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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS.
it
He Had It Once" Its Like Saying "Heel lie a Champion if He Could Punch
&
US II STIR, SAYS
N. V. [XPERT
Prince Hal Is Said To Be on His
Last Legs as Big League
Performer.
By Monty.
N E\V YORK. Dec. 15.—Poor Hal
Chase! They called him a
loafer, a four-flusher, a staller.
a grandstand player, a quitter, and
they say he was 'laying down” or.
the New York Americans. And they
said that was why Frank Chance
traded him to the White Sox. Now,
listen to something that will surprise
you—Chase is on his last legs as a
big league ball player, and the next
season is likely to be his last in the
majors.
Prince Hal, as lie was called at the
height of liis glory when the ac
knowledged peer of first basemen,
was guilty of all he was charged
with in 1910. He was accused of pur
posely laying down on the job so that
he could" get the position of man
ager of the Yankees, then held by
George Stallings, with whom Chase
did not get along with at all. Chase
got Stallings’ job the next year — that
is history. But lie failed as a mana
ger—that, too. is common knowledge.
Then, when Harry Wolverton was
appointed as his successor, Chase,
disgruntled again, resumed his old
loafing tactics.
* * *
Y\70LYERT0X faked, and Frark
* ^ Chance was signed up to liea •
the team the past season. Chase
swore by all that was holy then that
he was going to “play his head off
for the Peerless Deader. He became
a hero worshiper of Chance. But he
continued to play poor baseball in
spots, and tiie fans howled, "He’s up
to his old tricks again—laying down
on the job.” The tough luck of it is
this—Chase was not laying down on
the job—not last year. It brings to
mind in a way the story of the boy
who called “Wolf” when there was no
wolf. But this time the “wolf” had
arrived, and the fans wouldn’t be-
• iieve it. They thought Chase was
still a great ball player, but that he
wasn't trying.
A Boston rriend of Frank Chance,
a. man to whom the P. L. is willing
to confide almost anything, is au-
. Uiority for a story told by the man
ager.
♦ * *
“AXE Saturday afternoon last
^ summer, just before Chase was
traded,” says Chance, “the crowd got
after Chase and booed his every
move. When the game was over
Chase could not be found in the
clubhouse. He had locked himself in
one of the shower baths, and waited
, until ha thought everybody had
•dressed and gone. But when he came
out Trainer Barrett and myself were
still there. Chase was crying like a
baby. He went over and sat dow n on
one*of the chairs, with his face bur
led in his hands, and the tears
streamed down his cheeks. He sob
bed as If his heart would break. We
tried to console him. but he would not
speak. Before Barrett and I left,
there were the beginnings of tears in
our eyes, too.
“The next day I went to Air. Far
rell and said: ’See here, this boy
isn't laying down on you. He’s try
ing to do liis level best, but he just
can’t play the way he used to. His
Uftays as a star are over. Now lie’s
^trying ro accomplish things, but it’s
tuo late.' ”
After Chase was traded to Chicago
he put up a sensational game for a
short while, but then slumped and be
gan to play mediocre ball again. The
Chicago fans, just like their New
York brethren, got after Chase and
accused him of loafing and even con
spiring to get Jimmy Callahan's job
as manager. Chase, it is learned, was
entirely Innocent of any such thing,
but the printed charges stung him
again, until now he is practically a
broken Gown ball player, both physi-
■ x-ally and in spirit. Poor Hal Chase!
Sport Scribes Will
Pick Most Valuable
Player in Southern
! ——
■ Unexpected opposition was encoun
tered amoiiK Southern League map-
rates this morning to the awarding of
the Rose trophy to the most valuable
player in the league. The club presi
dents remembered some of the trouble
i hat came lust fall in the closing days
of the contests for the three medals
offered for the 1913 season.
The trophy next season will be in
charge of a commission of eight news
paper men. one sporting editor from
each city in the league. Each member
of the commission will vote for eigh!
players, l.is first choice receiving S
points. Ills second choice 7 points, and
SO on. The votes of the eight scribes
will be compiled and the player receiv
ing ilie highest number of points w-ib
win the award.
BOXING LID STILL ON.
ANDERSON. IND Dec. 15.—Sher
iff Black, of Madison bounty, had no
tified tiie proniotei s of a prize fish,
at Elwood hilled for Wednesday night
to call off the same Jack Dillon, ot
Indianapolis, and Jack Jeffr.e»
brother of -Lm Jeffries. we.--,
nial' lietl, "I !K‘ Imp mi tile fich. - * *'
Madison Count.' ten .' ears p t-
w til bo continued.
At That, Snakes Have to Live Like Everything Else
By ‘Bud 9 Fisher
Gee, I'm lockv. a rJuh '
Meiuc/bN jusr gave <v\e this
r,h/eLL Mexican fcec nodnd.
l Jj > YHfc SMALLEST BR.eeD OF
IN NEW YOSJC THEY MENEP-~j
SAW A fiefe UK6 -THIS.
t CAM GET A THOUSAND
I)OLUAR_S TOP- HlPA SufCE
-THE ONLN mcnftbc is THAT
HE'S A HOT WE ATHEP- DOC.
