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HEARST’s SUNDAY AMERICAN, BASEBALL AND OTHER SPORTS. -SUNDAY. .TTT.Y 27, 1913. 9 D Lean Leader Sees Cleveland, Red Sox and Chicago All Making a Fight. P hiladelphia, pa., July 26.— On the outside talking with fans, critics and statistic fiends, the 1913 American League pennant derby is over—the Athletics being an easy winner. On the inside, conversing with Connie Mack, one dis covers that the Cleveland Naps may win; the Washington Nationals may win; the Chicago White Sox are com ing fast, and the Boston Red Sox are dangerous. But the Athletics! See information from Connie Mack on his troupe and the best you get is a smile. Yes, the boys are going pretty good, but any thing may happen from now to the finish, and the other fellows are right in there. Connie Mack is a genius. By shrewd baseball intelligence he has developed a wonderful ball club, but he refrains completely from talking about him self or the players surrounding him. It’s always the other fellow with Mack—not himself. “Yes, It is an interesting race,” was Mack’s answer to a question concern ing his view on what is happening and what is going to happen. “I look for the Naps, Nationals and White Sox to be right up there at the finish,” he continued. “Cleveland had a little slump, but they’ll recover and come around. Washington, too, will be a strong factor. Griffith has sev eral mighty good youngsters, and his pitching staff is getting better. “And the White Sox are Improving. They played good ball against us. Callahan used all his good pitchers and tried his best to beat us. We didn’t go very good in the field against the Sox, and that’s why we lost three games to them.” Since Mack began winning pen nants, his style is never to say any thing until the pennant is won. And he is the same to-day. Then, when it is won and the baseball folks de clare Mack a real wizard, he replies by giving the credit to the play ers. Boston Was a Good Team. “What happened to your team last year?” was put to Mack. "You won the world’s championship in 1910 and 1911, dropped back last year, and now you come back this year.” “The Boston Red Sox were just a little better than we were,” flashed back Mack. “Don’t let anybody tell you they were lucky. They weren't. Wo didn’t go right and they did. Now this year Boston has been crippled and injuries have hurt the team. “We are out in front, and I hope we stay there, but you can’t predict an October finish in July.” Now there is a reason for the Ath- lecties being first this year. Toward the finish of 1912. when things were going just right for the champs, sev eral of the players broke training rules. Oldring and Bender were sus pended and fined and in general the club cracked. Young Pitchers Help Athletics. This spring Mack consulted with all his players in the South. He told them what it meant for each to be in shape all summer, what the world’s series meant to them, and the change is noted to everybody. Mack has the players going in tiptoe shape, too. Another reason is that Mack was fortunate in developing several young pitchers. With Cy Morgan, Harry Krause and a few more absent. Mack had to pick up a youngster or two to aid Bender, Plank and Coombs. He did. and in Cal Brown, Bush, Houck and Wyckoff the pitching staff has been strengthened materially. Further, Jack Coombs probably will be ready to return to work about September 1. just the time when he will be needed to aid in the final dash down the stretch, and be ready for the world’s series. In the early spring Coombs was a victim of typhoid fe ver and has not pitched this year. Baldwin and Cross Work Hard for Bout Both Boys Don Gloves in Preparation for Tuesday Night’s Fight. \ Matty Shows Clas6. LOS ANGELES, July 26.—“Matty” Baldwin who is scheduled to box twen- ty rounds with the New York dentist, Leach Cross, on Tuesday night, July 29, w*nt through an impressive work-out at the St. Ignatius Club gymnasium yes terday afternoon. While Baldwin did not extend himself at any time in his work-out with Hobo Dougherty and Johnny SchilT. his ease of style and complete mastery of the boxing game were apparent, and Cross should nave considerable.difficulty in holdinK him off to the limit. Baldwin comes to the coast with a record as a tough customer to handle, in the ring^ . . Baldwin does not believe in training too strenously, and his work-out yester day was of the usual length, three rounds with each of his two sparring Pa Leach Cross traveled six rounds with Louis Keese and Johnny O’Leary, going three with each, and in addition went through the full routine of gymnasium work Cross showed excellent form and appears to be in the best of condition. Ad Wolgast and Johnny Dundee, who are to meet in the Vernon arena on Ad mission Day were both interested spec tators at the Cross work-out yesterday Wolgast’s manager, Tom Jones, wi.l be here in a few days, when final arrange ments for the bout will be completed. Only Way to Knock Mutt Out Is to Kick Him on the Shins By ‘Bud 9 Fisher Excuse. M6 MivreR. ‘-e** cross eur EASN. OUST SNCAL Uf* f\ND HIT Kim on THE You'Re Altos',- cttwtc* * T K,M °* TKe - I want YouToTeu. Ch,m - H6‘M- j ^ NOW 1 CAN WHIP t Go OUT y—y- A NeiAAir. rtt- A.,...