THE OMAHA SUNDAY" BEE: NOVEMBER 4, 1917.
15 A
REAL ALL-AMERICAN ELEVEN REPRESENTS
CAMP FUNSTON ARMY CANTONMENT ON
GRIDIRON; STARS ARE FROM ALL PARTS
Lack of Shoulder Strap No
Bar to Position on Paul With
ington's 89th Army Di
vision Team.
Camp Funston, Kan., Nov. 3. Foot
''all, the pre-eminent sport at Camp
funston, national array cantonment,
nowhere is to be found developed to
a higher f tagehan at this army camp,
where, under the leadership of Lieu
tenant Paul Withington, athletic di
rector of the 89th division of the na
tional army, not one team, but dozens
of teams, are to be seen in action,
some of them counting among their
number the most prominent foot ball
stars of a decade.
At Camp Funston can be seen foot
balj men who have survived success
fully several seasons in the brilliancy
of the calcium glare. Here, associated
with stars of equal magnitude from
other sections of the country, they
have come together to form teams
which are proving invincible on the
gridiron .his fall, even to the best of
the college elevens.
What college teams of today, for
instance, could expect to survive the
barrage laid down by an eleven com
posed of such men as Captain F. E.
Dennie, Brown 1905-1908, ail-American
end; Lieutenant F. E. Merrill,
Tufts, tackle and captain 1910-11-12;
Frivate A. G. Standkouski, University
of Missouri, all-Missouri Valley quar
terback; Major E. O. Kistler, Yale,
fullback -909-10, and Lieutenants A.
M. Lindsey and J. C. Fast, backrield
men at the University of Kansas dur
ing 1916, and both all-Missouri Valley
backfield men. Foot ball teams com
posed of men of such caliber are up
holding the laurels of the 89th na
tional army division in gridiron bat
tles this fall, just as they will uphold
the name of the country on the battle
fields of democracy in the months to
come.
Among foot ball stars of prom
inence who are learning the game
over again at Camp Funston are the
following: Private W. P. Speck,
Christian Brothers college; Lieuten
ant W. H. Williams, Colorado School
of Mines, fullback; Captain Lough
ridge, Yale, 1914-15; Private F. C.
Prince, Hastings college, Nebraska,
all-state fullback; Private G. Beck,
back and end, University of Nebraska;
Lieutenant W. K. Clark, Lieutenant
B. C. Garside, Lieutenant William M.
Davis, Lieutenant Carl A. Schweiger
and Lieutenant J. W. Rawlings, all of
the 1916 team of the University of
Colorado; Lieutenant C. O. Braden,
Baker university; Lieutenant Lloyd
Wait, catcher on the Pittsburgh Na
tional league base ball club, foot ball
at Culver academy and at St. Louis
university; Lieutenant M. C. Lewis,
backfield. Washington university, St.
Louis; Private Thomas Hawkeagle,
Carlisle, and Lieutenant George Clark,
quarterback, Illinois university. All
of these men are available for the di
vision team, according to Lieutenant
Wfcfrington. r
Extensive Schedule.
An extensive schedule has been ar
ranged for the 89th national army di
vision eleven. The eleven clashed
with Colorado college and Henry
Kendall college. The ne "!
for a game with the Rolla School of
Mines on November 10, the Oklahoma
Aggies', November 24; University of
Illinois (pending),' November 29; Uni
versity of Nebraska (pending), De
cember 8. A game has been sched
uled with the Great Lakes naval train
ing station eleven for November J4
at Kansas City and with the eleven
representing Camp Dodge, national
army cantonment, at Kansas City No
vember 17 or November 10. These
last two games conflict with others
scheduled, it was explained by- Lieu
tenant Withington, but there is
enough material to furnish two strong
teams Besides the foregoing games,
the 89th division eleven expects to
clash with the division team at Camp
Mc Arthur, Waco, Tex.
In addition to the division foot ball
team, there are many company teams.
Every Saturday and Sunday from 30
to 40 foot ball games are being battled
out on the gridirons at Camp Funston.
The intercomoany games, now being
played off, furnish many interesting
contests. Here again much good ma
terial is to be found, as the men com-
..u- iAnm( Viav' nan toot ball
posing me isuu r . .
experience at colleges or high schools.