AND H6 CANT STAND
Cold northern climate. i
THEN AGAIN “THE TRIP
MPcHT RE HAfbO ON HIS
DELICATE HEALTH. I'D
hate to anything
HAPPEN Ta HIM lE I took'
Him Awan prom his native]
"Y
POLLY AND HER PALS
Aunt Maggie's Making Chickens of ‘Em All
t
It
c/T?RRtM.
Champ Loses First 20-Round Go
v • v v • •«. *!••*!• • v v • v
Matty Baldwin Wins Decision
This is the sixth of the series of the life and battles of Lightweight
Champion Willie Ritchie, written exclusively for The (Georgian.
Bv Willie Ritchie.
S AN FRANCISCO, Dec. 15.—Aft
er my first bout with Johnny Mc
Carthy I felt that I was ready
for most anything, i found him the
toughest proposition of the bunch. He
gave me plenty of trouble, and he
started me thinking 1 was a bit
downcast, figuring that l^did not fight
a good fight, and now that I look over
the past I know very well that 1
made a bad showing that night.
The next one in line for me was
Antone LaGrave, also some tough
lightweight then. !To liad^ just gone
fifteen rounds with Rat Nelson, and
had lost to Ad Wolgast. but still they
looked upon him as a rough and tum
ble fighter who would give any of the
lightweights a battle.
This was the only match In sigh?
for me, so I accepted it. We fought
over in Oakland, and were supposed
to weigh 135 pounds. It looked to me
as though Tony weighed a ton. but I
did not raise any objection. I knew
that I had to beat him if I wanted to
keep forging ahead, and I made tip
my mind to take a chance, no matter
what happened.
Anyhow. 1 got the decision after
six rounds of rough and tumble fight
ing. LaGrave kept after me all the
time, and, believe me, I had to do
some very fancy stepping and stalling
around. Now and then I would go in
and slug with him. but I finally boxed
him cleverly In the last two rounds,
and the decision seemed to suit the
crowd all right.
Tackles Baldwin Next.
This victory made me ambitious,
and I felt that it was up to me to
break in the twenty-round game if I
hoped to do anything for myself. Mat-
tv Baldwin was in town, and they
were looking for somebody to flgh»
him. Talent was scarce, and finally
Jim Griffin tame to me and offered
me a proposition to go on with tiie
Boston boy.
i was undecided at first, but Griffin
kept after me. and so did my friends - .
They gave me the usual old line of
start; about a gieat future and a
chance to make a reputation for my
self, and finally I tell. Mind you, up
to this time I never had gone far
ther than eight rounds, and all of my
opponents had been boys with local
reputations only.
The date was sei for August 30,
, ■ wi never forget it *1 ong
as I live, because it was my first
twenty-round trial. Baldwin at that
Urn® looked like on** of the leaders of
me lightweight division None of
them had beaten Him decisively, sud
mev were even talking abou? send
ing m in against Wo'gasi fo tne
lip tweigh: '•hqmrionsbip.
1 trained hard for the battle and
• norted at Dreamland in fine shape
Uf course. Baldwin was about a 3
to 1 .•••ho: over me. and I gu* -a : i;i'
figured that way. M\ mh-ohum ad\ ised
me to take a chance and rush and mix
tilings up with the veteran, but 1
thought 10 myself that the best thing
I could do would be to make a care
ful fight of it, so I did.
Loses to the Boston Boy.
Matty tore right after me in tiie
first round. He tried to get my goal.
He called me a busher and a four-
rounder and a dub. and be told me
that he was just waiting to knock me
stiff. At first T took this stuff, and
then I began to hand some of my ow n
talk back to him. a', the same time
keeping away from him and boxing
the best I knew’ how.
I really believe that I could have
knocked Baldwin out that night, or
else 1 might have given him a bad
beating, but I did not dare take the
chance. I wanted to make sure that I
could go the twenty rounds and finish
strong. T had beard so much about
four-round fighters blowing up that I
was rather badly scared, because 1
was not sure of myself.
Instead of forcing things for the
first fifteen rounds, 1 allowed Baldwin
to do all the leading. He certainly did
outpoint me, for I covered up and
boxed and skipped away when i
thought I was In danger.
But when the sixteenth opened up
1 felt strong and my wind was good.
I decided to take a chance. I waded
in and mixed things up a bit, and
Matty lost his smile and clinched when
I landed a right to the jaw.
This gave me -enrage, and the bal
ance of the battle I was after him afi
the time. lie looked all in and act*»d
that way, He knew all the trick of the
game, and he managed to fool me, but
still, if 1 had known about one-twen
tieth of what T know now, I sure
could have flattened him
Harry Foley to the Rescue.