- Y J ffiinj X CAN WHIP v - A H06NO 0£ BEEN Ptttwtfc ON ^ POR 6 Y6AR.S SNiD 1 WANT TO Knock Him out Barrow a Progressive President © © O © © i) <D Will Have Ball Players Pooled WILLIAMS PLANS INVASION OF FEATHERWEIGHT CLASS LOR ANGELES, CAL.. July 2«—Sam Harris, manager of Kid Williams, has announced that Williams will go through with his bouts with Campi and Burns, as he promised McCarey, and then go after the featherweights Harris v hlnks that Williams will have little trouble making good in the Im pound division, and has picked Abe At- tell as the best man for Williams to meet in the new division. Williams contends that he can hit as hard as the majority of featherweights and is husky enough to stand as fast a pace. He is game for a whirl at the featherweight contenders and promises trouble in the division VASHTI PICKS A NEW COACH. BLOOMINGTON. ILL.. July 26.— ' a meeting of the trustees of \\ ll- ,ms and Vashtl College of Aledo •ofessor Elmer H. Wilds was chosen rector of athletics for the en.-ulng ar. He is a graduate of Harvard id Allegheny Colleges and is a rec- •nlzed authority upon all forms of Haee athletics By W. J. Macbeth. N EW YORK, July 26.—Edward Barrow', the hustling president of the International League, Is the original “Bull Mooser” of organ ized baseball. He is thoroughly pro gressive in his views and actions, and he wields the big stick with determi nation and foresight. Under his re gime the International League has prospered greatly and minor league baseball in general has shared that prosperity. To the untiring efforts of Barrow is largely due the fact that the three most powerful minor leagues are graded higher than had been the case before he assumed office. The more exalted rating carried with it any number of advantageous privileges. The Class A. A. Clubs are not only- better protected in every way- but the new order of things made com pulsory a.revision of rating and priv ilege all the way down the line from the two major circuits to the most obscure “brush" organizations. In short a new working agreement had to be framed; a more up-to-date peace pact, as it were. • * * B ARROW has already done quite enough for minor league baseball to establish his name as a real cham pion of the cause. But he is not a man who Is content to live on repu tation. He purposes next year to inaugurate the most radical changes in the hope of solving the principal disadvantages under which the big family of the national pastime now- toils. Barrow has the nerve to try a scheme which, if successful, is bound to do no less than revolution ize the administration of the game. The players of the International League next spring will be pooled at the spring schedule meeting after they have all been put under con tract. The various magnates will cast lots for first choice. They will draw for the various prizes of the circuit. Barrow believes that In this way and only in this way will it be possible to distribute the talent as evenly as pos sible among the various club owners. He believes that such a course will result In a much better balanced or ganization. That every team will have a chance for the pennant and that the resulting closer competition should prove more Interesting to fan dom in general and more remunera tive to the magnate?. If the Internatir al League club owners have the n- ■ ve to indorse the scheme of their president it will at least assure a fine trial of the pro posed remedy for many of th e present drawbacks of the game. The experi ment should bo worth a great deal for advertising purposes alone. It would attract more attention to the Inter national League than to either of the big leagues. The whole country would be interested 111 the outcome and no one would watch the results with greater interest than the pow ers of the two major leagues. * * * B ARROW'S theory appears a most sound one. So far it is only theory. If it would stand the acid test in the minor league it Is a cer tainty it would be welcomed In the big show. There is no more discour aging element in the promotion of major league baseball than the seem ing inability of second division clubs to secure competent talent. The New York American club is a very good illustration of this. In the last five years Frank Farrell has spent for tunes trying to build up a losing club. To-day it is right where it was in 1908—away back in the ruck. All his money has been thrown away. There is absolutely no sentiment in baseball. Not a rival manager would give Frank Chance a worn-out bat bag if he thought it would serve later to help the Peerless Leader win a game from him. It is almost impos sible to dig major league class from