw," Yost .said in his 1D05 article, “place the ttgll on the hand as In the illus tration. The ball should lie diago- , nally across the palm from the base of the thumb to the end of the little ' finger. The arm should be brought i around forward in a horizontal line and, Just ns tho ball leaves the hand, it should he caused to revolve on its axis by suddenly jerking the hand around the ball and to the left. The oval will thus he made to rotate like a sprirnl kick. The end of the ball that is ahead in that picture must be kept ahead all the time. The ball in tills j manner can he thrown with ease from i 30 to 40 yards. The revolution of the , ball on its axis should be rapid. Tills ; pass can be made with or across the ] wind and with practice the player ' can control Its distance and direction almost as well as if the oval were a baseball.” Plavers’ Union Gaining Strength Reports of a steady growth in num bers of the Baseball Player's associa tion, or Players' union, and the effect of these reports on the club owners are attracting considerable attention. The players appear optimistic of weld ing a powerful body, but are reticent in their statements as to the purpose which impels them to organize. Mean while, the magnates endeavor to dis pose of the union with a laugh or a sneer. There is, it is asserted, only one thing for the magnates to do. That is to call upon the players prominent ly identified with the union and ask them what it is all about; not in a manner intended to intimidate the athletes but as persons seeking to discover what is the matter with the players' position with a view to rem edying the defects. For John McGraw and George Washington Grant and Charles II. Ebbets to attempt to dismiss the union with a chuckle or a few hard words will not do. These men are sincere in their belief that the play ers have no grievances that are not imaginary. Obviously tho players do not agree with them. Therefore it behooves them to call upon the play efs for a statement of facts. If the sole purpose of the union is to pry salary raises out of the club owners, as Ebbets charges, let this be brought out by intelligent questioning of the players or, if they prefer, of their spokesman lawyer. Cannon. “Big Three” Agree to Bar Spitter in Series Harvard, Yale and Princeton have agreed not to use the spitball in their annual baseball series. Furthermore, if one of the Big Three wants to use a spitball pitcher against a college outside of this triumvirate the writ ten permission of the college must first he obtained. Hickey of Yale is an adept at the use of the spitter and the new rule will hit his college hardest. But this form of delivery has nevbr been very popular on any college campus and it will not be greatly missed in the Big Three. Pesek Hurt in Bout. Kansas City, Mo., Dec. 30.—Stanis laus Zbyszko, former champion heavy weight wrestler, won a match here last night with Allen Eustace, claim ant of the Kansas title, after Eustace had taken one fall. Eustace lost the second fall "and refused to enter the third, asserting his foot had been in jured. John Pesek of Nebraska, who de feated Wallace Dugid of Canada in straight falls, received a gash in his forehead which required five sitches, at the end of the first faP Pesek challenged Zbyszkt left hander was a mere glaring illus tration than any other that might be selected. But he furnishes a timely hint to the future greats who have yet to fight and win tb^ battle to keep prosperity from mastering them. Two Chance* at Greatness. Malls had two chances at greatness, but only partially grasped one of them, and was too indifferent to euc ress to hang on. He broke Into the majors in the fall if 1915 jvlth Brook - lyn, pitching a couple of games so i promising that Charley E^bets' en thusiasm about him Impressed itself on the memories of any one who , chanced to converse with the veteran : magnate during the following winter and spring. Malls was given every chance to live up to his lithographs In 1918, but In spite of repeated try outs he did not realize expectations Not until near the end of that sea son did Ebbets give up hope regard lng Malls. Burney Dreyfus (bought well enough of the young southpaw to save him from go ng back to the minors In 1917, then came the world war, into which Mails was drafted. At Its conclusion he was allowed to gravitate to the level from which he came. When Trls Speaker brought Mails into the limelight in 1920 In plenty of time to make him eligible to the world's series, the southpaw at once made good. His brilliant work in the last month of the American league race was a big factor in giving the Ohio metropolis the first pennant in Its history. In spite of that, the Brooklyn players did not worry about Mails In advance of the world’s chnm pionship combat. They knew his dis pos tion and his failings and anticl pated no trouble In beating him. And those of the scribes who knew Mails the best underestimated in advance his Importance In the big series. Speaker