4-8
TTTE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 0, faX
LAST MATCH IN CALIFORNIA,'
Contort on Twenty-Second May Be
Last Held in State.
PROHIBITIVE LAW IN MARCH
PdrIIIiiIIc World U CnatlnR Abont
for n Neir Plnre In Which It
Mar llercnftrr Hold Its
Contests.
nr w. w. nai'cuito.v.
SAN FRANCISCO. February 8. More
than ordinary Interest attaches to the
llghtwetght contests that ore to take
place In San Francisco and Lou Angeles
on Washington's birthday. Whllo the
events In themselves are Important
enough to attract attention, what la en
dearing them to the fight fans Is the
possibility that these may be the Inst
professional boxing mntches the sports
of California will havo the privilege of
witnessing for at least a couple of years.
It all depends, of course, on what hap
pens at Sacramento when the legisla
ture reconvenes early In March and
passes upon the measure which has for
Its object the suppression of the sport of
glove.
It Is very evident at this stage of the
game that those who derive a sustenance
from the pugilistic Industry are on tho
anxious spat. It Isn't like the old days,
up In the city where tho lawmakers
fotegather every once In a whllo. The
man who used to put "the sack In Sac
ramento" daren't show his noso there
now, and already Senator Brown, the
fromer of the prohibitive law, Is being
referred to as "Knockout Ilrown No. 2."
Kntnre Arena Prolilenmtle.
Incidentally, It Is to wonder where the
championship bouts of tho future will
take place If a halt Is called In the
Golden State. For year Ban Franchco
mid Los Angeles havo enjoyed tho dis
tinction of being tho scenes of a ma
jority of the ring events In which titles
were Involved.
Of course, on a pinch, a championship
bout could be arranged for at some point
In Nevada, but it would havo to bo n
Riiperattractlon to draw tho supporters
of boxing from the big centers of popu
lation to tho sagebrush country.
With Los Angeles and San Francisco
off tho map, where would Willie Ritchie
defend his title when ho felt like re
suming ring activity? Where would
I.uthcr McCarty throw down the gaunt
let and say, "I havo hod my fill of the
footlights and am ready for the white
hopes pf the world?"
It might bo as well, however, to heed
tho old advlco nncnt the folly of at
tempting tho passage of a brldgo until
you come to It. It will be time enough
to look around for a new convincing
ground for champions when the curtain
Is rung down In this neck of the woods.
One hear discussions as to which of
tho coming February 22 bouts would take
precedence In tho matter of Importance,
Of course, tho Los Angeles sports claim
that the nivers-Knockout Brown affair
ranks above tho Murphy-Mandot go,
whllo the San Francisco patrons of tho
game argue tho opposite way.
noth Contest Interesting.
To a man free from local prejudice the
contests seem on a par. There Is no de
nying, of course, that nivers and Man
dot are tho top liners of the birthday
program, and tho score stands so even
between the two Joes' that It each of
thftm triumphs In tho coming fights thore
will bo on Insistent demand for a third
meeting between tho Mexican and tho
New Orleans lad.
Knockout Ilrown will surely prove n
big box office attraction whan he faces
Rivers. "The Fighting Dutchman," as
Manager Dan Morgan persists in calling
him, oblivious, apparently, to the fact
that Wolgast had already claimed the
sobrlduot In question, Is certainty the
best advertised lightweight who ever
wended his way west.
So much haB been claimed for htm in
connection with his two short bouts back
cast with Wolgast that Los Angeles
sports are particularly anxious to see
him In action.
At tho same time It Is thoroughly safe
to predict that Rivera will be mado a
strong favorite In tho wagering whlon
precodes the birthday scrap. This, be
cause the opinion had In respect to Ilrown
Is that whllo he Injects plenty of action
Into his ring work he Is none too accurate
In hla aim, whereas Rivers Is not only a
ura fisted fellow, but a damaging hit
ter and a quick finisher.
Mandot In Better Shnpe.