This Ball Player Knows
Fight When He Sees It
It is told of a certain young out
fielder in the National league that he
was testifying in a murder trial m
his home town ana wnen asKcu iu
ilescriDe 10 mc juij -
u'!kd with the defendant, who had a
refutation as a "bad man' in the com-
welt," began the ball player, first
I knocked him down, and then I
itickled him in the face and then 1
kickd him in the stomach and then
r I
" Atthis point the judge ventured
II "Yourldon't call that 'fighting' do
irou?" Ke asked. .
"Sure,' replied the witness,' "what
do you c;all it?"
pomnhll Rp.ts Verdict
n Suit Against Ex-Feds
Vincent 'Campbell, former outfielder
for the Newark Federal league club,
suit for breljch of contract against the
jf..r v,,ri; PoH last week.
The defensk claimed that it had ar
ranged to transier amyucu s .
'" I .itH.t.. liinis or Cin
cinnati National league club, but he
r...j tn i--onr snrh service and
held that such refusal relieved the ob
ligations emciea into unoer uie iuu-
6 . TL. U1A Vrtt;trr that
Campbell had right to look to the
NewarK reus ir nis pay anu jwmucu
him his veruiu
cMll's Vnfiil Activities
Bother Hostile Hitsmiths
"It is just like) listening to a drum
corps when you feme to bat with Ray
Schalk catching) writes Oscar Vitt.
"He is always Rustling. lie uses a
nte and ocfesionallv bursts into
long. A batterjhas to be on his
Jruard all the tie to keep his mind
' an the game, fJ this boy Schalk is
,. jjwayS chatting r doing something
hehind the bat. cannot figure how
he manages to feep it up, tor he
works it on even batter throughout
the game.
Omaha, Lincoln and St. Joseph
In Three-Cornered Tangle for
Missouri Valley Championship
First Elimination Contest to Be Staged in Omaha This Week
Between Central and Capital City Elevens; Omaha
Fans Lean Toward Central Because
of Mulligan's Style.
Former Central High Grid
Star Bjg Aid to Creighton
LEWIS HIKES FOR
BUSH WHEN MARIN
H0VES INTO VIEW
Strangler Decides Detroit Isn't
Such Nice City After All
When Plestina Arrives
on Scene.
The scramble for the Missouri Valley interscholastic foot
ball championship has narrowed down to three teams Cen
tral High of Omaha, Lincoln and St. Joseph.
These three elevens stand out pre-eminent in the race for
the cherished title. All three have yet to taste the bitter dose
of defeat and have vanquished all opponents in decisive fash
ion. -O The dope sheet favors no team and
only the contests in which Central
faces both Lincoln and St. Joseph will
determine the championship honors.
Central's record is, perhaps, a little
better than its rivals, for the Central
goal line has not been crossed this
season. The only points marked up
against Mulligan's eleven were made
by 'Oswald of South High, who booted
a field goal.
St. Joseph Has Weight.
St. Jospeh has a heavier team than
either Omaha or Lincoln. The Mis
souri school has a line which will
weigh 10 pounds to the man more
than the Nebraska elevens. In addi
tion, the Joetown crew has eight vet
erans. The first clash to determine the
trianglar tangle occurs this week in
Omaha when Central and Lincoln
clash. The Nebraska state title
hinges upon this battle and the team
which loses also is eliminated from
the Valley race.
The teams are believed to be evenly
matched Lincoln is a disciple of
straight foot ball, and has earned its
victories by this method. The capital
lads have a heavy backfield composed
of driving line plungers and they have
made most of the gains.
Use Open Game.
Central on the other hand employes
the open game and the forward pass
is a favorite. Mulligan almost entirely
depends upon passes and end runs by
his fleet-footed backs for gains.
Both teams have veterans in their
backfields. Omaha has Turk Logan.
Gene Maxwell and Clyde Smith, all
veterans, and Dave Noble, who has
had experience on the subs.
Logan, Maxwell and Smith are
stars. They are fast and shifty and
can be depended upon at all times.
They are all experts at hurling and
receiving forward passes.
Central also leans toward strategic
plays and many shifts and tricks are
certain to be employed in the game
with Lincoln.
Griffin it Absent.
Lincoln also has three veteran back
field men, but the wonderful Griffin
is absent.