the bushes. Talent has to be devel oped. There is a dearth of material —not enough good players to go round. And naturally minor league clubs with something to sell prefer to do business with the successful major outfits not because the market Is any better but because of the fact that their stars are more likely to be turned back again at some sort of sound profit. The principles of organized base ball are quite sound. But there are too many loopholes for evasion. Even the roster limits are not con scientiously observed. In spite of the National Commission's vigilance wholesale “farming" continues. Every big league club has a raft of embryo stars "covered up" as an emergency reserve. Nothing can be done to stop it. Players who might help the weaker clubs are kept on the benches of the tlag contenders or planted out somewhere in such a manner that they are safe from the dragnet of rivals. T F it could be proven by fair trial 1 that Ed Barrow’s idea Is practical then would be solved not only one of the greatest puzzles of the promoters, but one of the greatest ills of the players as well. By the same stroke would be canceled the necessary evil of the reserve clause, which has threatened Congressional investiga tion of baseball as a trust. Baseball contracts as at present constituted are illegal. They are not equitable. A player may be discharged on ten days' notice; he Is bound for athletics life to the club with which he signs through the Instrument of reserve. That no greater injustices result is due largely to the broad-mindedness of the National Commission. Yet, in spite of all, injustices exist. Take the case of any star ball play er who is so unfortunate as to be a member of a poor club. Rucker, of Brooklyn, for the past five years, is a fitting example. Brooklyn could not afford to pay him as much as could, say New- York. There was absolutely no hope for the future. Bound hand and foot to the Dodgers, no ray of world’s series sunshine broke through to cheer him. • • * T T should be the best thing in the * world for players if they were put up to be drawn each season. There would be far more novelty to the life, a better chance of general advancement in salary because of the ever changing interest of fandom and less likelihood of discontent in the ranks. It might come hard at first to give up old idols of years. We all would grieve to see the gallant Matty go to Chicago. But we might learn after a while to tolerate a Hans Wag ner or Johnny Evers in his stead. Of course, the main object!3n to such a plan would come from the champions who consider the world's series prize theirs by right of habit. Connie Mack and John McGraw should not be ex pected to go into ecstasies over Bar row’s scheme. But even at that these crafty pilots would prove their true worth by sitting in at the draw and by hammering home their ideas to a new brood of athletes each spring. As a pure sporting proposition the new order of things would give the first true line on real managerial ability. Even-balanced fields would eliminate the element of luck. E NOT LOST OVER Klem Is Latest to Praise New Balk Rule i Umpire Says President Lynch Has Made Prpper Ruling on Dropped Ball. T T Big Trade Planned By Cubs and Dodgers Roger Bresnahan and Zimmerman May Be Swapped for Al len and Smith. NEW YORK, July 26.—Roger Bresna han and Heinie Zimmerman for Smith and Allen Is the. big deal that is in the air between the Chicago Cubs and the Brooklyn Club. There are some who are close to the Brooklyn Club who say that this is the beginning of the end of Bill Dahlen as manager of the Brooklyn team. The rumor has it that he McKeever broth ers. who have a large interest In the club, are not satisfied with the way Dah len has been handling the team and ■want a change. This would indicate that Bresnahan would be taken and then made manager of the team. Allen is a good pitcher, while Smith has been playing fine ball for the Dodgers at third base. The general opinion seems to be that the deal would not be a bad one for either club. JIM THORPE IS LEARNING FAST UNDER JOHN M’GRAW NEW YORK. July 26.—Jim Thorpe, the former world’s amateur athletic champion, as a result of his observation and coaching under Manager John Mc Graw. of the New York Giants, is rapid ly picking up valuable knowledge of the national sport for future use. Regard ing him. McGraw says: “In another month or so the Indian will be a really good outfielder. He starts well, knows how to play a ball when he reaches it, and, with his speed, can go a thundering long way for them. He has one of the best throwing arms on the club. After a while he’ll be a good hitter as well as a clever fielder; he has already learned how to gauge and hit a curve pretty well. Another season Thorpe will be a seasoned ball player.” RICHOLSON HEADS QUN CLUB. BLOOMINGTON, ILL.. July 26.