It, Is claimed for Mandot that ho bus
benefited greatly by tho lay-off he en
joyed after hl last affair with Blveva,
t Los Angeles. Manager Coleman in
a letter to tho writer, said:
"When I said that Mandot was stole
from continuous fighting and training at
Los Angeles, I was not merely framing
an excuse for Joe. I felt that what I
said was true and I took Mandot back
home and 'turned a deaf ear to all offers
ror two full months. I would have re
fused this San Francisco match too.
f I had had the least doubt about the
boy's condition. lie Is all right again,
though, and here In New Orleans we are
looking for him to win from Murphy In
side the twenty-round limit. This sounds
boastful. In view of Murphy's ability to
hold up his end In terrific battles, but
that's the way we feel about It. We think
that Mandot, in the conwtlon he Is n
at present, Is the kingpin lightweight
f the world."
While a high opinion of Mandot la en
tertained In San Francisco, It must be
said that the local sportsmen are not a
enthusiastic over his chances as they are
n New Orleans.
Murphy has a host of friends In this
tlty He Is looked upon as ono of th
greatest trial horses for1 top notch light
weights at present before the public. Ills
fondness for breast-to-breast fighting, hl
ualmllatlve qualities and his manner of
holding himself together and continuing
buoy no matter how fast the pace, are
:h!ngs which Impressed the folks out here
and Judging from what Is being said
Just now he will sell favorite over the
loutherner.
Grandstand Sold.
The grandstand at the present park of
the New Tork Americans has been sold
to the Jersey City club of the Interna
tional league and will be removed and
et in the Jersey City park. Fair progress
Is belnr made on the new park for the
New Yorkers. A big Job of filling has to
d done.
ICIInsr Tlilnka Trrlce.
John Kllng admits that he had designs
on becoming a Western league magnate
as owner of the Topeka club, but when
lie learned tne price he couldn't see It
The idea of paying out good money for
in enterprise that has not been profitable
iia not appeal to his business instluou
Jewel Kan on First.
Manager dear of Tnpeka announces
that lie expects to use Jewel .Kns on first
base. Kns played second In the. Texas
league, but he it a big fellow and Cear
-1 La be will develop into a high class
CLARKE HAS GREAT RECORD
Manager of the Pirates Keeps Team
Near the Top.
M'ORAW FEARS PITTSBURGH
Fnns Snr Clnrke Is the Mnn MuitK-T
Will llnrr to Ilrnt to I. nnd the
I'rmmnt for Neiv York
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Itrcorils of Hip "I1Ic Three."
YnfM Vl'nn t j.ut T
Clarke II i.sai 7a .mi
McQniw 10 KA M .632
hnnce 7 714 km .im
Tied with New York fop Hrtnmift nt:irn
as refllllt of Cfiletirativl nlnv...ff ltu..
Now York and Chicago at Polo grounds.
NUW YORK. IV)). 8.-TUe most serious
obstuclo In the path of John J. McGraw
tova third consecutlvo pennant appears
Fred Clarke and his husky Itucouneera.
The Giant manager and the sporting
worm at large-wlth the possible excep
tion of Home few fnnutlc fans, nlavers.
grandstand manage of magnates who
hibernate In tho Windy C1ty-have ex
pressed such an opinion repeatedly. In
tho words of McGruw; "Clarke Is the
only man I fear. Tho Cubs will be coil-
tenders, but Ilttsburgh In tho club we
huvo to beat."
McOraw has his heart set upon wlnnlna
tho 1913 bunting, for then ho will have
achieved a run of uninterrupted, kuci!ji.h
tho equal of his two great compctltora.
Hoth Clurko and Frank Chance havo
nailed threo straight flags. Clarke begun
his record run In 1901 and ended In IMG.
tho kcosou Jimmy Collins' celebrated Bos
ton Americans annexed tho worlda Borles
from the Corsairs through tho most sen
Rational finish which was ever shown.
Hoston won five victories (It was tho best
five out of nine that season) after belr.ir
In the hole, three to 1. Frank Chance und
his Cubs hung up threo straight pennants
and two worlds series In 190(l-1907-ltt)S.
McOraw hopes to achltvu equal pennant
honors this year, for he hna two straight
and easy successes behind him und a
team which appears the class of the
field.
Threatens Itecord.
