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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1917)
an econdSpirt If Pagei 0 mtialia' SHARP AX FALLS ON ONE MANAGER'S HEAD; WILD BILL DONOVAN FIRST TO GO THIS YEAR Major League Owners Contem plate But Few Changes in Leadership for 1918 Campaign. This is the open season for major ; league managers. Clu') leaders are be- ginning to rubber anxiously to find if j their jobs are on straight. There j sdems occasion for anxiety in but a few cases, this year, although the real : gunning has scarcely started. ( Beginning at the top of the list we find Clarence Rowland, who saved his bacon by winning the American league pennant, and clinched his joh for at least two more years by landing the world's championship. Rowland must be accorded more than passing praise, for he labored tinder a strain throughout the season, 5n that it was put strictly up to him to win or get off the payroll. In announcing that Rowland would be retained for the 1917 season, Co rniskey shouted the news but added in a whisper that Rowland had to cop the flag to hold his job. He did, there fore he sticks. So much for No. 1 in the table. The pinch of war is going to be felt in base ball next year, and chiefly in Boston. Jack Barry, who succeeded Bill Carrigan and ran a fading aggre gation of stars into second place to boot, enlisted in the naval reserves in midsummer. If the European struggle endures another year, Harry Frazee will be put to the task of selecting an other leader. On the other hand, should hostilities cease, Barry will re turn for one more ride dow.i tlfe Stretch. Evers Declines Offer. Thus far, there has bee i no definite announcement as to Barry's suc cesses, should Jack have to fulfill his end of the bargain with Uncle Sam. Recently gossip has had it that Johnny Evers will draw the choice. Several things are against this, which may prove sufficient to keep Trojan John away. Chief among them is Evers state ment made here only recently that he wouldv either return to the major leagues as a player in 1918 or not come back at all. The second is that Evers' methods wouldn't make a very big hit with Ban Johnson, who is strong for discipline and a sworn enemy of umpire baiters. Leaders of the Cleveland and De troit clubs are linked in reports which have it that the managerial map of the American league is going to present a distinctly different as pect next year. Lee Fohl has fin ished third two successive years in Cleveland. Whether it is his capabil ity or Tris Speaker's is a matter of argument. Fohl is practically cer tain of a job, as jim Dunn, ownerof the Indians, has confidence in him, and Bobby Roth is authority for the statement that the players, to a man, are for him. However, they do say in some parts that Lee will hear the rattle of tin some time this winter. Until such a thing comes to pass there seems to be a strong foundation for the opposite theory that he will tarry. ITughey Jennings is certain of a berth somewhere Like Fohl, un derground reports are in circulation to the effect that Jennings has spent his last season in Detroit. The case of Clark Griffith 'is worthy of just enough comment to say that he will return as manager of the Senators unless he fires him self. Griff owns enough stock in the club to make his job certain. Real Trouble Here. Bill Donovan ah, here's the case. If there's ever a Hard Luck league organized, put a bet down on the Smiling One to land the flag. Brought in as manager two years ago when Rupert and Huston bought the Yan kees, Bill was given a free rein and told to win a flag. Because he couldn't keep players from breaking legs and arms, not to mention their heads, in falling off the water wagon, Bill was doomed. With the Giants as rivals, the American league demands a winner in New York, and Donovan is martyr to this exaction, as he hasn't produced the goods. He drew the gate early to appease the fans and Miller Huggins signed to take his place. Fielder Jones will be back with the Browns. Forget the many rumors about Tom This and Jack That man aging Phil Ball's club. Jones is look ing ahead at next year, which is proof enough that he'll return. Connie Mack is the Rock of Ages personified. As sure as there L base ball in Philadel phia, Connie will be there. St. Louis is without a pilot. The Cards lost Miller Huggins to the Yankees when Branch Richey and Hug could not agree on terms. It is said Rickey may take the reins him self, but this is taken with a grain of salt. No intimation of who would succeed Hug in St. Louis has been coaxed from the rticent Rickey, so