Assuming that Central clears the
Lincoln hurdle, they must look toward
St. Jdseph. St. Joseph has veterans,
speed, weight and good coaching and
will make no mean opponent.
Petrikowsky at full, Symon quarter
back and captain, with Burkhart and
Packwood as running mates, are said
to compose one of the best backfields
the Valley ever saw. St. Joseph, like
Lincoln, relies largely on straight foot
ball, although the Missourians are re
ported to like the forward pass and
arc said to be fairly proficient with it.
Omaha fans like Central's chances
in these two games, mainly because
Omaha fans are firm believers in the
open game. Mulligan has proved
himself a big leaguer at devising plays
and drilling elevens in the forward
pass and Omaha fans believe Central
would return victorious even though
the Lincoln and St. Joseph elevens
did contain more individual merit.
Edwin (Strangler) Lewis has left
Detroit flat on its back. And thereby
hangs a tale.
The Strangler, well known in Oma
hatoo well known, perhaps invaded
Detroit a short while ago and mod
estly informed the fans of that city
that he was the greatest wrestler in
the world. A few victories over' second-raters
aided the Strangler in con
vincing the Detroit fans of his re
markable prowess and it looked like
a profitable winter for the Strangler
and his camp.
But the Strangler forgot that cau
tion was' the greater part of valor and
told the Detroit fans he would
wrestler an man in the world.
William Demetral, the Greek grap
pler, is making Detroit his headquar
ters and learning of Lewis' sweeping
assertion, summoned Marin Plestina,
Omaha heavyweight, to Detroit. Ples
tina went into Detroit with a chip
on his shoulder and 1,000 bucks, reg
ular United States coin of the realm,
in his first. He dared Lewis to
knock off the chip and put up the $1,
000 with a Detroit sporting editor.
The Strangler tried to throw a bluff
by offering to wrestle Marin for the
$1,000 in private, but when Marin al
most broke a leg in his eagerness to
accept, Lewis ducked.
The next day Lewis no longer was
a resident of the beautiful little city
Of Detroit. At last reports he was
headed for the bush, while Marin held
the fort in Detroit.
Plestina is in Detroit now and the
fans are reported to be crazy about
him, It is said the Wolverines have
all kinds of coin that says Marin tan
twist Joe Stecher's tail if Joe can be
coaxed into a ring with him again.
College Star Caught in
Act of Playing Base Ball
Bacon, star Wabash college base
ball and foot ball player, who played
last season in the Three-I league un
der the na.ne of Williams,' has been
found out at his college and barred
from college athletics on the ground
that he is a professional. They do say
that last season wasn't his first pro
fessional experience, but the college
authorities were asleep.
St. Louis Athletes Now
Wear Uncle Sam's Khaki
Both St. Louis ball clubs are rep
resented in the army camp at Camp
Pike, near Little Rock. Pitcher
Fincher, recalled by the St. Louis
Browns from Portland, and Pitcher
Elmo Knight, purchased by the St.
Louis Cardinals from Little Rock,
are tne players in KnaKi. rioya
Kroh, veteran pitcher of major and
minor leagues, is also in training at
Camp Pike.
Washington Catcher Weds
Girl From Connecticut
Catcher Ed Gharrity of the Wash
ington team was not bothered about
the outcome of the world's series. He
was too busy Retting married. At
New London, Conn., he led Miss Mar
garet Donahue to the altar, lhey
started west immediately on a honey
moon. Much-Sought Athlete is
Now Sergeant in the Army
Tom Hickey, the Santa Clara uni
versity player whose services were
sought by Connie Mack and other
major league managers last spring, is
now at an army training camp en
listed for the war. He has been made
a sergeant and hopes to work up to a
commission.
Omaha Amateur Player
Hurt in Rail Accident
John Mongerson, catcher for the
Ramblers of the Greater Omaha
league, lost part of his left arm as a
result of a railroad accident near
Hyannis. Mongerson was one of the
best Class A catchers in the city and
he will be sadly missed by his old
teammates.
Donie Bush Has Praise
For Cicotte's Pitching
Donie Bush thinks Eddie Cicotte is
some pitcher, as Ray Schalk tells it
"It was on our last trip to Detroit,"
says Ray, "and Cicotte was pitted
against the Tigers. We needed every
game to cinch the pennant and Man
ager Rowland was using the best he
had against Detroit. Cicotte was
having one of his many good days.
