JAtK DEMPSEY
MENACE TO JESS WILLARD;
WILLING TO
mm
ifornia Heavyweight Bulges Out of West and Starts
on Trail of Reluctant Champion; McGoorty Puts
in Big Boost for Let Darcy ; Pal Moore
is a Busy Lad.
By RINGSIDER.
Chicago, Jan. 20. Jack Dempsey, Salt Lake and San
Francisco heavyweight, is the latest menace self-styled to
Vm Willard.
Constituting himself an independ-P"
tat Bolsheviki leader, with Jack
iCearns as his prime minister, Demp
sey has bulged out of the west bent
upon kickingtup a revolution that will
: dethrone the bulky Kansas champion.
Jack arrived in Chicago several weeks
ago and has since been camping on
the trail of the reluctant Jess.
One thing about this Dempsey per
son, whatever his battling ability, is
refrcihing. He does not insist upon
. ignoring all other heavyweight chal
lengers. He is willing to grub out
every obstruction, that besets the
pathway to Jess Willard's door and
prove his right to a match with the
title holder, lie is willing to fight for
his honors.
If Fred Fulton is the man lie must
meet before he gets a match with
iWillard, Dempsey says to bring on
the Minnesota plasterer. If he is to
lick Bill Brennan, Texas Tate, Homer
Smith or any of the other big fellows
before he gets into the ring with
Fulton, the battler from the Sunset
shore declares these scraps cannot be
arranged too soon to suit him.
It is entirely likely that Dempsey
will have, to fight his way up before
iWillard will pay much attention to
him; Matches . with Brennan and
Smith are in prospect and, as long as
Fred Fulton seems willing to take
on all comers, it is not unlikely that
Dempsey will get a chance witn the
front rank challenger.
; Dempsey has a good record in the
tour-round game on the Pacific coast.
His most notable achievement was a
.victory over Carl Morris. Dempsey
also claims a decision over Gunboat
Smith. ! . . . .
Dempsey is six feet two, and when
In condition scales a few pounds more
than 200. Most of his battles have
freen '. at ; San Francisco or in that
frfcinity, . ; v '
, i . Boost for Darcey "
i'' It. will' be a long time before a
lighter appears who was the equal of
Les Darcey, in the opinion of Eddie
McGoorty, the Oshkosh lad who has
been sojourning in Australia for the
last' three years. McGoorty has re
turned to the United States and im
mediately kicked in with a great
boost for the dead Australian boxer.
"The death of Darcey was a crush
fog blow to everybody in Australia,"
said McGoorty , "Everybody there
thought he was a world's wonder, in
a fighting sense. And in my opinion
he was, too. I believe his like is un
covered once in a hundred years and
probably in our time we will not see
another like him.
There wasn't a thing .that good
boxer should have that Darcey did not
possess. With experience he would
have been an unquestioned champion.
He licked me twice, did it faifcand
square, and I know a left about him.
Not only did I like him personally,
hut adinired him sincerely as a
lighter." . . ' , .
. McGoorty is not in the best physi
cal condition right now because of a
recent operation for hernia, but will
take things easy for a few weeks,
and when he feels right again may
get back into the game in this
country. ' ' .
. i". Moore on the Jump.
Pal Moore, Memphis bantam, ap
pears to have hung up a record in
the last few months that is unique in
the annals of boxing, at least far a
bantamweight who is not a champion.
' Inside of 30 days this laughing
Memphis kid covered 8,000 miles of
aground and fought four strenuous
) battles, aggregating 60 rounds.
Detroit May Use Heilman;
y i f Pull, Strings for Coaster
' The Portland Northwestern league
club is reported to have a deal on by
vynich rioyo. farmer, xormeriy wwi
the Pittsburgh Pirates, will b sent
on an optional saleto the Detroit
Ticers. Farmer played the outfield
" for Portland last season and did it
well, and the Detroit club may find it
self short an outer garderr if Harry
Heilman enlists in the army, as it ts
reported he may do.
s Ball Player Seeks Police
. - Bureau Job in Pittsburgh
r John'G (Red) Calhoun, who man
aged the Wilkesbarre team to a pen
nant in the New York State league
last season, is a candidate for police
commissioner in Pittsburgh, his home
Ut has been a detective on the Pittsburgh-force-during
the winter for
several years.' He has been in base
ball, since- 1902 and since 1903 has
been a minor league manager or team
captain
Johnnie Dobbs Will Lead
! -; New Orleans Club Again
, About the first announcement of A.