Not Sure of Mails. Prosperity uad not had time to get in its work. Even Speaker was not sure of Mails and did not start him in any of the first three games played in Brooklyn. But he sent the south paw into a losing scrap in the third encounter and Mails stopped the slaughter of Caldwell, then shut the Robins out until relieved by a pinch hitter Just before the final round In the sixth game of the series Mails shut Brooklyn out with three hits In nine innings and did it under the nervous strain of having to pitch a whitewash game because the In dians made only one run off Sherrod Smith. His work that fall made it appar ently certain Mails was destined to take the place along with Eddie Plank and Doc White among the southpaws of the American league But the following season. 1921, was fraught with much disappointment for Tris Speaker. He called on Mails for a lot of work that year, but it Was inconsistent and spotty. Out of 11 games in which the left hander took part only 11 of them were complete games. And he had pitched in seven full games in four weeks at the end of the previous American league sea son. Speaker was ready to quit on Mails in the fall of that year, hut the big southpaw promised to be good and take the game seriously. Tr:s knew his man could be very good if he wanted to, so gave him another chance only to be disappointed again. Husky Ulsterites Good Rino; Stuff Belfast, Dec. 30.—British boxing promoters believe that the -next “white hope" will come out of Ulster. No better supply of raw material can be found, they say, than in the country districts ofN northern Ireland, which teems with young fel lows well over six feet high and so powerful that they do not know their own strength. Unfortunately, these men are with out any real boxing experience, hut promoters say that, if trained, they would be world beaters. Sir James Craig, premier of north ern Ireland, in a recent speech said: "I am astonished at the young men of Ulster. I cannot conceive any part of the kingdom where one would find men of such extraordinary height, breadth and thickness.” These Irish Samsons, it is said, in variably have hard heads and power fui jaws. One man. with a head like a battering ram. is able to butt a wall and receive the terrific impact with the utmost unconcern. He will perform this feat—which would make the ordinary man shudder—half a dozen times without stopping. In Tyrone there is a young man who can pick up In his teeth a table, with 200 pound man standing on it, and then carry the table round the room as though he had merely a slice of bread in his mouth. Stan Zbyszko Called to Aid of Poland Again the call of the motherland has come from Poland, this time to Stanis laus Zbyszko. the wrestler. In times of stress, Poland has called men of prominence. During the war Pade rewski, the world's greatest pianist, answered the call. Zbyszko received word from the Polish legation in Washington stating that his presence was needed in the political turmoil. Zbyszko has signified his Intention of answering the call, but has set no date for his departure and will not leave until it is absolutely necessary. He has signed contracts calling for many appearance on the mat this winter. Badger Crews to Race University of Wisconsin' has ar ranged dual eight-oared shell races with Winnipeg university and St. Johns Military academy crews for next summer. Superior, Wls., Dec. 30.—Bill Haln richs of Sioux City succumbed ’to t| knockout by Dago Joe Gans of St, Paul, In the third round of a bout at the American Legio<f( boxing show here last night End Running Fullback Now Grid Necessity J Development of Game Changes Style of Play—Fullbacks Can't Get by on Line Playing Alone. The 1922 football season, one of the greatest In history, emphasized the absolute necessity of developing full backs who can run the ends as well ns drive through the line. The same ns the quarterback position is ,a fea ture of the past because of direct pissing, so has the new game placed greater imoprtanoe on the fullback. In the old days the leading quali fication of a fullhack was his line plunging ability. Regardless of his other capabilities, he was considered a fixture on any team If he could buck j through an opposing line for the yards which resulted in first downs. He was supposed to l*o an average lnterferer and defensive player. Owen and Locke Examples. The end running fullback Is now a. matter of dire necessity. Harvard showed what could be accomplished with such a player by the way George Owen, one of the greatest backs In the country, plunged hrough the line Itnd ran the ends. The same con dition was true In the middle west where Gordon Locke of Iowa did prac tically the same thing. In the Mis souri Valley conference Capt. Hart ley of Nebraska was used for the same purpose, while Morrison of Cali fornia did the same thing on the coast. The same sort of tactics were used at Princeton where Cleaves Rkirted the ends of all oppoents on the fa mous Tiger sweeps. In fact, this