Back In 1904 McOraw started a run that
threatened Clarke's record. Pennant In
1904 and 1905 were supplemented by a
world's series from tho Athletics tho lat
ter season. New York started out In
1900 top heavy favorites In the National
league, llut that season the mighty
Chance, In his first managerial trial with
the famous Cubs, reeled off 110 victories,
the greatest showing In professional base
hall since It had become a national Insti
tution. Luck played Into Chance's hands
at the expense of McOraw, who finished
as low aa fourth for the only time in his
wonderful career. Mathewson suffered'an
attack of diphtheria, Brcsnahan was se
riously Injured by a pitched ball, Mike
Dentin's leg was broken and any num
ber of provoking Injuries and illnesses
developed to thwart the ambitions of
McOraw.
Bo the Giant lender stands today where
he left off In 1903. Only ho Is In much
better position to weather the combined
attack of his adversaries. Then his
champion array was comprised of a col
lection of fast falling veterans; now he
has the youngest and speediest collection
of athlete known to the game. Then he
had to buck both Chance and Clarke.
Now only the wonderful commander of
tho Corsairs remains. Chance has gone
ovor to the New York stronghold of tho
American league, leaving to Johnny
Evers, his successor In Chicago, a team
that Is but the shadow of tho one time
Cub Invlnclbles.
Kniiaaa Ilnnchuinn.
Let us Investigate, then, tho worthy foo-
tnen of McOraw. Fred Clarke, tho Kan
sas ranchman. He has completed his
thirteenth year at tho Holm of tho Pirate
craft and In the last campaign showed
far more consistent form than even the
Polo grounds champions. In thirteen
years Clarke amassed four pennants, four
second places and a tie for another, three
thirds and ono fourth. Clarke took charge
of Pittsburgh In 1902 and finished second.
The next year he tore loose and ripped
tho organliatlon all to pieces, returning
three straight winners. McOraw's star
then began the ascendant, and the great
general of Smoke Town was forced Into
a bock seat for a spell. In the nine years
wince Pittsburgh and Boston battled for
the first world's pennant under the pre
vailing organized base ball movement,
Fred Clarke has won only one pennant
That fell to htm In 1909, when he showed
his most successful season by winning 110
victories. That year, also, he beat De
troit after a very hard fight of seven en
gagements for the world's championship.
Rut In all that time Fred Clarke was
never disgraced. Only-once did he fin
ish as poorly as last among the first four
clubs.
Mcfirnw Checks) lllm.
When It appeared as If Fred Clurkc-had
designs upon organising a pennant "trust"
among Hans Wagner and his other pals
there arose a mighty NcGraw to check
the presumption. And when In turn Mo
Oraw began to aspire along similar linen,
Frank Chance sprang Into prominence
Thus came Into being the "great three'
which proved an Ideal combination for
the parent major body. Kach of the
threo checkmated the others no that th
balance of power kept wavering about.
Honors passed back and forth constantly,
as Itwere, with no one city "bagging"
the laurels, and all three New York, Chi
cago and Pittsburgh, very much In the
limelight at all times.
Of the three great national league man
agers, Clarke, on account of his length
of service, must be awarded the palm,
though both McGraw and Chance have
shown better averages In shorter exper
iences. In thirteen years Clarke has won
1.201 and lost TS2 games for a grand aver
age of .621. No other big manager has
won a thousand games. McOraw Is clos
est with 956 victories for ten years. Op
posed to the winnings are 5J9 defeat
which produce a record of .est In seven
years Chance has won 711 and lost but
3C0, developing the wonderful average
l-ed of .647. In other words, he won
I two out of every three games played.
In one way It Is very much to be re
gretted that Frank Chance was forced
to discontinue his labors with the Cub.
It would have been Interesting Indeed
J to see him shoot away at Clarke's rcc-
Eyes of
Here In the large picture Is Jim Thorpe,
tho most widely discussed athlete In tho
world today. After reaching the pin
nacle In tho world's amateur sports,
achieving the highest honors In the Olym
piad at Stockholm, the great aborigine
is now shorn of all his amateur honors
and trophies because he has confessed
that hu played base ball for money In a
little league In South Carolina. Tho an
nouncement that Thorpo was a profes
sional shook the amateur sporting world
to Its foundation, but In all the comments
on tho conduct of the Indian there has
been nothing but expressions of sym
pathy for this action of the Fox and Sao
tribes. In his confession Thorpo pathet
ically states that when he played base
ball for money In 1910 he did not realize
at the time that he was disqualifying
himself for competition In other fields of
amateur sports. It seems that; In Eng
land many qualified contestants In ama
teur sports play professionally In other
forms of athletics.