the St. Louis situation as far as the Cards are concerned is one grand my stery. Fred Mitchell provides the sole re maining doubtful case in the Repudia tion league. Much was expected of Mitchell this year. He was given one pitcher and told to win a pennant. He couldn't. Whether the same faction of the directorate can sever his head as they did Joe Tinker's remains to be seen. John McGraw, Pat Moran, Christy Mathewson, George Stallings, Wilbert Robinson and Hugo Bezdek are sure things. Sox All Buy Bonds; Benz Takes $3,600 Each member of the champion White Sox who came in for a split of the world's series profits invested in at least one $100 Liberty bond, as ordered in advance by President Johnson of the American league. A $100 bond wasn't enough fur Joe Ben. Sox pitcher, and lie purchased S.VoOO worth. 'Silk" O'Loughlin and Bill Evans, American league umpires in the big series, each received S 1 ,000 for their work. F.ach bought a $1,000 bond. Toe Ren, said he could think of no better investment for his world's series dough. Major League Leaders for 1918 American League. CLl'B MAN.VGKR STATIS 1 CHICAGO Clarence Rowland. .'.Sure. J POSTON Jack Marry PnuMful. 3 CLKVKLAND Lee t'otil Fairly safe. 4 DETKOIT Huuta Jennings Saf. 5 WASHINGTON. . (Urk Griffith Copper-riveted. 6 NEW YORK Miller llugg-tna Just slsned. 7 ST. LOLIS Holder Jones tUire 8 PHILADELPHIA, fount Murk Welded. National League. CLUB MANAGER -NEW YORK John J. Mctiraw. . . PTATl'S .Bomb-proof. 10 FHILAPELFHIA. .Pat Moran Safe. 11 ST. LOUIS None In tight ? ? T ? 12 CINCINNATI Christy .Mnthewfon Sure. 13 CHICAGO Fred Mitchell Just so-si 1 i BOSTON George. Stalling Safe. U BROOKLYN Wilbert Rohlnaira... Safo. 16 PITTSBURGH Hugo Iiexdk Sure. REMARKS The busher vindicated Has enlisted. Rumor had him fired twice. May chance cluhs. Owns stock In Waltor Johnson. Former Card leader. Ownfr has faith In htm A life sentence. REMARKS Under 150,000 eon tract. Good while Alex lasts. Shh-hh-h-h-h! Hugxlns' rival as 1917 mlracln man. - Showing Is excusable. Probably will return. He won a pennant once. Already signed. QUIET WEEK FOR FOOTBALL FANS Nebraska and Central High Rest, While Creighton Tackles Weak Nebraska Wesleyan . Eleven. This will be a quiet week for Omaha and Nebraska foot ball fans. Only two games are scheduled and they are of little importance. Saturday Creighton plays Nebraska Wesleyan at Omaha, but Wesleyan is woefully weak this year and the blue and white eleven is expected to score a comparatively easy victory. The other local game is between South and Commercial high schools. This probably will be an interesting contest, as both elevens are pretty evenly matched, but the game will have no bearing upon the local or state championship. The Cornhuskers rest this week. The next Husker combat is with Mis souri at Lincoln, November 10. The Missouri game will be the occasion of the annual homecoming- at Lincoln and a special train will be run from Omaha to carry old grads back to their alma mater. Central high also enjoys a week of rest. The next Central high game is with Lincoln here November 9. This is the big game of the year for Omaha and the state championship hinges upon the result. Bull Sign Hit Eight Times In Western League Plants Eight times was the Bull Sign in Western league parks hit by batted halls during the 1917 season. BENNY LEONARD IS GIYENCALLDOWN James Joy Johnston Wants to Know Why Champ Refuses to Box White, Welling and Dundee. By RINGSIDER. Chicago, Oct. 27. "Benny Leonard may be champion, all right, but how can they call him the greatest light weight we ever had when he hasn't even agreed to meet the three best second-raters in the business?" This modest query was flung off here a few days ago by James Joy Johnston, New York manager and boxing impresario, as he dashed westward with Ted Lewis, welter weight champion. Lewis and John ston were on their way to the coast, where Lewis has several bouts lined up. James was in a truculent mood and he brought forth his words of con demnation of the conqueror of Fred dy Welsh and Johnny Kilbane with considerable energy. Jim had a chip on both shoulders. He talked like he would fight at the drop of the hat and was willing to drop the hat him self. "That's exactly what I mean," roared the "hoy bandit" of Gotham. "Yes, he's champion because he got a technical knockout over the old champion, but why doesn't he battle Charley White or Joe Welling or Johnny Dundee? Did you ever hear Leonard or his manager give any reason for not meeting one of these three? I never did." "White has an excellent claim for The sign in Rourke park in Omaha a match with Leonard. His claim is was hit twice. Tony Brottem pasted it on May 10 and George Boehler of Denver hit it on May 13. The sign at Wichita was duck soup. I. M. Davis hit it twice and Lyman Lamb and John Butler hit it once each. Morrie Schick of the Rourkes hit the Sioux City sign, as did Grovcr Gilmore. Frank Metz registered at Lincoln. The signs at Denver, Des Moines, Joplin and St. Joseph were untouched. The Bull Durham people paid out $200 to Western league play ers for hitting the signs. The total sum paid by the tobacco people was $5,050. 