J. Heinemann, when re-elected presi
dentof the New Orleans Southern
league club by the 'directors, was that
John Dobbs would be re-engaged as
manager. That hardly was news, how
everno more, in fact, than the re
election of Heinemann.
; Aragon, Cuban Player , Is
Sent to Memphis by Yanks
The Memphis Southern league club
announces the purchase of Angelo
Aragon, the Cuban infielder who had
a couple of trials with the New York
Yankees, played several engagements
in the . International league and
wound up last season with Toledo in
the American association. .
Wore Scandal in the Air; i
Rajah and Milier Hook Up
- Here's an odd oner Report from
jToledo has it that Roger Bresnahan
toill train his battery, men with the
New York; Yankees at Macon. It
was supposed that Bresnahan and
Muggins were not even on speaking
terns. Time, however, heals all
ores and they may have made up.
IS LATEST
FIGHT THEM ALL
GREATEST BALL
CLUB IN HISTORY
GOES BY BOARDS
Trade Which Sends Mclnnis to
Boston Completes Disinte
gration of Famous
Athletics.
' The trade which sends John
"Stuffy" Mclnnis to the Boston Amer
ican league club marks the complete
disintegration of what, in many re
spects, was the greatest professional
base ball machine ever assembled in
either of the major leagues. Mc
lnnis, the last cog in the combina
tion, moves on to a rival team which
has absorbed 50 per cent of the play
ers whom Connie Mack welded into
an invincible group of diamond stars,
supreme holders' of pennants and
world championships.
The Philadelphia Athletics reached
the zenith of their team play during
the season of 1913, when they simply
walked away with the American
league championship of that year and
followed the capture of the pennant
with a decisive victory over the New
York Nationals in the world series
of that season by four games to one.
The Athletics finished . the regular
season with a record of 96 games
won, 57 lost and a percentage of
.627. This was 43 points better than
the average of the Washington team,
which closed the year in Second place.
Connie Mack's players took the
lead in the pennant race during the
second week of the season, which
opened about the middle of April,
1913, and were never headed or tied
in the struggle for the title thereafter.
The records show that the Athlet
ics led the league in team batting with
.285 and in fielding with .966.
All Are Gone.
. It goes without saying that Mack
would naturally present his strongest
combination in the world's series and
the lineup against the Giants in the
battle for the premier base ball hon
ors of 1913 may be taken as the best
and most powerful arrangement avail
able. This combination, which de
feated the New York team four out
of five games, played as follows: E.
Murphy, right field; Oldring, left
field; Collins, second base; Baker,
third baser Mclnnis, first base;
Strunk' center field; Barry, short
stop; Schang, catch; Lapp, catch;
Bender, Plank or Bush, pitch.
Today not one of these 12 players
is a member of the team and Connie
Mack is engaged in an attempt to re
build his base ball machine with new
material. Murphy was sold to the
Chicago Americans for $6,000; Col
lins went to the same club for $50,
000, as did Lapp without cash con
sideration. The Boston Americans
took five men of the combination at
one time or another. Strunk, Schang
and Bush became the property of the
Red Sox in the recent $60,000 deal.
Mclnnis has followed his former
teammates as the result of the latest
trade, although so far as is known no
money consideration is involved.
Barry preceded these players to Bos
ton, bringing the Philadelphia dub
$8,500, and last season managed the
Ued Sox.
High Finance.
It will be seen that if the pub
licly announced figures in connection
with these deals are correct the Bos
ton club paid $68,500 in addition to
some nlavers for these five Athletics.
The Chicago White Sox paid $56,000
for Murphy and Collins. The New
York Americans also contributed to
the Philadelphia strong-box, as the
Yankee club owners gave $37,500 for
Baker and $5,000 for Oldring, al
though it was reported later that the
Philadelphia club returned this sum,
or a portion of it, when Uldnng tailed
to continue with the New York team.
The two pitchers, Bender and Plank,
were unconditionally released by
Manager Mack, thus completing the
breaking up of the famous combma
tion.
The disruption of the Athletics also
formed one of the most sensational
features of modern base ball history,
The team started poorly at the begin
ning ot the 1914 season, but swung
into its stride early in June, and again
cantered homem an easy pennant win
ner. The Athletics were favorites to
defeat the Boston Nationals in the
world series, but the Braves startled
the base ball world by defeating the
Mackmen four straight games, thus
establishing a record in this depart
ment of the national sport. Manager
Mack did not attempt to hide Ins cha
grin at this unexpected setback and
without entering into a discussion of
the causes of the downfall decided
that drastic changes were necessary.