Friends of tho great Indian are sail
to have organised In an effort to have
him reinstated as an amateur, but their
efforts will doubtless bo unavailing, as
Tlwrpo recently signed a contract In New
York to play with the OlanW this coming
season, Whllu the terms of his contract
havo not been made pdUHc, it 1b thought
he will not get more than $5,000 a year.
ord for thtrteen yean. Chance may do
greater thlpgB in Now York than he did
In Chicago, but the way tf direct com
parison to the abilities of his two erst
while respected contemporaries will have
been lost.
It seems sofa to say, however, that II
Is very doubtful if any leasuo will ever
boast again three such wonderful man
agers as Fred Clarke, John McGraw and
Frank Chance. They have won more
fahios than any trio of any time. In an
aggregate of thirty seasons tho "nig
Three" bagged 3,871 victories out of 4,618
played, showing a total percentage of ap
proximately .640. They have registered
considerably over three victories out of
every five starts. It will bo Interesting
to note tho duel between McGraw and
Clarke, now that the common rival, Frank
Chance, has looked upon new fields nf
conquest.
Clyde Elliott
Thinks Minnesota v
Philosophy All Wrong
(Continued from Page One.)
Defend the couch, that Is right; no one Is
attacking his ability: tho attack Is being
made on the men who let him go ahead,
struggling to bocomo the master of men
who nro given every advantuge for get
ting winning teams, every advantage that
thoy need. For years Nebraska has been
trotting along In the spirit of that fa
miliar song, "Wo don't know whew
we're going, but we're on our way." There
never has seemed 11 bit of certitude about
Cornhusker foot ball.
Many of the better coached elevens give
their supporters a sense of confidence;
let them feel that a Certain number of
glumes are going to bn won; make them
know that victory Is more certain than
defeat; not so with the Cornhuskers. In
minor struggles the Nebraskans always
havo been looked upon as certain, win
ners, but never In any of tho major strug
gles. Look back In 190$, when the Cornhusk
era, after licking Iowa und Ames, dropped
a game to Kansas. Go back to 1911; the
Ames game looked easyt It was u terror
and the Corrthuskcrs dretv only a tie.
Hack to last fall; Missouri was doped
"easy," and It went to tho last two min
utes before taking defeat. Again, look
nt the Kansas and Oklahoma games, and
consider tho material the Cornhusker
had.
It was not the players who wero to
blame. It was the system that did not
bring out of them all that should have
come. .
Not l'roperly Trained,
They had not been properly trained;
they were not learned enough In many
points of the game. Btlehm. alone, could
not teach them all they hhould have
learned. Ho needed help, and he did not
have It. It la but reasonable to state that
under the same conditions next fall, or
jiny other season, the Cornhusker will
do no better. -Btlehm Is a young man yet.
below 30; he not only needs assistant
coaches, but he nlno needs advisers, men
who have played foot boll and who know
the game thoroughly. He must have the
suggestions of men who have been in the
game and have met emergencies that he
will bo forced to meet from time to time.
Coaoh Btlehm, still young In couohlnr,
is sensitive to nommmt iiimlo about his
teams; he should pay no attention tu
what newspapers say about him or hi
eleven. He Is at the head of Nebraska
athletics to get good results. He should
go ahead and at his task he should havo
aaxlstanta and advisers and then he
thould go at hla task and try to pleasa
the students and the men who hire him.
und nottbe men who handle the stylus,
All to Be on
iSBBBBBBBBK. .. BBBBBB I
Tho Pittsburgh club Is reported to have
offered $7,500 for his services.
The figure on the left Is Egon Erlckson,
one of tho foremost amateur high Jump
ers, who expects to compete In the noxt
Olymplo games.
AMES MOURNS WATSON
Going of Veteran Trainer to Iowa
City Cause of Regret.
WONDER UPON THE TRACK
Able to Develop II nw Material I
Short Time with Wonderful
Snccess HI Successor
Nat Yet Named.
AMES, la., Feb. 8.-(Special.)-The
resignation of Trainer Jack Watson from
the athletic staff of Ames was an un
welcome surprlso to the studunt body,
specially unwelcome to the athletic men.