player is deserving of a lot of credit for Princeton’s great record on the gridiron this last fall. The Tigers were one of the undefeated elevens of the country and many critics in the east have stated it was the most powerful in the s cticn. At any rate Princeton achieved what it has tried to accomplish year In and year out and that was to defeat both Yale and Harvard in the same season. Cornell, Army, Lndefealed. Cornell was another undefeated eleven of the far east, ns was the Army. The Cadets, however, were held to a tie score by Notre Dame, which afterward was defeated by Ne braska. This is the only blot on the Army's record, but its victory over the Navy was the morsel most cher ished every year. In the south West Virginia and Vanderbilt stood out prominently. The Mountaineers were every bit as strong as nny eleven in the east and nre entitled to national championship consideration They defeated Pitts burgh and Washington and Jefferson, two of the really powerful elevens of the section. Vanderbilt won 'ts southern games In commanding fashion. Its scoreless tie with Mich igan was one of its season’s accom plishments. olvennes Well Pleased. Michigan and Iowa went through the western conference season unde feated. Both were represented by powerful elevens which played con sistent football. The tie score with Vanderbilt was the Wolverines’ only blot on what Otherwise would have been a great year. Despite this re sult, those in charge of the situation at Ann Arbor are well pleased with the season, because it is the first time since 1904 that Michigan can lay claim to a share of the confer ence championship: Iowa, which won the championship In 1921. came back with another power ful eleven last fall. Aside from win ning its Big Ten engagements, Iowa went east and defeated Yale, 6 to 0. in ono of the most important intersec tional struggles of the year. The team was well coached by Howard Jones, who has made the Hawkeye institu tion a factor in western conference athletics. Nebraska Finishes Strong. Nebraska was the strongest team in the Missouri Valley conference, al though Drake completed Its schedule without defeat. The Cornhuskers were defeated by Syracuse In an lm portant intersectional clash, but they wound up their season by winning from Notre Dante, 14 to 6. before the largest crowd which ever saw a foot ball struggle in Lincoln. Drake also had a successful season. While it d d not have as hard schedule as Nebraska, the fact remains it was not beaten and is entitled to some credit. It Is seldom tha,t Drake has been In a position to claim Missouri Valley conference honors, but its rec ord I3 deserving of a tew words of praise. M. Fator Rides Many Winners New Orleans, Dec. 30.—Tlie winter rncinK meet at the Jefferson track ends with the conclusion of the six races carded for today. The meet opened on Thanksgiving day and there were 27 racing days. On New Year's day racing will he gin at the fair grounds track and continue until Mardi Gras day, Feb ruary 13. "Chick” Lang, American champion jockey, now at Jefferson, has a lead of three winners over M. Fator at the Tijuana, Mexico track, his nearest opponent for the 1922 record. Lang rode three winners yesterday, bringing his year's successes to ISfi Fator has 183 winers to his credit and has the opportunity of riding in seven races today and eight tomor row. He also rode three winners yes terday. Ex-Penn Grid Player Dies. Woodbury, N. J., Dec. 30.—Clarence Alexander Wray, a member of the 1919 University of Pennsylvania foot ball team, and Lewis A. Rrunner of Philadelphia died early today as a result of injuries received when a Pennsylvania railroad train struck their automobile here late last night. Miss Catherine M. Johnston. Phila delphia, and Mis* Rllzabeth M. Price, Washington. D. C.. were injured. McGraw Pays Huge Prices for Stars Because Fans Demand It New iork, Dee. 30.—“The orgy of spending fabulous sums of money for minor league players is nearly at an end,” John J. MoGraw, manager of the New York Giants, says. He con fesses he was instrumental in start ing it with the purchase .of Kube Marquard in 1908 from the Indian apolis club of the American associa tion for the then record-breaking sum of $11,000. “That was the advent of this wild spending by the magnates.” remarked the Giants' manager. "It has con tinued up to the present time, with clubs that are better able to spend the money doing the bulk of It—that is, the Chicago White Sox, the Giants and the Yankees. $100,000 Top Price. "Most of the spirited bidding has been between the two New Ybrk clubs. Percy Cove—Too ‘Wise’ to Become Ring Champion Fighter Who Wouldn’t Listen to Manager’s Advice Fell on Battlefield of France— Couldn’t Be Hit. This U the second of a scries of iirtlclc* about remarkable boxers who failed to he. come champions In their respective divi sions through lack of some one Indispen sable quality, sometimes difficult to ascer tain and often difficult to describe. A wizened, skinny wisp of a man sat