It took him three years to complete
the dispersal of the famous base ball
machine, but the passing of Mclnnis
closed the nnal chapterr m the his
tory of a great aggregation of dia
mond stars. ' The ability of the play
ers. who formed this team may be
seen from their batting and fielding
records made during the pennant
and world series play of 1913, when
the group was at its best:
World Lm(U AtR,
-. Srl Beaaon per
B A. F.A. B.A. F.A. Oame.
B. Murphy, rf... .127 1.009 .! .141 ...
Oldrlnr If , 1.009 ,m .67 ...
Collins. :t. ...... .m .(7i .145 .4 ...
Baktr. lb 459 .2J . .91 ...
Melnnla, lb...... .lit 1.000 .S2 .99J ...
Strunk. cf .111 1.600 .305 .901 ...
Barry, as... 100 .961 .275 .165 ....
Sclianf. e J57 .952 ,tl .981 ...
Lapp. C... 2(9 1.009 .2? .979 ...
Bonder, p 1.009 .16 .970' 1.19
Flank. P........ .141 .900 .089 . 1.(9
Bush p. . LOfit Oil .III Ul
Fred Fulton Only Man Who
Heavyweight
Nebraska Boy
Wymore Pug Still Fights
Against Widespread Belief
That He is Mere Setup
for Champion.
Some day Fred Fulton will live
down the reputation of "joke fighter,"
gained two years ago when he was
first elevated to the limelight as a
prospective opponent for Willard.
The prevailing belief extant then that
Fulton was a puglistic jest and a mere
setun to fatten the champion's repu
tation has never since been entirely
dissipated, notwithstanding achieve
ments in the ring that would have
set the fight fans of other days de
lirious with delight
Even today, despite the fact that
this splendid physical machine has
swatted out many capable opponents
as though they were so many flies and
notwithstanding he has offered to
meet Willard or any other man in the
world, there are still Doubting
Thomases who sniff and ask to be
shown.
And why? No one knows. For Ful
ton really has a formidable record.
But record or no record he has one
crowning achievement. He, has done
what no other living white or black
heavyweight ever accomplished . and
which the world's titleholders for the
last 10 years have steadfastly refused
to undertake that is to say, stop the
terror of the ring, "Tham" Langford,
the black dreadnaught.
How Fulton Did It
How did Fulton lick Langford?
Mike Collins, Fulton's manager, tells
the story this way: ' t
rulton and I were in New York,
early last June, trying in vain to
get a match. New York wouldn't
have anything to do with us, because
ot tne Morns-fuicon nasco, wnicn
had been given Carlo on an alleged
foul. I won't waste time detailing
that Morris, not Fred, was proven to
be the foul fighter in two subsequent
scraps. But the ruling, coming atop
Fultons unpopularity, simply killed
him as a drawing card. Nobody
would sign us.
We were in hock to a New York
hotel deeply. I had Al Ealzer and
Harry Wills helping rulton: and
every time the three of them sat down
to a meal table which was as often
as I would let them they made a
$10 bill look like a canceled postage
stamp. I certainly was nervous about
that stable.
Langford Match Not Wanted.
"Our only prospect was a fight with
Sam Langford, and that didn't look
good to me. I wanted Fulton to come
along a little more slowly. One day
I received a renewal of the offer to
meet Langford, from Miah Murray of
the Atlas Athletic club, Boston.
Gossip Gathered x
Among the Mat Men
Toe Stecher's invasion of the east
will take him as far as Norfolk, Va.
He has a match there the last of the
month. Joe also will stop off at De
troit and one of two other cities in
the east Most of Stecher's matches
are to be handicap affairs. The east
erners saw Joe coming.
Louis Stecher. brother of Toe and
Anton Stecher, has become a bene
dict Louis is an ofheer in Uncle
Sam's navy and now is in the subma
rine service. The maid of his choice
is a New York girl
Tis rumored in Omaha mat circles
that Rudy Warner, well known Oma
ha heavyweight, has been struck by
-t t-i-:.i i- :a. :..::kl.
darts. Rudy's pulchritude ever has
been fatal to him. The young wom
an is said to be well known in Ora
aha. Rudy, however, denies the re
port and insists that he first must
take care of John Pesek, Warren
Miller, Charley Peters and several
others before engaging in a joust
with Daniel. f
Trtbn VnrV. the Buffalo countv lad
who has been inactive several months
on account of a broken ankle, will
take part in his first important match
since the injury when he meets Jack
Taylor February 1.