200 Turn Out For Rugby At the U. of California LTniversity of California had a turn out of 200 candidates for Rugby 'foot ball a few days ago. While St. Mary's college, the University of Nevada, and practically the solid quota of southern California colleges have switched back to the American style of game, Le land Stanford and the University of Santa Clara will have their big Eng lish style Rugby game at Leland Stanford Thanksgiving day. Soccer League Assesses Each Member 25 Cents The Foot Ball Association of East ern Pennsylvania and District, the soccer council governing the game in and about Philadelphia, will assess each player 25 cents to be registered this season. Earl Caddock Reports For Service in the Army Earl Caddock, world's champion wrestler, reported yesterday at Camp Dodge, la., for service in Uncle Sam's great draft army. Caddock was caught on the first draft, but failed to pass the first physical examination, owing to bad tonsils, which had completely pois oned his system. He spent the entire summer rest ing and taking treatment, with the result that when he was called for examination a second time he passed and was accepted for service. recognized everywhere, but you don't see Leonard agreeing to anything that looks like a match, do you? Why hasn't Joe Welling a right to insist upon a match with the cham pion? And Dundee, who has done almost everything that has been asked of him, is pining for a match and grieving his heart out because of Benny's silence. No Lightweight. "Want to know the reason for all this, coupled with the reason Leon ard is taking on Jack Britton, a near middleweight?" snapped James with a burst of feeling. "Well, this is the reason, and it's a betting proposition with me. Leonard is no more of a lightweight than Britton. He can't do 133 pounds to save his life. "I'll put up $2,500 and donate it to any fund named if Leonard will agree to meet Welling at 133 pounds ring side. Joe can make. He weighed only a trifle more than that when he boxed Jimmy Duffy in New York. I have been howling about Leonard's weight for a long time and intend to keep right along until I expose this fellow. I am not so sure about Charley White's weight, but I know Dundee can box strong at 133 pounds ringside. Fooling With Cards. "Why should Leonard go out of his class to meet Jack Britton at 139 pounds, when there are men in his own division that are just aching to get at him, and good men, too? I happen to know that Britton weighed more than 150 the other night. How do you imagine he is going to get down to 139? There's some fooling with the cards somewhere." ' James laid himself open to an ar gument right away when he spilled all this talk, and Tommy Walsh took up his cudgels in defense of Leonard. Walsh recently had Vic Moran in N'ew York to meet Leonard and the champion climbed on the scales, de spite the fact that he might have ex ercised the champion's pregorative and declined to weigh in. Walsh says Leonard weighed 134JJ in his ring clothes. . "Johnston's assertion that Leonard is a welterweight is too broad," Walsh said, "Leonard is a real light weight, no question about that. Johnston told me they must have had the scales doctored on me, but Moran weighed on the same scales and I know his weight was right. NEW MANAGER OF YANKEES -Miller Huggins, former St. Louis Cardinal pilot, who has been named to succeed Wild Bill Donovan at helm of New York American leaguo club. fv Mt y rillLfvR 'HUGGINS. EARL SMITH IS SURE OF BERTH WITH ST. LOUIS Former Rourke Is Only Brown Outfielder Certain of His Job When 1918 Season Rolls Around. Earl Smith, former Rourke star, is the one outfielder on the St. Louis Browns who is sure of his job in 1918, according to reports from the Mound City. Fielder Jones, manager of the Browns, expects i Smith to be one of the American league stars next year. Breaking in at the middle of the sea son this year, the Omaha lad cracked the pill at a .284 flip and ranked sec ond to George Sisler as the Browns' leading hitsinith. Smith