—At the annual meeting of the Starved Rock Gun Club, held this week at the new clubhouse, officers were elected as fol lows; President, H. L. Richolson, Ot tawa; vice president, ft D. Zeller. Ot tawa; secretary, A. L. Jaques. Utica; treasurer, F. G. Pierski. La Salle; field captain. C. D. Clark. Utica. The offi cers, with the addition of C. S. Roe, of Ottawa, and Charles Quinby. of Spring Valley, compose the board of directors And Only Once Has Mack’s Great Team Tasted a Trio of Suc cessive Defeats. W HEN a team can go through a complete season, the 154 games, and play a steady per formance, day in and day out, with out any slumps or sensational spurts, then it is going to be a pennant win ner. That’s why the Athletics are making such a runaway in the Amer ican League race this summer. A little story in figures tells just why the Philadelphia club Is so far out in front of the nearest contender. Connie Mack’s team has not lost more than three games in a row' so far this season. That happened only once. Detroit took three straights, but dropped the fourth one recently when Eddie Plank hurled a shut-out game. Previous to this slump the most games the Athletics had lost in a row was two at a time, and what makes the record all the more marvelous is that this happened but once. The recovery of championship form for Connie Mack and his Athletics really is the surprise of the 1913 cam paign. They won in 1910 and 1911, and were the double world’s cham pions. too. Then something happened a year hack, and they exploded, with the Boston Red Sox succeeding the residents of Penn as the high rulers in the American League and as the world’s champions. Last winter a majority of the dope- sters picked the Red Sox to repeat. In analyzing the Athletics the “IF” was too prominent to predict a flag for Connie Mack again. Had to Build Up Team. Eddie Plank had to keep going; Chief Bender had to come back; Mack had to get two outfielders to help along Oldring; a catcher had to ar rive to take the places of Thomae and Lapp, who were slipping, and some young star flingers were needed to help out the veterans. Well, all this happened, much to the surprise of baseball dope. And it has been this steady, consistent playing that has landed the Athletics on top Right off the reel on April 10, the Mackites started to claw and devour the Boston Red Sox. And it was this first blow, a record of six victories out of the first seven games with the 1912 monarchs. that started the Athletics on the path to this 1913 pennant. The two clubs staged a seven-game series* and the Red Sox won but one. The Sox never could recover, while the AthleMcs have never faltered a bit. Won Fifteen in a Row. The record of fifteen straight vic tories was put on shortly after that. On May 26 Walter Johnson tamed the Athletics 9 to 2, and the next de feat didn’t arrive until the Browns licked the Pennsylvanians on June 11, 5 to 2. And during that period fifteen straight games were won. Slump No. 2 was June 20-21 with the Boston Red Sox turning the trick. June 20 the Red Sox won. 6 to 1. with Bush heaving against them. The next day the score was 5 to 4. On June 23. though, the Athletics routed their rivals, 13 to 4. Then there was nothing doing in the slump line until July 13. when the Mackmen lost a pair to the Tigers, with Bush and Bender pitching the first game and Houck dropping the **econd. On July 14 the Tigers re peated, with Bender and Bush doing the box work. NEW YORK, July 26.—William Klem. probbly the best umpire on the National League staff, discussed several points in the rules the other day. When asked about President Lynch’s interpretation of the rule covering the dropping of a ball by a pitcher while in the act of delivering it to the batsman, he said: “President Lynch has made a proper ruling in calling such a ball a balk. If a pitcher was allowed to get away with this slip he could easily frame up plays that would catch base runners dead to rights. With a man on first and the hit and run play in order he could tip off the third baseman and then let the ball slip out of bis hand so that the runner could be nipped either at second b<.se or between the bases. “There is no written rule to cover this point, however, unless the rule govern ing the pitcher's delivery is applied. In that case a dropped ball could be called a ‘ball' simply because it did not pass over the home plate between the knee and the shoulder.” “What do you think of the recent de cision in the ' American League which sent Borton back to the plate to hit over again after a ground ball thrown by an infielder had struck an umpire?” Klem was asked. “The rule says that if a thrown ball hits an umpire base runners must be sent back to their original stations.” was the reply, “but the rule makers never meant to have a batsman return to the plate to hit over again. These are some of the points that must be cleared up by the Rules Committee be fore next season. They do not come up frequently, but the umpires should be in a position to make prompt rulings.” FLYNN-SMITH BOUT SHOULD BE DESPERATE STRUGGLE NEW YORK. July 26.