behind a Lewis gun. lie peered between two clods at the plague-pitted terrain undulating away to tho north east, his sharp gray eye resting at last on a clump of broken tree bole* a half mile away. He tilted the muz zle of his weapon until Its sweep and range satisfied him. Then he rolled a cigaret and glanced to his left. A number of men were walking slowly toward the west, crouching and stumbling and disap pearing into shattered trendies and between hummocks. Behind them were several other men adjusting ma chine guns and gazing to the east. On the right of the emaciated little figure, other British and Canadian sol diers were retreating, singly, in tmy groups, and in waves. Back of them, also, remained Isolated men, rear guard sacrifices for the withdrawing troops, human entries In the ledger of Mars and destined presently to be wiped off. their accounts balanced in the blood red ink of nothingness. Last Count for Great Fighter. R-R-R-R-R-R-R - rip rip-rip-rlp-z-z z z-zip-zip-zing-zing zing - zing - booms bang-rip — crash agony-terror • thun der-flre-wounds-fear—Death! Cosmos coliepsed and the coagulated heaving horror of an exploding in ferno, deafening and obliterating, dropped onto the scene. Far to the northeast, swinging southward and away to the southeast, the German lines bellowed and flamed the tidings that the swarms in gray were on their way to finish with steel what their artillery had failed to pulverize into Incarnadined mud. The desiccated little shrimp in the Canadian uniform twitched his fore finger when the tree trunks material ized into advancing enemies. His cigaret, saliva-stuck to his lower lip, had gone out. He did not stop to re light it. A spurt of dust beside him, in front of himm, nearer ills foot, at his elbow, They had found him. But he had found them first: and his scarred lips writhed as his level gray eyes watched his lead strike home. Again and again he grinned—and then he pitched forward on his faco and lay motion less. Even His Obituary Forgotten. When they came back—O, the breed always comes back—in the dawn of a midsummer day in 1518, they found him lying there, his breast crumpled in where a clip of machine gun bul lets had torn him apart. And after they shoveled him Into a hole in the ground they made a casual note that Perdval Cunningham, private, 47th battalion, Canadian expeditionary forces, had been killed in action. As Percival Cunningham, butchered on the Somme more than 52 months ago, he has flimsy pretext for appear ing in this series. As Percy Cove of Vancouver, B. C., the most aijaz mg broth of a hoy that ever teetered the balance bar at 115 pounds, climbed into the prize ring and tossed a hur ricane of five ounce gloves into an op ponent's anatomy, he rightfully takes his place In this list of boxers who might have been champions. Nobody seems to know Percy’s age. Old-timers will tell you that he was mearlng that adder's tongue left-hand Into the countenance of pugilists at the time of the World’s Fair. When they flung him into the pit in France he must have been well above the half century figure. An Extrnodlnary Exliibtion. He was very old, for a boxer, as he stood in line, as at a theater box of fice, to enlist in 1914. And Just a month before I had watched him box with Johnny Moore, a -good colored lightweight, who distlnguihed himself in the coast rings. Percy’s performance in that three round contest was typical of his 25 years In the game. And in that fight, too ,he unwittingly explained why he never wore the bantamweight crown he was so patently entitled to wear. For h^ came into the ring with no one in his corner. Ed Bronson, a cracking middle weight, volunteered his services and attended to him between rounds. “But listen, Eddie," he whispered as he stood waiting for the gong, "when I come back don't thrown any water on me, because if you do I’ll fall down!” He walked to the middle of the ring. Moore, 22 pounds heavier, came charging out, sneering at so puny and senile an ad\%rsary. He extended his left, slipped closen feinted, and launched a straight right point blank at the wrinkled old face 18 inches away. Then he pulled up short, blink-, ed. and looked dazedly bo’ «' Percy was stand' -ntnd him. there. hi| l That was because they were the wealthiest and could better afford it. 