"Now, Bush has never been rated
as a great hitter, and yet he is an
expert bunter, and always has the
catcher and infield on edge. On his
first trip to the plate, Bush resorted
tp bunting, fouled off two and then
popped up. On his next trip he again
took to the bunting game, fouled off
two, and then took a look at a third
strike glide over the plate. Bush
was thoroughly disgusted.
"'The Giants have my sympathy.'
-emarked Bush as he walked to the
ench. 'I'm no great hitter, but when
.! can't bunt 'em, that pitcher sure
must have something.'"
White Sox Never Go Bad,
So Says Dave Davenport
During the taking of testimony of
ball players in the suit of Pratt and
Lavan against Phil Ball, Attorney
Lyon was quizzing Dave Davenport.
"All ball players have their bad
days, don't they?" asked Mr. Lyon.
"Yep," replied Long Dave.
"Even the White Sox go bad every
now and then?" suggested Mr. Lyon.
"Not when the Browns were
around," replied the nonchalant
Joe Steelier and Charley Peters
To Wrestle Again, Says Report
That Joe Stecher and Charley
Peters are about to be matched for a
clash in Omaha Thanksgiving day, is
a rumor current in local wrestling
circles.
Stecher and Peters met at the Oma
ha Auditorium in February this year.
Stecher returned victorious after 46
minutes of rapid-fire grappling.
At that time, Stecher was in his
prime. Peters, then, declared he was
suffering from boils and from the ef
fects of a long siege of bronchitis.
The boils, he contends, sapped his
strength and the bronchitis had so in
jured his lungs that his wind was
bad. Now, claiming he is in much
better shape, Peters is clamoring for
a return match.
Negotiations, it is known, have been
under way for some time and it is said
articles for the match will be signed
this week.
Peters believes he can throw
Stecher this time and his confidence
is shared by many Papillion follow
ers. Boils took much of my
strength," said Peters, "when I met
Stecher before. My wind was bad
too as a result of the bronchitis. I
am physically O. K. now and I know
I can beat Stecher. He wasn't so
much better than I was last time and
I'm 100 per cent improved now in,
every way.'
At!
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fey e 4 n v' ,
hii ; te
15 N v ( I
, "' X
1 ri-J
"CHUCK" MO RE ARTY
WESTERN MOGULS
SECRETLY, MEET
OF A. A.
OWNERS
Hold Star Chamber Sessions
Regarding Shifts in Terri
' tory; League to Meet
November 11.
Western league club owners already
have been in conference with Ameri
can ssociation magnates who own
clubi in the western half of the Class
AA circuit, regarding the shifts on
the way in the redisricting of minor
league territory.
These conferences have been in
formal and secret; the magnates have
camouflaged their movements and will
not even admit the confabs, but they
are known to have occurred.
ThiS is taken to mean that the club
owners who will control the franchise
in the new Western, or new American
association, whichever it is to be
called, have arrived at, or at least are
arriving at plans for this new circuit
and will be ready to present their facts
and figures at the minor league meet
ing at Louisville.
Meet Early. .
The Western league will clear the
decks for action before the national
association meeting. President Dick-
erson has called a league meeting for
November 11, two days before the big
convention. The meeting will be held
at Louisville so the Western moguls
can be on the job in plenty of time
for the fireworks.
The Western has a few matters of
its own to thresh out. Pa Rourke and
Ed Hanlon, it is said, have something
to say. Their speeches will have to
do with the finances of the loop. Sev
eral of the clubs, it is reported, are
in arrears in their dues and Hanlon
and Rourke intend to demand that
they pay up, stay up and put up a
forfeit of good faith. The way the
Western league has been run, a cou
ple of clubs could quit and the league
blow sky high with no protection for
the other owners. Hanlon and
Rourke intend to make it mandatory
that each club put up a heavy forfeit
to protect the remaing clubs.
Germans Identified U. S.
Soldiers On Ball Field
Germans held prisoners in France
wouldn't believe the American sol-'
diers now behind the front were any
thing else but Canadians or perhaps
British until they saw them play ball.