Trttn' Pav. ' Omaha middleweight
who will appear in the main wrest-
ling cara rriuay nigui ai mc i isu
Pnltnn Tftihitinn here, also will be
a part of the Fulton show at Beatrice
Tuesday night, tit wrestles Moor-
meier at Beatrice.
Rudy Warner, Omaha heavyweight,
t... ..1oit liimc1f nnn in meet anv
tias vijtv. ..... ( rf
wrestler in the world." Rudy wants
. a . e .1 f
it understooo tnat ne nas so un-
m.A tk. 4tir mnnrhe. that
UIUYtU 1U " ' " w
he now is willing to tackle 'em all.
Among others KUay "cnooses are
John Pesek, Charley Peters and War
ren Miller. "I'll take any of 'em on
and on any kind of a basis says
Rudy. Warner also says he is not
mlmir Farl flarldock or
Joe Stecher should either of them
care to mix a little witn mm.
Ta Stecher and Bill Hokuff. both
Nebraska wrestlers, will be the stars
at a Bohemian athletic carnival in
Chicago tonight. Stecher will take
rnnnU if unnrlv ritv (rraoolers
atirt HfXnff will wrestle Paul
Martinson.
Tk- rt1W with whom Tom Rav
will mix in the finish wrestling match
at the Auditorium rnclay mgnt is
Barney Miller and not Gus Miller as
C rxnnrtorl Rarnev and Tom are
reported to be deadly rivals and that
the enmity existing between them is
likely to lead to a warm combat Fri
day night.
A Rudy Warner-Charley Peters go
m h nrrano-rrt for Columbus. Neb.
Iai Hastincs is trvinsr to book the
bout. AI s idea is tor tne winner to
wrestle John Pesek.
Former Blue Ridge Leader
Will Be Coach at Carlisle
Eugene Hanks, former manager
and umoire in the Blue Ridge and for
several years base ball coach in the
spring at Mercerburg academy, has
been named base ball coach for the
Carlisle Indian school Last year the
Indians abandoned base ball, but it
was decided to take up - the game
again ur this year. , .
TTTE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE; JANUARY Sfr, I91S.
Who Deserves
Struggles to Overcome the
Comparative Three-year Records
That Fred Fnlton't till claim, formally
made December SO, after waiting on
month for Jess Willard to meet his
forfeit. Is worthy af more than casual
eoaslderatloft 1s evident from the rec
ords ot the two men for the past three
years.
It shows that while Willard has been
Idle, either unwlllliic or too fearful to
risk his title, Fulton has been cleaning
np the world.
WIIXABD'S BECOBD.
1915 April 8, knocked eat Jack
Johnson, In iS rounds, at Havana.
ISIS March 5, fought 10 rounds, na
decision, with Frank Moran.
1817 No fights.
1918 No fights.
"I was desperate. I felt that I
ought to protect Fulton by turning it
down, but I didn't say anything to
him. I talked with Harry Wills first.
Wills, you remember, is the big
darky who met Langford several
times and, although knocked out,
managed to floor Sam in more than
one bout.
'"Wills," I said, T have an offer
from Langford. Can we beat him
with Fred?'
"They's two ways to stop that
coon, Mistah Collins,' Wills said. 'One
is to hit him with a club when ne
ain't lookin'; the other is to stop his
left -hook to the head. He knock a
mule down if he land that punch.
And he's never found a man yet he
can't hit with it.'
"This set me thinking and I cooked
up a scheme that I thought might do
some good. I figured that it we
could get a draw with Langford it
would be a great feather in Fulton's
cap; and that if he even stayed 12
rounds it would be favorably talked
about. I thought I saw the way to
prevent a knockout; but I did not
dare dream that Fred, with his lack
of long experience, could defeat tne
wonderful black punisher.
Langford Match Accepted.
"I wired acceptance of the bout and
was wired some advance money,
which paid us out of hotel hock. We
went to Boston, where I spent the few
remaining days in practicing Fulton
in the use of his left hand alone. I
told him again and again never to
use his right, for if he did langford
would qounter with that dreaded left
and they would have to carry Fred
erico to his corner. I thought I had
the main idea drilled into his brain.
"Fulton, however, at first glimpse
of ' Langford, developed startling
symptoms. Bundled up in his big
robe, Fred stared across the ring in
amazement at the pudgy, fat little
specimen whom men called the great
est fighting machine in the world.