—New York fight fans expect to see fireworks a-plenty on August 8, for that is the date on which Gunboat Smith, the strongest “white hop^’’ thus far de veloped. and “Pueblo Jim” Flynn, the most dangerous veteran in the heavy class, havh agreed to mingle for ten rounds before the Garden Athletic Club members in the arena of Madison Square Garden. Both of these scrappers have mode their reputation via the knockout route, and as each is aware that pugilistic oblivion will be the certain fate of the loser, the battle should be a desperate struggle from bell to bell. PACKEY HIT T Coffroth Is Anxious to Stage Match Between Rival Chico- goans in August. SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.. July 26.— “Sunny Jim” Coffroth has the Au gust fight permit for this city and is busy arranging a card for the show. Just who will make up the main event James hasn't decided as yet, but he has assured the fans that whoever the boxers are they will be lads who will offer a crack card. Jim seldom fails in giving the public the best pos sible, and all lovers of the glove game are anxiously awaiting his selection. It is known he is hot on the trail of Packey McFarland and Jack Britton, but it is hardly likely that he will be able to get this pair before Labor Day, if he can land them then. But he haR Leach Cross, Matty Baldwin, Johnny Dundee, Red Wat son and Tommy Murphy among the lightweights, with Jess Willard and Sam Langford to pick opponents for if he should decide on the big lads. Willie Ritchie has practically assured James that he will do battle with any lightweight on Labor Day and Tom my Murphy will be CofFroth’s selec tion, this, of course, subject to change should McFarland decide to box. ART ALARD TO FIGHT BENZ. BUTTE, MONT., July 26— Art Alard, of New York, and Art Benz, of Butte, have been matched for a twelve-round contest here September 1. Benz has fought twelve battles, in every one of w'hich he has knocked out his opponent within four rounds. GULLS WILL BE REAL SOUTHERN STARS IF THEY WIN PENNANT MOBILE, July 26.—If Mike Finn's 1913 Mobile team can cop the Dixie pennant it will he most appropriate, inasmuch as eight of the fifteen athletes doing duty on behalf of the local club are Southern boys. A discussion on the bench during a recent rain brought out the fact that eight of the Mobile players boast the South as their home. Both the Gull catchers, Charley Schmidt and Larry Brown, are Southern boys, Schmidt from Fort Smith, Ark., and Brown from Bir mingham. The pitching corps furnishes two more Southerners in Bradley Hogg, of Buena Vista, Ga., and “Pug” Cavet, from Fort Worth, Texas. The outfield, as it now stacks up, is an All-Southern one, Jimmy Clark, Dave Robertson and Paul Sentell, the former re siding in Baltimore, Robertson in Portsmouth, Va., and Sentell from New Orleans. Gene Paulet Is a Little Rock boy, making eight South erners on the team. With the Gulls near the front and making history in the Dixie League, the fact that the team is composed of a majority of Southern ers has brought out how fitting it would be for them to cop the Dixie pennant. Then, too, Mike Finn, another Southerner, would be at the heard of the victorious team, and it would be quite a feat could the Gull leader land his first Southern flag with a team composed in the majori ty of athletes boasting Dixie as their home. TWELVE EVENTS ON CARD OF NATIONAL REGATTA NEW' YORK, July 26—Secretary Fort- meyer, of the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen, announces the closing of enti-ies for the forty-first championship regatta has been fixed for July 28. The regatta will be held on the Charles River. Boston, on August 8-9. Twelve events will be contested over a mile and a quarter course. Nine races will be rowed with one turn and three, the international senior fours, intermedi ate and senior eights, over a one and a quarter mile straightaway course. The entries received to date indicate that the national championship will pro vide one of the best regattas of recent years, with scullers and crews from all parts of the country competing. CASHION’S ONLY CHANCE IS TEN MONTHS’ REST WASHINGTON, July 26.—Carl Cash- ion's only chance of getting back into the pitching ranks is in ten months’ rest, according to specialists here who are treating the Giant twirler’s trained arm. Great things were expected of Cushion this season, but in his first game he tore a ligament loose. Now he can not get back the speed that caused him to be considered a second Walter Johnson. EVERS WON’T TRADE ROGER. CHICAGO, ILL., July 26.—r-Manager Evers to-day denied the story started In Brooklyn to the effect that he in tended to trade Heine Zimmerman and Roger Bresnahan to the Dodgers for Southpaw Frank Allen and Third Baseman Smith. £ Beware of counterfeit* 4 ROURKE ASKS WAIVERS ON 3. OMAHA. NEBR.. 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