Yet, the resignation was not wholly a
surprise to those In close touch with ath
letic affairs. It was said today, after It
was announced that the Stutc Board, f
Education had on Wednesday accepted
tho resignation In Des Moines, that hj
Ames physical director has been con
sidering a change for a good, long time.
Watson has been ranked as one of the
best trainers of college athletejj In the
United States. How he wa3 able, during
the nine yeara he has been the physical
director nt Ames, to develop teams tnat
were little short of wonders when It .s
considered that prior "to this year thero
wero absolutely no training or gymnasium
facilities at Ames, Is a problem hard 10
understand, but Watson' put out' men tnfit
have figured high- In tho Missouri valley
and big nine conference meets. The Ames
man who went to tho London Olyniplc
games a fuw years ago as one of th
American teams said he was worth more
under the training of Jack Watson than
under tho more-famed trainers wio
trained the Olympic team. Watson 11
early career Is of the picturesque. When
younger he went around the world and
mude his living as ho went as n profes
sional athlete. He returned, to, America
and became director of athletics at Grin
nell and from Grlnnell he aame to Ames
Not Money Knouwh.
The state Board of Education would
not raise Watson's salary, which Is con
siderably abovn (2,(00. His resignation Is
tffoctlvc August 31, when he goes to tho
University of Iowa to be trainer and
coach of track, at a noticeable Increase
In salary. '
Who will be Watson's successor Is not
Intimated, and very likely It Is- a matte.
that will not be settled for several
months. The ' sentiment la strongly In
favor of seeing the promotion of Clyde
Williams, foot bait coach, to the general
directorship of athletics In the new ptiyst.
cal eUucntlon department, which wu
created by the board" of deans with the
completion of" the new frymniMum. No
a'ppolnt'me'nt the 'state board could mako
would half way meet the wishes of the
students as would the "promotion of Will
lamB. A week- ago' Coach Watson Issued the
first track call. Fifty men, the largest
that ever reported for track, came; out
There Is a lot of material. Track scheduio
follows: Nebraska dual April X, XriKe
dual 'May 3, Iowa dual May 10. Then Mis
souri Valley meet at St. Louis some time
ea'rly In June.
Tlase Hall Man In Senate-.
Judge WJIllam M- Kavanaugh, president
of the Southern league, who has been
elected to trie United Stutes senate from
Arkansas, will continue to hold his office
in the Southern .Jeague. He Is alrealir
filling posts of Importance In a dozen big
enterprises and another office more 3
less will not be allowed to Interfere with
his base ball duties.
Armour Liken Women.
William It. Armour does not niipcur to
object to women In base ball. After
serving a term with Mrs. Brltton lie con
nects himself with the Milwaukee club, ,
owned by Mrs. Havenor. j
Thorpe
WCOTO 1tf)
Wrestling Unfits
a Man for Future
Pugilistic Work
NEW YORK, Feb. 8.-Charlcy Cutler,
manager of Jess Wllllard and a fortrur
wrestler and. boxer of ability, states tha
a successful wrestler can never sutfefed
In the ring. This expression of opinion
was brought out as the result of the an
nouncement that Jesse Westergard had
I decided to try his luck as a white hop i
In pugilism. Cutler said. "The whole
question turns on'tho fact that wrestling
brings Into play an altogether different
set of muscles from that utilized In tho
giving and tuktng of punches.
"You must either attend strictly to jn
game or the other. Years of work on the
mnt have utterly unfitted me for inn
fighting business. Once In a while I slip
on the gloves with Wllllard or someone
olse for a bit of cxerclpe, and I can notion
at once how stiffly I lead In contrast to
the days before I took up wrestling. Un
the other hand, when I get a boxer on tha
mat ho Is practically helpless In my grip
because his developed muscles are of little
or no use to him, while those he needs
for wrestling are lacking In strength. I
don't believe It Is possible for a mat vet
eran ever to attain high honors In tne
pugilistic ting. The odds of his early
training would be too heavily agaliibt
him."
Ted HtilllTim to Tectnre.
Ted Sullivan will make the trip to the
coast with the Comlskey special train
and deliver his Illustrated base ball lec
ture In the California cities and at the
University of California during .his stay
there. It will be given with the same
full set of views as In the East and
should prove a delight to old-tlmrrs and
modern day fans as well, on tlx Coast,
putting them In touch with the game as
nothing else could do.