LAST FIELD BOSS
GOES WITH BARRY
Every Club in the Two Major
Leagues Will Have Bench
1 Manager This
Season. -y-i
The naming of Jack Hendricks to
manage the St. Louis Cardinals
left but one leadership in the major
leagues in doubt. That one concerns
the Boston Red Sox, where President
Harry Frazee still holds to the idea
that Jack Barry will be available by
April 1. However, no one else seems
to agree to that and general opinion
is that Barry's place must be filled,
for Barry is in the navy, and there
seems little chance that he will get
back into base ball for the coming
season. The passing of Barry as a man
ager is one of the most interesting
phases of the coming base ball year,
for it wilt mark the displacement of
the last phiyer-manager in the big
leagues.
The passing of the player-manager
is one of the most interesting sub
jects in base ball. A few years ago
magnates would have none of the
bench manager. He was not a direct
asset on the field and meant an addi
tional financial load. Player-managers
could be hired as cheaply as bench
managers and filled their regular place
in the lineup, thus dispensing with
the salary of a player.
It is not 'many years ago when
practically every manager filled his
place upon the ball field.
Then the magnates began to fig
ure that perhaps a manager would be
more successful if he could devote
his entire time to directing the club
on the field and not be forced to di
vide his generalship with mechanical
playing.
Barry Was the Last
When the 1917 season opened there
was only one playing manager Jack
Barry and there are many who be
lieve Jack would have been more suc
cessful had he devoted his entire time
to managing his team.
One of the best arguments in favor
of a bench manager is a list of men
who have won pennants in both
leagues during the last 17 years, since
the American league was organized.
In 1900 the White Sox managed by
Charles Comiskey won the pennant,
The next year Clark Griffith won
with the same -club. Griffith at that
time was a playing manager. In 1902
Connie Mack, bench manager, - won
with the Athletics, and in 1903 and
1904 Jim Collins, a playing manager,
won with Boston. Connie Mack won
again in 1905, and Fielder Jones, a
playing manager, won the next year
witn Chicago.
The next three years Hugh Jen
nings, a bench manager, won. and
Mack repeated in 1910 and 1911. Jake
Stahl, a bench manager, came across
with Boston in 1912, and Mack re
peated in 1913 and 1914. Bill Carri
gan, a playing manager, won in 1915
and 1916, and Clarence Rowland, a
bench advocate, in 1917. The count in
the American league is 11 to 6 in favor
of the bench manager.
Flnhrer Gets Chance.
Jack Fluhrer, outfielder with the
Toledo Association team last season
who has been in camp with the na
tional army, at Camp Sherman, has
been appointed as a student in the
,yiubfe .uwuuit VVU,
Ever Stopped
Right to Battle
ZTLTOX'S BECOBDB.
1918 Four rounds, exhibition, Jess
WtUard. Ten rounds, no decision, with
Arthur Pelkejr. Knocked out Stanley
Klosbr. Jack Moran, B1U Clark, Frank
Farmer, Tim Logan, Arthur Pelkej,
Terry Kellar, Ander Anderson.
1918 Ten rounds, no derision. Porky
Flrnn; won, SO rounds, Porky Flynn.
Knocked out Jim Flynn, Al Beach, Ander
Anderson.
1917 Lost, foul, Carl Morris: won,
font, Carl Morris; won, fool, Charley
Weinert. Knocked out Charley Wein
crt, Sam Langford (unable to continue;,
Tom Cowler, Porky Flynn, Jack Moran
Bob Devere, Gunboat Smith and Porky
Flynn second time. lost, foul, "Texas"
Tate, one round.
1918 January 10 Knocked eat "Tex
as" Tate, two rounds.
Langford, you know, is only 5 feet
5 inches tall.
"'That really isn't Langford
you're kidding me. That's some
ringer they're substituting,' he ex
claimed, unable to believe that the
squat figure could be a truly great
fighting unit.
"I told him it was Langford, all
right; and I could see confidence in
himself growing. On every line of
his face you could read: 'This guy is
going to be a mark for me.'
"When they stepped to the center
of the ring it appeared that way to
everyone else not acquainted with
the ability of Langford. Fulton, in
perfect condition, towered like a
lighthouse above the stodgy black
ugliness of his foe. With an ad
vantage of 12 inches in height and al
most as much in reach, with a big
margin in weight and with youth and
condition on his side, it appeared no
match.
Lived Through Tortures.
"But for two minutes in the first
round I lived through tortures, ex
pecting Fulton to be knocked out any
minute. He escaped' it by two inches.