'Ihere has been intense rivalry be tween the CUants and the Yankees during (he post few years. Roth New York clubs put in bids for Jimmy O’Connell, of the San Francisco club of the i’acitlc Coast leugue and we finally landed him for the record breaking sum, up to that time, of $75,000. “Since then that figure has been beaten by Charles Comiskey, who pur chased Willie Kamm, another Pacific coast player, for $100,000. But wo have seen .the worst of this high financing for minor league players. War Responsible. “The "war was responsible for the dearth of real stars. That was one of the contributing factors for all this spending. Then the White Sox scan dal of 19>9 played an important part in it. Comiskey always had a great club, and when that case shook the pillars of the national game the ’Old Roman,' with his pride for a good club, was forced to dig down deep Into his pockets to purchase minor league stars. “This talk about buying the crenm of the minors and pennants by the two New York clubs is greatly exag gerated.” continued the Giants’ man ager. "Sometimes the fans do not under stand the facts In the case. For in stance, we pay $100,000 for a player In the National league, as we did for Hugh McQuillan last season. Well, New York is the largest baseball town in the country- The people pay to Bee good baseball and we have to give it to them. At times the club we pay the $100,000 to Is in greater need of this money to pay off some debt than we are to obtain the player." English Soccer Referees Must Explain Decisions In England the football league management committee (soccer) has Instructed referees and linesmen that in cases where players are penalized for breaches of the rule they should, upon making their requests courteous ly, he afforded the reason for the ref eree's decision. hands hanging -t his sides. With the lithe twist of a stalking cat he had simply moved his head a trllle nnd coiled around the black light weight, Moore turned and raised his hands—and the house looked on para lyzed. Percy had lifted his left, moved It out and up. and dropped It swiftly on Johnny's nose. Then he drew his hand back three inches and shot It forward; then six inches down and up; then hack, and again it snapped to Moore's mouth. Without a return without moving his feet, without raising his right hand from where it rested easily on his hip, that phe nomenal left played a riveting ma chine's tattoo on Moore’s features. And never a blow traveled more than six inches! Vet there it was, on the colored boy's nose, in one eye nnd ! then the other, on his mouth, and back over eyes and nose. Not less than 15 Jabs, hooks, upper cuts, straights, backhanders, chops. Moore's head was bouncing backward and forward and sidewise; It was a punching bag. No matter how ae covered his face with his gloves, ducked his head, protected his bleed ing eyes with his shoulder, there was that unerring left hand slashing and tearing his tissues apart. Why didn't he simply step back? That's easy! It all happened so quick ly that you could scarcely see that slender white arm pistonlng to nnd fro through the cigar smoke under the hot, white lights. Moore did step back, and Percy sim ply moved his thin old legs a half pace forward, lifted -his left even with Johnny’s forehead, and when Moore helplessly raised bth hands to ward off that gloved hummingbird that was pecking bis face to pieces, Percy seemed to move Ills shoulders and his right fist leaped from his hip to that fatal spet where ribs meet above the human stomach. Moore Turns and Runs. With a grunt Moore dropped his hands and bent forward; and before his face was even with his shoulder Cove had uppercut him five times. Straight ened up nnd with his hands still down, lagging behind his bewildered brain, his exposed face was again the bull's eye of that sharpshooting left. Johnny turned and ran. He was not hurt—hurt In the sense that he was suffering punishment that would bring him down, because Percy was too old nnd feeble and weary—and he realized that there was nothing in all the world that he could do to keep from being sliced to ribbons. But Percy didn't follow. His keen brain realized that every step would drain his vanishing strength; so he walked in the opposite direction and sat down on the lower rope. Moore grinned foolishly at the audi ence, wiped the Wood from his lips with his forearm,'and shook his head in frank admission that he was putty In a glazier's hnnds. Then he frowned and dashed straight across the ring. Cove didn’t move, his legs crossed, his hands resting along the middle rope. Simply Couldn't Hit Him. Johnny stopped two feet away, set himself and started working both hands as fast as he could at the veter an's face. He never hit it! Percy merely drew back, ducked, side rolled, twisted from his waist up and turned —actually feinting with his face to draw Moore's blows to a spot where It wouldn't be when they arrived! For nearly a half minute Moore went through his entire catalog of boxing knowledge, and failed to find therein any paragraph of his kindergarten curriculm that Cove hadn't learned ages before. At the end of three rounds, Percy tottered from the ring, spent and gloomy. He and Bronson collected his *:0 and departed, leaving a crowd of fight experts drawing deep breaths and thanking their luck that they had l-een privileged to behold a prize ring miracle, and settling back to watch a pair of boxers, heralded as worthy of he'a.fiV'iers’ positions on the bill, but unfit fr<>m the standpoint of genuine skill, to lace up Percy’ shoes. Tennis Stadiums to Be Built in U. S. New York, Dec. 30. — The era of lawn tennis stadium building appears destined to enter into itw period of greatest activity Just after the annual meeting of the United States lawn Tennis association in February. The British got the Jump on the Americans with the great stand nt Wimbledon. London, and t'vo or three other of the centers of English lawn tennis Inst season. Followers of the courts returning to this country remarked that Uncle Sam might have the greatest players but tlie Britons had built the show places of the world for staging tournaments. Incidentally, It was also made plain that ttie Brit ish stands were a paying proposition. Lew is and Jack in Mixed Bout Ran Francisco, Cal., Dec. 30.