Mack'si Son n Manufcer.
Connlo 'Mack personally conducted the
negotiations for engagement of his son.
Earl, as manager of the Raleigh team of
the North Carolina league, though Earl
Is no novlco In looking nfter his own af
fairs. He has proven himself a wy ca
pable fellow both In organlzlT ball nnd
in the semi-pro frleld.
MeNnlty Hecovers.
Umpire Jack McNulty of St. Louis,
who was reported as dying of lockjaw as
the result of running a nail in his foot,
is up and about as good as ever and still
hoping ho wljl land a place on tho Pa
cific Coast league staff.
A J ik I Ik m (Ml A kwL J 4
LlllllllllliHl!!Ti a d rPsSILbKJ
E2S
Members of Winter
Ball League Try to
Start Young Debate
NEW YOUK, Feb. S.-The membets of
the winter league have made one last a-id
astonishing effort to open a debate be
fore the season really commences and all
dope dreams are relegated to the part.
One of the prominent supporters of the
league, by reason of a guilty conscience
or too much Welsh rarebit, was unable to
fait asleep In his usual prompt maniiur
the other night, and, his thoughts re
veling to his favorite topic, something
Impelled him to try to pick out a team
made up of players whose names all
bevm with tho same letter. He wub suc
cessful and the next time ho met the other
rabid rooters at the usual place he
told them what ho had done.
Then, proving that two heads are bet
ter than one, a second brain conceived
tho brilliant Idea of forming an eight
club league from the alphabet. After
much discussion and poring over record
books It was decided by the majority thit
the eight strongest base ball letters In tho
alphabet were 11, C. I), H, L, M, S and
W. For lnstnnce, the B team selected
was: Uradley first; Hush, second; IJarry.
short; lu!er, third; Ut-E-her, left; Hates,
center; niiniingiiain, rUht; Urcsnabnn,
catcher, ajid llenton. Bender, Bedlcnt
and lSau.iig.mlon, pitchers. Byrno and
Burns tro selected as substitutes for
this team.
Taking the positions In the same order
the other teams were ns follows:
The C's Chase, Collins. Outshuw, Cr.
Clarke, Cobb, Crawford, Cady, Coombs,
Cheney, Crnndall and Caldwell; Bubs,
Devlin ar.d Derrick.
The lis Hoblltzel, Hugglns, Hauser,
Hcrzog, Hummell, Hofman, Hartzcli.
Ht?nry, Hendrlx, Harmon, Hall and Ham
ilton; sub Houser and Hyatt.
The Ls Luderus, Lajole, Louden, Lo
bcrt, Lewis, Lord, Leach, Lapp, Laven
der, Lake, Langc and Lelfleld. The subs,
Laporte and Livingston.
The . Ms Merkle, Mclnnls, .McBride,
Mowrey, Marsans, Murray,, MltcheJIMey
ers, Mathewson, Marquard, Moore and
McConnell. The subs, Miller and Magee.
The Ss Stahl, Stock, Shafer, Smith,
Snodgrass, Speaker, Schutte, Schalk,
Suggs, Seaton, Schultz and Steele. Subs,
Snler and Shcckard.
Tho Ws Wlltse, Heine Wagner, Honus
Wagner, Weaver, Williams, Wheat, Wol
ter, Wilson, Walsh, Wood, White and
Wnrhop. Subs, AVIngo nnd Welckone.
Of course, the managers would lie Bres-
Viahan, Chance, Dooin. Hugglns, Lajole,
McOraw and Honus Wagner. Some people
might tell you that Wlltse could not play
first base. Bush second, Cutshaw short
or Weaver third, but as a matter of fact.
theBe men can make a good deal betterl
than an average showing at these po
sitions.. Of course, after the teams were selected
there was a hot discussion as to which
would win the alphabetical and mythical
pennant. This dispute Is still going on,
and It seems improbablo that any con
clusion will bo reached which will suit
every one concerned before the real teams
start south and the rooters get some ac
tual base ball news.
JOHN L. SULLIVAN THINKS
FARMING FINE OCCUPATION
BOSTON, Feb. 8.John L. Sullivan
says that farming ls real fun and that
he wouldn't exchange It for any other
line of busnless, not even monologultur,
which he does Just for variety. "Farm
ing Is the only thing," says Sullivan.