outhit Jarobson by 40 points and Bert Shotton, another former Rourke, who has been a Brown out fielder for six years, by 50 points. He even outhit Bill Rumler, retained be cause of his hitting, by 20 points. In the city series with the Cardinals this fall, Smith was the leading hitter of the American league club, even outhit ting Sisler in this series, and Sisler hit at a .300 rate, too. Smith will be given one outfield when spring rolls around and Shotton, Ray Demmilt and Kenneth Williams will fight it out for the other two gardens, according to the dope. OMAHA PIN MEN MEET TODAY TO PLAN TOURNEY Gather at Omaha Alleys to Pledge More Teams for Mid dle West Event; Eleven Already Entered. Old Foot Ball Stars Play On Army and Navy Elevens Old college foot ball stars will be seen in action in the Harvard stadium November 3, when Percy 1). Haugh ton brings his soldier squad from Camp Devens, at Aver, to play a A special meeting of all Omaha bowlers has been called for 3 o'clock this afternoon by K. M. Tracy and C. K. Terrell of the executive committee f the Middle West tournament. It will be held at the Omaha alleys. The imrpo.se of the meeting is to pledge additional Omaha teams to enter the Middle West tourney at Des Moines next month. Omaha pin enthusiasts are anxious to lead a record-breaking aggregation to the Des Moines event as the gate citv has put in a bid for the tour ney. Only by taking a large entry list to the Iowa capital can that be achieved. I leven teams already have entered from Omaha. These eleven teams are: Central Furniture Co., Harry Ld.son, captain; Scott Tent and Awn ing, C. 1.. Terrell, captain; Omaha j him Alleys, Lowclen, captain; Huntington Stars, Dad Huntington, captain; Bank ers Realty, Arthur Cummiiigs, cap tain; Pete Lochs No. 1 and Pete Lochs No. 2; Old Boys, Herman Beselin, captain; Sam's Indians, Sam Bond, captain; South Siders, Fritscher, captain; Old Bowle'rs' Home, E. M. Tracy, captain. Max Carey Pulls That Old Retirement Stuff Again a Harvard toot hall tutor. 1 he re ceipts will go to the War Camp Com munity fund, for which a campaign to raise $700,000 in New Kngland is to be conducted from November 5 to 10. Eddie Casey, Harvard's great 1910 halfback, heads the list of college men on the Navy team. Others arc En right and Murray of Harvard, Talbot, Yale captain of two years ago, and Cannell of Dartmouth. Haughton's team material will include Charles Coolidge, old Harvard end; Dave Henry, Brown; Hugh Harhorsnn, Yale; Cy Toolman, Williams, and Lieutenant Day, W est Point. Max Carey of the Pirates is going to spend the winter in California. As he leaves he pulls that old retirement sttilT. It will be remembered that Max decided last winter lliat 111 una a frmn team representing the Boston Navy aRcnt an(1 confunc( t0 quit tl)e vi Yard and coached by Leo Leary, also , rates-but the records show he played some 1M) games with them this year, (ioodby Max, for ever see you again next season. Hank 0'Day Says Pirates Will Be Flag Contenders t'mpirc Hank O'Day thinks well of the Pittsburgh team as now made up. He says it has the most likely looking lot of youngsters he ever saw ami that with a little more hitting it will give them all a rub next year. War Tax Takes Jolt At Cost of Sports The high cost of sport gets an other jolt Thursday, when the spe cial war tax on amusements goes into effect, and the sport fan who wishes to follow his pet activity will have to stand a 10 per cent boost. All sport is amusement and the war tax applies to all paid sport en tertainments. Next summer it will cost 55 cents to occupy a grandstand seat to see the Rourkes play. Foot ball games that cost $1 after Thursday will cost $1.10. Five-dollar seats at wrestling matches will jump to $5.50. Fifty-cent basket ball games will cost 55 cents. They all go up right along with theaters, movies and other forms of amusement. OMAHA SURE OF BERTH IN NEW AMERICAN ASSOCIATION AS READJUSTMENT PLAM LOOMS Indianapolis, Louisville and Toledo Break from Hickey Organization and Omaha to Be One of Cities Given Franchise; Magnates to Give No Heed to National Commission. Latest Developments in Pending Readjustment of Minor Leagues Indianapolis, Louisville and Toledo break from Ameri can association. New league to be made up of Indianapolis, Louisville, Toledo, Buffalo, Baltimore, Toronto, Newark and either Providence or Dayton, O. American association to put clubs in Detroit, Indianap olis and Omaha. Change to be made regardless of National commission. Leagues will go it as outlaws if commission refuses to sanc tion plan. CHARLIE PETERS ON THE WARPATH: WANTSSTECHER Papillion Carpenter Says He Can Beat Dodge Lad Now, and Joe Knows It, and Won't Wrestle Him. Great Zimys Chase of Eddie Collins Recalls Old Story of Jake Beckley Scene in Creighton-Dubuque Game ' " V-1 "ffi-- i " lleiuie Zim's effort to outrun F.ddie t ollins from third hase home in the. sixth Kame of llie world's series re calls that old story of Jake lleckley which is nood enough to repeat. It was in the lon aR" when "Kale Eye" Jake was playing first hast- for Cin cinnati. The National league then had Louisville in its circuit, and there was considerable rivalry between the Neds and the Colonels. , lleckley had keen slowing up some and was coming in lor a lot of pan n in ; and criticism. Fans were calling him "Slow Foot," "Ice Wagon" anil other phrases which were particularly galling to Jacob. It seems that Louisville had just se cured a kid player named Tommy Leach- later with the I'iratcs, Cubs and other teams. Leach was a little chap and was called the fastest runner who had come up to the majors in year.-. Heckley read all this stuff, of course, and it got his goat. Jn fact any talk of speed was irritating to S 'l-.agle l-.ye those days. As luck I would have it the Reds and Colonels I staged the first game in which young I ,i ai b appeared. Some way or other Leach managed to reach tirst base his second lime at bat. I'.eckley eyed the youth from I bead to foot, with cynical air. "So you are the lad they call the fastest thing goin.? on wheels, eh?'1 he said. Modest Tommy Taken Back. Tommy was taken back. He was a mode..t fe"ow always, ami especially v hi li: year-, in the big show. "Why this my tirst day here," Tom my replied. "I don't know how 1 will i tin up here, I'm sure." Omaha is almost certain to land a berth in the American association before the opening of the 1918 season. of the plan to rejuvenate the minor league territory of the country result ed in several changes in the scheme and indications now are that Omaha is the only Western league city likely to benefit. Indianapolis. Louisville and Toledo last week made it known they will quit the American association and join with four or possibly live Inter national league cities in the formation of a new circuit. Kd Harrows, present head of the International league, is to he president of the new loop. To Be Outlaw League. That the league will, positively he formed whether the action is sanc tioned by the National commission or not, is the assertion of the men behind it. If the National commission re fuses too. k. the move, the new league will go it alone as an outlaw. ButTalo, Baltimore, Toronto and Newark are the International cities to merge with Indianapolis, Toledo and Louisville. Providence or Dayton, ., will he added to the list to com plete the eight-club circuit. A new American association will he organized to include Minneapolis, St. Paul, Milwaukee, Detroit, Columbus, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Omaha. Omaha's Position Sure. For several weeks countless under ground rumblings have been heard in the world of base ball. Uedistribu tion of territory has been the keynote and many possible plans have been suggested. Omaha, it has always been believed, would profit, but the developments of the last week make it a practical certainty. The whole thing comes about as the result of internal politics in the American association. There has been much hard feeling among the mag nates in th American association and the three disaffected cities, Toledo. Indianapolis and Louisville, theratencd to pull out. Now it is understood the other magnates have told them to do as they like. The International has been involved in financial difficulties for some time now and the four leading cities of tjiat circuit are eager to line up with the association insurgents in the hope of forming a circuit which will pay dividends. Option in Detroit. It has been learned that certain base ball interests have obtained an option on a large, centrally located tract in Detroit. A Detroit millionaire, it is said, has been tempted to back a club in that city. It is said upon good authority that this scheme to rejuvenate the territory of the two Class AA leagues will come about no matter what the National commission does. If the National commission, in conjunction with the National association, the governing minor league body, works out a sat isfactory adjustment everything will be lovely, but if the commission re fuses, it is said the club owners will take matters into their own hands; This would cause an automatic viola tion of protection in base ball's usage, but