—Ed “Strangler" Lewis, champion wrestle.*, announced today that arrangements had been completed for a mixed match between Jack Dempsey and himself. Lewis produced signed articles cov ering the match which were drawn at Wichita. Ivan., and carried the signature of Jack Kearns, manager foy Dempsey. The articles, n sporting writer ob served, "contained 1,000,000 rules as how the two are to behave them selves." Lewis said.* “We have made this match. There are only a few details to be worked out. You can think what you want about it, but when I meet the cham pion of the world in the (istic line, he will learn he Is meeting the champion of the world in a style of combat that doesn't call for putting on gloves. "I do not want to boast, hut If I am thrown against tho firing line with the world's champion pugilist, the people who like sports will get the same shock they received when Siki whipped Carpentier.” The date and place of the match were not announced. Japs to Compete for Davis Cup The first note in international ten nis play for 1023 is sounded in the an nouncement that Ichiya Kumagae and Seeichiro Kashio will soon return to this country accompanied by several younger Japanese players of promise for competition during the coming season. Tills information is contained in letters to the L'nited States Lawn Tennis association from the Japanese court stars outlining their pilans for next summer. Japan is planning to challenge again for the Davis cup and with the arrival of Kumagae and Kashio will have a formidable team available for Zenza Shimizu Is still in this country. The Nipponese are looking further ahead than this, however, for they expect to bring several of their lend ing junior players with them for de velopment through observation and competition on American courts. It Is well known that tennis has been making rapid strides in Japan in recent years and new players of ability coming to the fore. Kashio in a letter to Pres. Julian Myrlck of the U. S. L. T. A. describes In detail the results of the Japanese national championship and the subsequent East against West matches in which these latest tennis luminaries shone brilliantly. Tex Rickard to Stage Two Fights r r New York, Dec. 23.—(Special.)—The purchase of Colonel Huston’s Interest In the Yankees by Colonel Iluppert will have no effect on the plans of Tex Rickard to stage one or two open air fights at the new Yankee stadium next summer. This much Rickard intimated in an interview a few days ago in which he outlined his plans for the coming year, especially with respect to the heavyweight situation. “I have the assurance of Colonel Rtippert, " Rickard said, “that if any boxing contests are held at all at the new stadium, i will promote them. "As mattedrs stand now, 1 don't think I should attpmpt to hold more than two championship affairs there. It Is out of the question to hold a string of outdoor bouts of any magni tude.” Rickard made tlie startling an nouncemont that Harry Wills is not entering into his plans for the turning year, lie made the statement during questioning regarding the Identity of the principals for his matches at the Yankee stadium. Leonard and Tendler will undoubt edly be one of the matches Rickard will attempt to hold there. Omaha-Known Man to Referee Moran-Nilles Rout Paris, Dec. 30.—For the first time in the history of French boxing an | American referee, Hiram Johnson, jr.. i of California, will be the third man I in the ring when Frank Moran and Marcel Nilles meet today to settle the I heavyweight championship of France. ! The title Is claimed by Nilles. • Moran has been training faithfully for the bout. He tips the scales a* 102 pounds, or seven pounds lighter than when he met Jack Johnson here In 1914. Nilles weighs 1S2. Tl.c win ner of the fight will he matched against Joe Reckett. Hiram Johnson. Jr.. Is in Europe on his honeymoon. He recently was mar ried to Martha Ruddy T.eet, divorced second wi'; Of William A. (Rilly) Reet of Omaha. Miss Leitsch Hopeful Miss Cecil Leitsch. the clever Eng lish golf player, although unable to ! lift anything with her right hand, is hopeful of recovery due to speciul treatment She is undergoing. White Sox and Giants Set Pace for 20 Seasons Composite Standing of Two Major Leagues Show Teams Have Been More Evenly Balanced in American. New York lias dominated the Na tional league during the last two dec ades as completely ns it does