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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 4, 1917)
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! fi ' 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 i 1