Now they know better. A corre
spondent writing from the front tells
the story thus:
The Sammies used to meet German
prisoners on the road every day. Once
in a while they would strike one who
could speak English and the story
was always the same.
"Yon can't tell us you're Ameri
cans," said one German spokesman.
"You're Englishmen in American uni
forms. The Americans can't bring
over troops- because the U-boats are
sinking their transports."
One day when the Sammies had an
afternoon off two ball teams fought
out the regimtntal championship on
a typical old sand lot. Working in a
distant field the German prisoner
"stalled" on the job watching the
game. One of the ball players met a
German on his way back.
"Who won?" asked the prisoner in
English.
"We did, 6 to 4."
The German gave in.
"You must be Americans, all right,"
he remarked sadly. "No Englishmen
could play ball like you fellows did. I
know because I used to be a faff
when I was in America.
SOME GOSSIP OF
INTEREST TO FANS
OF WESTERN LOOP
Lincoln May Forfeit Franchise
for Failure to Pay Dues;
St. Joseph Still Baf
fling Problem.
Edward Fleharty, Des Moines
hurler, and Rupert Mills, first sacker
for the Denver club, are two Western
league athletes who have answered
the call to the colors.
Fleharty hat joined the aviation
section of the army, while Mills hu
volunteered for service as a regular
in Uncle Sam'a land forces.
Red Corriden, former Rourke, has
been drafted. Corriden went up from
Omaha to the St. Louis Cards, later
joined the Cubs and for the last two
seasons has played with Louisville in
the American association. His last
appearance in Omaha was in 1916,
when he held down third base for the
Colonels in the post-season series
with the champion Rourkes that year.
Red aDnlietl for exemption on the
grounds that his wife was dependent
upon him, but his claim was re
jected.
Frank O'Brien, catcher for the
Hutchinson team, is dangerously ill
with typhoid fever in a hospital in
San Francisco, his home town.
Lincoln may forfeit its Western
league franchise, according to Presi
dent DirWrrsnn. Lincoln has failed
to pay its league obligations, despite
the tact it som one player, anomer
was drafted and the books show an
average daily attendance of almost
900 for the season.
Western league fans find an easy
answer to the query, "Why did the
tli Whit Snx heat the Giants?" The
pale hose have several former West
ern league players in the lineup. Red
Faber and Joe. Benz were once with
Des Moines, Eddie Cicotte was with
Lincoln, Mel Wolfgang with Denver
and Ted Jourdan with St. Joseph.
Jimmy Hamilton, manager of Mus
kogee Central league, is in line for a
berth as a Western loop manager, ac
cording to Muskogee reports. The
name of the club is not mentioned, but
it is said Dickerson expects to find
a place for him. In eight years, Ham
ilton has nailed four pennants in as
many leagues, three seconds and one
third.
Western league fans laugh at re
ports that Peterkin Kilduff will be
ousted from the shortstop job 6n the
Cubs. Peterkin is due to be one
of the stars of the National league
before long, Western fans believe.
Pa Rourke is making no plans for
the Omaha club until the Western
league meeting is held in Louisville
next week. Pa doesn't know what
league Omaha will be in, nor what
the class of the league will be, so he
can't pay out any coin for athletes un
til that informtaion is forthcoming.
Plentina Declares
War on Bill Hokuff
This is a warning to Big Bill
Hokuff.
Recently, Hokuff wrestled Stecher
at Central City. It was advertised
that Hokuff had defeated Marin
Plestina in straight falls. I
Back in Detroit, Marin has just
heard the news. The roar that fol
lowed could be heard all over Mich
igan. 1
Plestina points out that he threw
Hokuff at Mason City, la., in
August. He pinned Big Bill twice
in 21 minutes, faster time than did
Stecher. !
7
WHOLE MINOR LEAGUE Mf
TO BE REDISTRICTED WHEN
MOGULS MEET IN ItAINTUCIt
Practically Every League in the National Association Will
Undergo Changes in Redistribution of Territory
Which Is Bound to Come; Omaha One of
the Cities Involved. ,
BAN THE HORRID
SPITTER. URGES
WESTERN PREXIE
Dickerson Goes on Record as
Strong Opponent of Freak
Deliveries, With Spit
Ball as Mark.