the magnates, it is said, will dis regard this and proceed as outlaw leagues. A break is bound to come among the minor league leaders because of dis.ilfection with the precincts of the American association and the large losses suffered by International mag nates the last two years. The pend ing earthquake probably will crash at the minor league session at Louis ville in November. Hair has been torn and fur has been scattered be fore at these minor league gatherings, but this promises to be the warmest one on record, with some accom plishments likely before everything is fiver. Charlie Peters, Papillion carpenter and wrestler, is carrying a grouch of extensive proportions. Charlie journeyed to Omaha the other day, stamped into The Hee of fice, and midst snorts of rage, loudly demanded an interview with the sporting editor. What's happened to all the wrestlers?" asked Peters. "What's be come of all these bonecrushers who were looking for (rouble? Have they all joined the knitting societies? I can't line! one that doesn't run a mile and a half when you even suggest a match." Charlie says lie has been trying for over a mouth to coax some accommo dating wrestler into a ring, but that they all shy. He declares he bars no one. "F.vcr since Caddock threw Steelier T have been trying to land a match with Caddock," said Peters, "but there wasn't a chance. 1 guess numtion of my name scared him to death, for I couldn't even get a nibble out of Now hes in the nrmv and there s no chance to meet lum. A jinx must be following me. I could break Caddock in two if I could get him in the same ring with me. Chooses Stecher. "Then, there's Stecher, too," con tinued Peters. "Do you suppose he'll wrestle me? When we met last February I gave him some run for his money and I had so many boils on me it looked like I was trying to raise a crop of them. I had also just recovered from a long siege of bron chitis and my wind was bad. Steelier threw me because I couldn't last any longer owing to my weak lungs and the boils. Now I'm O. K. and I can beat Joe and Joe knows it. Stetcher is the guy I want." While Peters talks mostly about Caddock and Stecher, he says he bars nobody so any wrestlers who have a grievance are invited to correspond with the Papillion lad. Cornell Willing to Enter Three-Cornered Match Race Cornell has expressed willingness to compete in a three-cornered cross country rare with Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technol ogy. Tech is anxious for Ihp inert I and it is now up to Harvard. i Dccklcy grinned, "Well, they say j go some too, eh?" nobody can beat you I'm just going to give you a chance to show the peo ple what you can do on the sacks. Just take a big lead off, I promise I won't tag you." The youngster didn't quite know what to make of this line of talk. He did, however, lead a few feet as the pitcher assumed his position. lie slid back to first when the pitcher threw over, but Jake made no elfort to tag him. "Lead off further, kid." insisted Jake "I'm not going to put the ball on you.'' Crowing holder Leach led off sev eral more feet and the pitcher hurled the ball over, lieckley could have tagged him out a yard, but made no attempt. Returning the ball to the pitcher, Jake again advised Tommy to get a bigger lead. This time Leach strayed away from the sack more than three vards. See ing he was caught by the pitcher's throw Leach tore at full speed for second. Berkley, with the ball in his hand, started after him. He made no attempt to throw the sphere, although the shortstop was waiting to receive it. Down the line they tore, Leach in front and Heckley a few steps behind. The players of both sides were speechless in amazement. Leach slid into the bag at one side and a moment later, Heckley slid in from the other side. He had gained about a step on bis youthful rival. Jake rose beaming, and brushed the dust off of his uniform. Then he turned to Leach. "You're not so blamed fast after all. are you.' I guess 1 showed I can still Club in Philly to Have Twenty-two Soccer Teams The (iermantown Boys' club of Philadelphia will boast 22 soccer foot ball elevens this season, made up of junior and senior members. Holding Fast To Our Quality Ideal This season, with the cost of raw m terial snaring skyward, the "DUNDEE" hau only by a sacrifice of profits been able to hold fast to its standard of, nuality without increasing this price MADE TO ORDER $15 MADE TO FIT We havo taken pride in clinging to our ideal and maintaining that standard of quality upon which this business achiev ed its reputation. N. W. Corner 15th and Harney SU.