Stepping confidently out toward
Langford, Fulton's long left poked
and jabbed Sam in the face at will. In
vain Sam's short, black mitt-wielders
hooked and jabbed. Fulton held him
off with extended arms and Samuel
battered the ozone fearfully, but that
was all. Fulton began to smile at us,
in his corner.
"Stop that, you crazy fool," I
yelled. But he continued to grin, and
poke Sam with his left. But I read
what was passing through his mind
and saw with a sickening feeling in
side me that he had about concluded
that it was about, time to shove over
the right and end Sam in less than
a round.
"I almost trembled while I watched
him prepare to try it. After putting
in a few left to get Sam off balance,
TWELVE YEARS IS
ALMOSTTHE LIMIT
Few Players in the Major
Leagues Survive the Face
for a Dozen
Seasons.
Twelve years is a long time in the
life of a major league ball player, if
one may base his estimate on some
statistics furnished by a base ball
dopist, who has compiled a record
that shows how few players in the
maiors in 1906 can still be counted
actively in the game. Commenting
on his own record the statistician
says: .
It seems scarcely possiDie tnat out
of 330 men drawing salaries in the
American and National leagues . in
1906 only 15 played ball in 1917 and
four of these probably will not be
seen in 1918. And that is the space of
only 12 years.
Of the American league pitchers of
1916, who included Waddell, Mullin,
Joss, Chesbro and others, only three,
Bender, Plank and oCombs, were able
to pitch regularly last year and Plank
retired in the middle of the season.
One other, Donovan, managed a big
league club.
Of the National league pitchers of
1906, Reulbach and Ames were the
only,ones who saw service in 1917,
and Reulbach pitched very little at
Boston and has been given his un
conditional delease. Mathewson was
still active in base ball as manager of
the Reds.
Not a catcher of the 1906 troop was
in the harness 11 years later, except
Gibson, who did a little relief work
for the Giants.
Of the infielders six remain of the
1906 crowd, providing Lajoie is
counted, for Larry, after a year's so
journ in the minors, is likely to wear
a big league uniform next season.
The others are Wagner, who only
pjayed part of the season; Lobert,
who was in less than 20 games at
New York; Evers, who was out of
the game a great part of the season;
Turner, who played in a utility role
with Cleveland, and Chase. The latter
was the only regular of the outfit.
In the outfield we find five still in
the game. Cobb is among them and
is still the greatest of all ball players.
The others are Crawford, who has
about reached the end of the road;
Hinchraan, Schulte, who had an un
satisfactory season last year, and
Sherwood Magee.
Others still in the game, but not
actively, are Fielder Jones, manager
of the Browns, and Bob Wallace, who
will be back in the big tent next year,
but only as a coach.
This is a striking picture of the
length of time a big leaguer may
hope to remain in fast company.
Mist of them are gone and all. with
the exception of Cobb, are fading.
Twelve years means a great deal to" a
ball player.
Kelly and Dillon Look
Over Northwestern Field
A rumor comes out of Los Angeles,
winter home of many vague base ball
reports, that Mike Kelly, manager of
the St. Paul American association
team, has expressed a desire to quit
St Paul and take a franchise in the
reorganized Northwestern league as
a club backer. Frank Dillon, former
manager of the Los Angeles Coast
league team, is said to be willing to
go in with Kelly. " Both are spending
the winter iq Los Aoge
Sam Langford
Jess Willard
Fans' Prejudice
Bowls Over All Opponents Who
Face Him and Stands Ready
to Meet Any Man in
the World.
over came the Fulton's right with
enough force to level the Pennsyl
vania station. But there was no
Langford where it landed. Quick as a
flash the "Tar Baby's" pile-driving
left came whipping over Fulton's right
arm. It landed smack behind Fulton's
ear and he reeled back with his knees
bending and I saw the finish right
there. But I was surprised to find
that he did not seem dazed. Instead,
he fell back into a good defense and
poked Langford back with his wagon
tongue left. When the round ended
I climbed into the ring and gave him
a tongue lashing.
"Fulton grinned. 'I know better
now look here,' and he directed my
attention to the back of his h.ead. A
lump bigger than a hen's egg had
arisen just abaft the ear. Had it
landed on the jaw, two inches for
ward, Fulton would have paid the
penalty of his disobedience. As it
was, the test did him good. For the
next four rounds he followed strict
instructions, putting his left into
Sam's face regularly, and holding
back his right. So long as he with
held that, Langford's left was prac
tically neutralized.