Just as certain as the kaiser eventually will draw his un
conditional release, the whole minor league base ball map of
the United States is going to be redistricted when the annual
meeting of the National Association of Professional Base Ball
leagues occurs at Louisville starting November 13.
O Leaeues which will undergo whole
sale changes in the redistribution of
territory are:
American association, Class AA.
International league, Class AA.
Pacific Coast league, Class AA.
Western league, Class A.
Southern association. Class A.
New York State league. Class B. .
-. i ri t f
eastern league, vias -.
Northwestern league, Class B.
Western association, Class V.
Other leagues, too, may undergo
changes, hut the above circuits are
the principal ones to be involved.
Center on AA Loops.
The most radical change centers
around the American association and
the International and it is this change
which will force supplementary
changes in the Western and in which
Omaha and Nebraska is largely in-,
terested.
Certain cities now in the American
association will band with certain
other cities now occupying Interna
tional territory. This is the rolling
stone which will precipitate a real
avalanche and shake the National
association to its roots. The whole
complexion of the minor league map
will te changed.
The dope sheet for Indianapolis,
Toledo, Columbus and Louisville of
the American association to link with
Baltimore, Newark, Buffalo and
Toronto of the International in a new
league. This league, it is said, will
eventually become a third major
league.
Omaha Goes Up.
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Milwaukee
and Kansas City will remain as a
nucleus to a new American associa
tion, or perhaps they will call it the
Western league. To these four cities
will be added Omaha, Des Moines, St.
Joseph and perhaps Peoria. Or, it
is possible, this will be a six-club
league, with Peoria and St. Joseph out,
of t. Assignment of territory in this
league is indefinite and will not be
.known until the meeting gets under
way.
Of the International cities, Provi
dence, it is said, is slated for a berth
in the Eastern league. This league
then wilt be advanced to Class A.
Rochester will go to bolster up the
faltering New York State league.
Montreal will drop out of site as prob
ably will Richmond,
The New Western association will
consist of Joplin, Wichita and To
peka, castoff Western league terri
tory, with Oklahoma City, Tulsa and
other Western association towns.
This league probably would be ad
vanced from Clas3 D to Class B. '
Two Coast Circuits.
On the coast the Pacific Coast
league wants some of the Northwest
ern territory and it is probable plans
will be launched for two new leagues
out there. One league will consist of
the southern cities, San Francisco,
Oakland, Vernon, Los Angeles, Sacra
mento and Salt Lake City, and the
northern loop will be made up of
Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma,
Vancouver and one other city.
The Southern association needs a
new town to take Mobile's place and
is looking with longing eyes toward
Shreveport, in the Texas league.
Some opposition, of course, is
bound to crop out, especially among
the magnates who will be shifted into
smaller leagues. But for the main
part it is expected the magnates will
greet the proposed redisricting as a
Lfesaver to minor league base hall.
There may be an explosion or two
at the Louisville meeting as the new
leagues take form, but it is more than
likely the moves will be made rather
quickly. The magnates know some
thing must be done if minor league
base ball is to survive and this method
is believed to be the only logical solu
tion of what has been a bafflng prob
lem for the last three years.
Whatever may be the action of the
major leagues in barring the spitball
and other forms of freak pitching, the
minors will take a stand that wilt
cleanse the game of such deliveries
and at the same time add to the ac
tion of diamond play by putting on
the ban, if Emerson W. Dickerson of
the Western League has his way. In
a strong attack on the spitball partic
ularly the president of the Western
circuit intimates that he wil suggest
action that will bar it among the min
ors. Coming from the president of a
league in which various forms of
freak deliveries, even including the
emery ball, were said to have been
used in the past season, Dickerson's
remarks are significant and of inter
est. '
President Dickerson says:
The nasty, slimy, and insanitary
spitball should be made illegal, and
that will do away with a dozen or
more kindred deliveries that are cut
ting down batting and depriving base
ball fans of that which they enjoy
the most hard and clean hitting.
"It is folly to attempt to stop other
freak deliveries and still permit the
spit-ball, for it gives the chance for
disguise under which the other deliv
eries are prepared., The so-called em
ery ball is nothing more or less than
a polished and a rough surface on op
posite sides of the ball, the air re
sistance bringing about an almost un
hittable shoot.