the base ball world today. Although not con tinuously champions of their league, for 20 years McGraw's men led all competitors by a wide margin in quan tity of games won during that period. Chicago's White Sox led the American league In the composite standing of teams for 20 seasons, but liy a slender margin compared to thut of tha Giants in the older league. For quite a spell Boston toppcd tha Ban Johnson circuit in total games woh stnco that organization entered major leaguedom, but the poor show ing of the Red Sox since they wera wrecked by the present ownership has reduced their standing below that of the White Sex. who surprised even their friends by keeping well out of last place this year. C'hicilKO I.eads Cities. Chicago continues to lead the two leagues/In the aggregate number of games won by both teams. The Cuba aro second In tha National with a to tul of 1,738 wins, which Is more than 100 greater than tho totnl of the White Sox for 20 years—1,020 The combined total for Chicago Is 3.368, while New York's two teams have won 3.333 games between them. Tha Giants are fur away ahead of every body with a total of 1,826 lctorlea and a grand average of 60S for two dec ndes; hut the Yankees only recently have come to the front, and have a total of only 1,608 games won In 20 yea rs. St. Louis has made the poorest showing of the major cities which have two teams. The Cards and Browns have won an aggregate of only 2,602 games in 20 years. In spite of the fact both of them were In the thick of the battle practically all of the last season. For many years, however, the Mound City teams fin ished in the cellar or close to It and years of high standing are required to offset those that have gone before. Is Fair Comparison. This 20 year period, by the way, la not taken arbitrarily, or to make Chi o:.go i0ok good, but because It Is tha longest span of years that can ba taken for an absolutely fair compari son of the different teams. It be gins with 1903, when the existing major league circuits were establlsn ed. Prior to that date changes wer« made more of less frequently in ths territory of both organizations. IIow much closer and better bal anced the American league's racea have been than those in the National js shown by the composite standing for 20 years which appears on this page. It gives the totals of games won and lost by each team from and to each of the others. New York, Chi cago and Pittsburgh have hogged things so continuously In the old league that all three of them have higher grand averages than that of the White Sox who lend the American league. The Pale Hose have a mar gin of only ten grimes over Boston, which Is very slender considering the period covered. Browns Ahead of Cards. The St. Louis Browns, who trail in the American league's long distance standing, have a grand average of 44ft, which Is higher than the Braves or the Cardinals In the National league. The teams have been bo evenly matched in the younger cir cuit that no outfit has been able to pile up such an aggregate of victories as has Pittsburgh, which stands only third In the old organization. Contrari wise even the weaker outfits of ths American league have lost less than 1,700 games in 20 years, while both the Cardinals and the Braves have lost more than that number. No matter how confidently the fans of other cities may look forward to ths new year, none of them can look back ward with greater complacency than can the baseball patrons of Chicago. Cup to Be Awarded Best Kick Artist In order to stimulate a greater In* terest in spring and winter football practice at the University of Indiana and to develop punters and drop and placement kickers, cups will b« awarded to men who have been the most faithful and showed the most promise In the kicking game. Tha professors have donated the cups. One donated by Dean J. C. Sembower will go to the best drop kicker, while Prof. W. J. Moenkhaus will he tha donor of the cur> which will go to the host placement kicker. According to Athletic Director E. O. Stlehm. .ho reward will be a boon to Indiana foot* ball. "There are a number of men who are out on the field practicing every day of the year,” he said, "and It )a only fitting that their efforts be re warded in some way or othbr. Tha goals made will he counted on a.per cent age basis, and the men making the most goals from a required num ber of trials will be adjudged the winners." Fine Piiitl lo Halt Ousting of Joie Ray from Sports Chicago, Dec. 30.—Joie Ray. dis tance runner for the Illinois Athletlo club, suspended from amateur compe tition because of an excessive ex pense uceount, must pay a $100 fine by midnight tomorrow to escape danger of being forever barred from amateur athletics. A check for that amount has been sent to the national A. A. U. offices at New York by the Illinois Athletic club, but whether It will be accepted was not known here today. The club made Its aid 1n the nature of a loan. [Should the check be accept'd Rav'g Ineligibility would end Mondav.