Sam's Eyes the Target.
"And the great Sam I Man, it was
pitiful. With the regularity of a
piston, Fulton's left ground into the
Langford landscape, smearing it bad
lv. In the fourth round one eye was
closed and in the fifth period the
other was beginning to go. In the
fifth round Bob Armstrong, in Lang
ford's corner, lanced the swelling
under one "lamp," but it failed to
open. ?
"Fulton was becoming restless and
wanted to send his right hand home
and finish Langford, but I would not
let him take a chance. 'Close the other
eye; close the other eye,' I cautioned
him as 'he went in for the sixth
period. Fred followed the advice and
the job was done in a workmanlike
manner. Fulton now had Sam at his
mercy. The colored fighter was prac
tically blind, as he groped his way to
his corner, and was badly punished,
besides.
. "He was game, too. But his sec
onds and manager, after looking him
over, decided that it would be impos
sible for him to continue. There waj
not the slightest doubt but that Ful
ton would have knocked him loose
from his understanding if he had at
tempted to continue the 12-round
journey."
Heard Around the
Hot Stove League
The fate of the Western association,
which is of considerable importance
to the Western league, will be decided
today. A meeting of the league will
be held at Oklahoma City. The
Western association magnates will de
cide whether or not they wish to play
this year. If the decision is to stick
with the ship, the Western league
loses its chance of getting Oklahoma
City and Tulsa, as President Bell of
the association announces his league
will refuse to release the oil towns. If
the Western association finds it can
not start the season, these towns will
be open to invasion by the Dickerson
circuit.
If Oklahoma City is admitted to the
Western league, Jimmy Humphreys,
who managed McAlester, Okl., last
year, will be the pilot. President
Duncan of Oklahoma City has pur
chased Humphreys from McAlester
and he announces Jimmy will lead the
team whether it be in the Western
league or Western association.
Humphreys was married the other day
to Miss Beatrice Nelson.
Western league fans believe the
Western association will vote to dis
band at the meeting today. McAles
ter,' Ardmore, Sherman and Denison
are reported to be entirely through.
Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Fort Smith and
Muskogee may vote to resume, but
with only four clubs willing to take
a chance, it is believed the league vote
will be to shut up shop.
Peoria reports that the Western
league has dropped negotiations with
Oklahoma City and Tulsa, although
this report is not confirmed. This has
led the Peprians to say that Peoria's
position in the Western league is
cinched.
Henry Reidel, backer of the Hanni
bal, Mo., club, has made a proposition
to the Western league. His plan is
to place a club jointly in Hannibal
and Quincy, playing half of the games
in each city.
President Henry Stahlhefer of the
Central league, has advised the club
owners of his league to suspend opera
tions during the period of the war. If
the magnates follow his advice, the
Illinois territory will be absolutely
open to the Western League.
Norman Coyle, who learned his base
ball in the Nebraska State league, and
later was star outfielder for the
Rourkes for several seasons, has en
tered the aviation section of the army.
Coyle last played with Waco in the
Texas league. He was sold by Omaha
three years ago to Memphis of the
Southern association.
John Savage, it is reported, is trying
to sell a half interest in his Joplin
club, so that he can give his attention
to his duties as secretary of the Kan
sas City American association club.
Several other Western moguls prob
ably would like to sell a half interest,
too.
Reports have it that Ham Patter
son, former Western leaguer and now
manager of the Dallas club of the
Texas league, would, like' to land
Marty Krug of the Rourkes. This is
merely a report though. ,
Long in Navy.
John E. Long, formerly with
Columbus in the South Atlantic league
and Springfield in the Central league,
has enlisted in the United States navy.
His home is ia Cincinnati .
OLD CHIEF MAY
BE MAINSTAY OF
PHILS ON MOUND
With Alexander Gone to Cubs
and Rixey to War, Bender
May Have to Lead
Hurling Corps.
By JACK VEIOCK.
New York, Jan. 19. Ole Chief Bw
der, the weather-beaten veteran o;
many tough campaigns under the big
tops, may be the pitching mainstay
of the Phillies next season.
With Grover Alexander gone to t
Cubs, Eppa Rixey liable to service in
the army and Joe Oeschger an un
known quantity so far as military
status is concerned, Pat Moran may
be forced to look to the okl bronzed
chief to lead the attack from the
pitcher's box.