"They say that farming Is hard. It
Isn't. I didn't know anything about It
when I Btarted in except what I had
heard people say about, it. Last year 1
raised COO bushels of potatoes, five and a
half tons of hay and enough vegetables
for the house and the pigs all winter. I
havo two horses, two cows and an eleven-
room house that ls 100 years old With
steam heat and electricity In it." Askei
if he was making anything on his po
tatoes, he said: "I'm selling mine for JI
a bushel. No one ought to pay any more.
wouldn't take more because I don'-
think potatoes, no matter how good they
are, aro worth more to anyone."
03Lr
Whiskey
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MAY CHANGE MESON BALLS
Evers Will Introduce Amendment
Reducing Limit to Three.
TO STOP STEALING SIGNS
Some of nest Known Clnb Owner!
Are Anxlotm to Stop Practice
of "Stealing the Slirna"
Amonsr Player.
CHICAGO, Feb. 8.-Whcn the Joint
rules committee, representing the major
leagues meets this month two radical
changes In the code will be suggested for
consideration. John 'J. Evers. manager
of the Chicago Cubs, believes for various
reasons that tho number of called balls
should be reduced from four to three,
and that men on second and third baees
should move up when a pass ls purposely
handed to a heavy' batsman. Other base
ball men advocate a measure expected
to do away with the practice of "stealing
signs." The Cubs' enterprising manager
explains the Idea In this way:
"When a pitcher Intentionally gives a
base on balls to a heavy hitter to, get a
weaker one to the plate, base ball crowds
usually cry put In protest. It ls often the
ense that players will reach third and
second bases with a strong batsman
coming up. Tho latter ls passed pur
posely, and tho next man, a compara
tively poor filttcf, Is disposed of easily.
"Under the rule I Intend to submit to
the Joint committee this practice should
be abolished. If the pitcher .walked a
big hitter with a man on third the'latter
would be permitted to score a run,, while
a man on second would go to third., It Is
my Idea that a pitcher should bo com
pelled to put the ball over the plate un
der these conditions,. If only to improve
the batting and run making.
"The foul strike rule has Incroased the
effectiveness of the pftchers to an
alarming degree bo that. In my opinion,
they should not be allowed to tghten
their grip on the batsmen. That 1b why
J will suggest that the number of called
balls be reduced fiom four to three, Then
It would be Impossible for a plt'cfier to
waste .balls to handicap the chances rtf
base runners."
Several of the men who discussed
Evers' suggestions seemed to think that
the three ball Idea might find favor, as
It would term to lesson the effectiveness
of the boxmen, but thoy also argued that
If the "Intention" of a pitcher In giving
a pass was left to tho judgment of an
umpire wrangling on the ball field wou'd
bo greatly Increased.
To Sqnelch Stealing: Practice.
The "stealing of signs" has come to be
an evil whloh eomo of the best known
club owners aro anxious to squelch. The
term "stealing the signs" doesn't always
mean that the coachers on the lines de
tect tho signals In the catchers' mitts for
the guidance of tho men In tho box. It
ls often the case that keen observers
among the players observe certain pe
culiarities In the delivery used by a
pitcher which tips off the kind of ball to
look for at tho plate. The Athlotlcs per
fected this method of "getting onto the
signals" some time ago, tire belief being
that Chief Bender was a wlxard in this
respect when stationed on the third base
coaching line.
But the magnates who think that the
catcher's signs are .easily read by the
coachers at first and third bases have a
remedy In the shape of a rule that will
move the coaching lines back at least six
feet further away from the base paths,
so that it will be physically impossible
to get In a line of vision with the Interior
of the backstop's grove. It was made a
serious offense two years ago to rig up
a signal tipping bureau behind tho out
field fence from which, with the aid of
powerful glasses, a man could see the
catcher's Blgns and then "telegraph"
them to the batsman. In the American
league It is understood that expulsion
must bo the fate of a manager under
whose auspices a tipping bureau ls con
ducted, whether he admits that he knows
of It or not.
Atralnat Nicknames.
Manager Chance objects to the various
nicknames applied to the New Yorl
Americans and has suggested to Brest
detnt Farrell that writers be asked U
call the team Just the "New Yorks."
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