When pitchers are permitted to
expectorate on the ball they also can
polish. It takes little roughness to
make the shoot, sufficient being made
by the scraping of sharp fingernails
over the seams. Once the ball hits the
ground it is plenty rough enough for
the emery ball worker. The leather
that base balls are covered with now
is not of the high quality formerly
dsed. It is easily roughed.
Pitcher Sfrmld Ba Penalized
A penalty suld be provided for a
pitcher discoloring, roughing, or
dampening a ball in any way. That
will mean more batting, and that is
what the fans want to see. As it is
now, a pier with a good spitter or
emery iMkfsSjrs'ces monkeys of almost
alt batters ?iid turns the game into a
one man band. The more batting the
more real action there is.
The real freak ball pitchers take
from a half hour to an hour longer
to pitch a game than those who pitch
as pitchers should, and they make the
games in which they take part both
slow and tiresome. Every player on
both teams who is at all responsible
for the slowness should be fined when
a contest of nine innings lasts over
two hours. When two freak delivery
slab artists are opposed to each other
it is rarely a game is played inside
of two and one-half hours. It almost
always takes over two hours to play a
game in which one of the pitchers
uses a freak delivery, which requires
a considerable pause before the pitch
ing of each ball
A contest of nine innings should be
played in an hour and a half or there
abouts at all times, and there is little
excuse for any contest running over
that time. Players who strut and pose
should be given to understand- that
each moment they add to the playing
time of a game means the loss of time
to business men, who do not begrudge
the time they are giving to regular
nlay, but who are driven away from
base ball by dilatory tactics.
The fact that the demand for seats
to the world's series' this year was
four times as great as the capacity of
each park in which the games were
played showed the public has not by
any means lost its interest in base
hall. Instead, it indicates a greater
interest than ever before. Fast and
snappy play, in which the players
seem to take a lighting interest, is
what the public wants and that is the
kind of base ball the Western league
expects to provide for its patrons
next year.
Batting Attracts the Crowds.
I attribute the apparent falling off
of interest in certain section of the
country to the absence of the thrills
there are in free batting games when
pitchers with freak deliveries cut it
down. When you pay your money to
see a stage performance you expect
to see all the actors of a company
take some part in the performance.
When freak ball delivery pitchers
work only two or three of the players
have anything to do. Players will tell
you the best part of the game for
them is batting, and I believe free bat
ting is what the fans most like to see.
When you stop to think of the way
disease might be spread through the
use of spitballs. it is enough to make
one shudder. Slimy balls cannot be
handled like dry balls, and the use of
the spitter means wild throws galore.
Just imagine working behind the bat
with slimy spit splashing with each
pitched ball. One tubercular sufferer
on the slab might contaminate every
player who handles the ball when he
is working, and there are even worse
diseases that might be spread that
way.
em
Russell Damaaes Meat
Aand by Grabbing Ball
Don't use your meat hand to stop
hard hit balls that are batted back at
you. If you do you may put an end
to your pitching career.
This is the advice Allen Russell.
Yankee spitballer, has to offer brother
members of the pitching fraternity;
and it is well worth consideration.
Early this spring Russell reached
for a hard ball through the box with
his nude flipper. He got his hand on
the ball and succeeded in retarding
its progress, but immediately after
ward he, suffered a sharp pain in the
first two digits of his pitching hook,
which was followed by numbness.
Then his hand grew cold and he had
to retire from the same.
National Loop Donates
Cup to League in London
The National league has donated a
trophy cup to the London Hospital
Base Ball league, an organization
which has been active in the.Amer
ican game during the last summer.
In the London hospitals are several
American physicians and numerous
Americans and Canadians who are
promoting the pastime. The Na
tional league has also sent several
dozen base balls to the hospital
league. The trophy is of silver and is
nearly three feet high.
Benny Kauff Headed For
Vaudeville, So Tis Said
According to Toe Santley, the ac
tor, Benny Kauff has agreed to make
an appearance in a vaudeville sketch
written by Santley. Also, according
to Santley, Benny is going to get
$2,500 a week for doing it. All this
according to Santley, Another 6tory
about Benny is that he was so confi
dent the Giants would win the series
that he bet his "winner'" share on it,
He even made one bet that the Gianta
would win four straight i!J
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