Base ball is so full of uncertain
ties, and especially in these parlous
times, that it will not be surprising
to see Bender playing the role of the
leading sharpshooter in the Philly
trenches and if the old boy shows the
kind of stuff he displayed to National
league batsmen during the latter part
of the 1917 campaign he may loom
up once more in the spotlight as a
star who has come back.
Bender hooked up with the Phillies
in 1916 and got into 27 games of ball,
but he did not have the stuff that lit
had in the old Mackian days by a
long shot, and he wound up the sea-
son with a poor record. His record
was so poor that Manager Moran
was not warranted in keeping him on
the club roster, so he handed the
Chippewa his release.
Goes to Work.
For a time last season Bender
dubbed around, pitching for semi-pro
nines in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
He would pitch one or two games a
week and he made a comfortable little
wad of dough doing it, though noth
ing like the salary he used to earn.
Finally, with the season about half
gone, the chief started to show up at
the Phillies' park to pitch to the bat
ters in practice and one day he went
to Moran with a request for another
trial. Foxy Pat had been watchmg
the Indian out of the corner of his
eye when he pitched in batting ses
sions and he agreed to give Bender
one more trial. So the chief signed
a contract and went to work again.
Then began a great comeback. The
chief proceeded to hang up a 'string
of victories, and he accomplished the
feat of pitching three straight shut
outs. His work helped the Phils
greatly in their dish after the pace
making Giants. He proved to the
satisfaction of Moran that he had
come back, and that he was leaving
the "merry mucilage" alone.
Bender may not be able to put the
Phillies in another pennant race. He
may not be able to win as many
games as a lot of the high-salaried
stars, but if he stays away from the
joy stuff he will be able to hold on to
a good job with Pat Moran, and that's
something.
Mackmen Lose Big Crowd.
Fans who saw the world's series
games at the Polo grounds, or those
who saw movies showing scenes of
the games, will remember a great,
big fan who walked out on the dia
mond and shook hands with Clarence
Rowland. He was Emory Titman,
Philadelphia's 400-pound base ball en
thusiast and sportsman.
Well, the Athletics never considered
a game a success unless Emory Tit
man was at Shibe park, but the A's
have lost Emory, who is a big crowd
all by himself. John D. Shibe recent
ly started suit against Titman over
the sale of a yacht.
Bert Whaling Seeks Job
On Pacific Coast Again ;
Bert Whaling, who caught for Ver- I
non during 1916, and who was in- J
cidentally battery mate with Bill
James when the Braves won the 191A
championship, is seeking a job in tit
Coast league again. Whaling was n-R
of much value to Vernon, being hand ;
capped by a sore arm. He was nevi
much of a hitter. Released by Vernoi
he spent the last season in the Cor.
per league of Arizona, and it is sai
the hot weather there took the kink ii
out of his whip and put it into shap l
aeam. He believes he can deliver th
goods now and is anxious for a trials
He would like to land either with sar i
Francisco or Sacramento.
Tinker Angling for Vets
For His Club at Columbus
Report from Columbus has it tha
President-Manaeer Joe linker ha
two deals under wav for his club. On,!
of them would land Pitcher GeorjAi
McQuillan from Kansas City for hii
and the other would add Bob Besche
nf the Milwaukee Brewers to his out
field. It is further reported from '
Lolumbus that Catcher bod coieman i
is to go, urover nariiey Demg oe
pended on to do the bulk of the back-
: - - t: 1 '.
Slopping lur iiiiRci s icau.
Essick Buys One of Old
Athletes for New Team
Manager Bill Essick of the Vernon
Tigers of the Coast league, announces
that he has secured the service of First
Baseman Joe Mathes, who played
with Grand Rapids last season.
Mathes has been one of the prime
sluggers of the Central league for two
years. He had a trial with Connie
Mack a couple of years back as a third
baseman, but fell down. Then he
turned to first base and made good.
Refuses Army Job.
Rsoort that Inhelder Mor ev Ji
enlisted in the army is not ouite cor
rect Jennings, who is coaching ath-j
letics at a college in Arkansas, wa
offered a position as physical direct
at an army camp, but declined it, t
cause, first, he wants to get ipto tin
army Young Men's Christian assoc;
ation work, and second, because r.
does not want to leave his colleg
until next June.
Dixie Loop Through.
A statement comes out from Mo-:'
trie, Ga., that the Dixie league '
suspendid on account of the war. o
eral opinion was that the Dixi
thrown up its hand before war
fairly started, so' far as Uncle Sani
concerned. The club backers hope
make a new try at the game whc
the kaiser agrees to uncle sam
peace terms
i
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