All the fans who saw the battle
know that I had the last three rounds
by a big margin. But T am willing
to admit that iie outpointed me. lie
had such a lead in the first fifteen
rounds that my only chance would
have been a knockout, and he stalled
me, all right, f sure did miss a grand
chance, for had 1 slipped one over on
Baldwin I would have been light up
near the lop.
Harry Foley refereed the battle.
Doesn't it seem strange that 1 should
have taken him as my manager two
\ears later, after I had become the
champion? ! admit tins myself, but
at the same time I always did have a
great deal of admiration for Foley.
He might have given me a draw that
nig u ar.fl have e< a was with it. hut
he w:*« ou cons- :C!lt -Oil- for an: t hing
iike that.
Uf ■ ourve. t rie\e: figure-! «-n IV. e-
as a nr nagf • nen He am* to me
after : e battle and gi'e me some
good, sound pr]vj< e He tohf me hot*.
f could nave beaten Baldwin by wad
ing in. and he look n*e i ido and illus
trated a f>o. I 'He tricks !<• no which
i ha vc :ir\ «■; forgot ;< r.
Ebbets and Heydler
On National League
ScheduleCommittee
NEW YORK. Dec. 15. President John
K. Tener, of the National League, lias
Increased the membership of the
league's schedule committee by the ap
pointment of Charles H. Ebbets, of the
Brooklyn club, and John Heydler, sec
retary of the league.
Barney Dreyfus, of the Pittsburg club,
will remain ot the bead of the commit
tee as the Governor's personal repre
sentative.
Cincinnati Officials
Oppose Tinker Deal
(TXCIXXATI. Dec. J 5.—Several
members of the board of directors of
the Cincinnati National League ball
club do not approve of the sale of
.lor* Tinker for a cash consideration of
$25,000 to Charles H. Ebbetj, of
Brooklyn. Others are satisfied with
the transaction in that form, but do
not believe the $15,000 net to be paid
Cincinnati is a sufficient return for
Tinker's services. Tt is pointed out
that $15,000 w'ill not be sufficient to
pur<‘hapf* from other clubs even one
first-class player, while the club is
in need of more than one good man.
A majority of the directors believe
that a trade of Tinker for other play
ers should and could have been ar
ranged to vastly more advantage to
the Reds. For that reason the deal
may be declared off and Tinker dis
posed of to some club that will yield
the Reds one or more players to
strengthen the playing of the team.
It is a practical certainty that Tin
ker will not be w’ith Brooklyn unless
President Ebbets agrees to some other
sort of a deal contemplating the ex
change of players.
Old League Gets House Cleaning
v*v •>••!• *!* • *7* v *!* • v
New Blood Conies Into Circuit
Cross-Country Run
To Be Held Saturday
The annual cross-country run of
Georgia Tech will he held Saturday
afternoon.
The course w ill be from the school
to tiie waterworks and return, a dis
tance of a little over three miles.
A handsome cup has been offered
to the winning team, and medals to
the first three men. In addilion to
this, twenty pies and cakes, baked by
the wives of tiie members of the fa*'-
iilty, w ill be presented to thp next
.twenty’ men.
Heavies to Box in
New York on Dec. 22
NEW hjRf De 15. Ratlin.p I,*
virsk: . ’ 1 * ***i saiicral light heaw
we ?; i ha' h«*en stgreri to box •
mumA w ’ h .Utm Poffey. the Dublin
giant, in the Garden, on December .
T ho '--a rig *». the ««•!■» r:njt.
Of' f!**(II tl-e p.•• i. will'tackle Fir*-
man Jim Flynn in a icn round bout.
By I >amoii Runyon.
N EW YORK, Dec. 15.—They have
now made a pretty good job of
the house cleaning in the Na
tional League, and the hitherto musty
old organization is all polished up,
and presents a clean and inviting
appearance. There may be one or
two corners that the cleaners have
overlooked, but they will get at ’em
late- on.
The new blood that came into the
league during the past couple of years
is responsible for the rehabilitation
of the antique. Men like Harry
Hempstead, of the Giants: Jim Gaff
ney, of the Braves: W. M. Baker, of
the Phillies, and Schuyler Brittifn. of
the Cardinals, could not abide the
mess they found on their arrival.
If there had been only one or two
newcomers they might have to stand
for the old order, but loo many
strangers landed «>n the league at
about the same time, avid they just
naturalD drifted together for com
pany. Then, finding th8t there were
as many of them as there were of the
other fellows they started in to throw
tilings out the windows.
It all began with the elimination of
Horace Fo^el as year ago. At the
same time a muffler was applied to
Charles Webb Murphy, the celebrated
conversationalist from Chicago.
Lynch of the Old Order.
Finally . the new crowd went out
gunning: for an able, responsible citi
zen to conduct their business on a
business basir. and they picked out
John K. Tener. tiie Governor of Penn
sylvania What happened to John K.
is now a matter of history. It seems
that the bouse cleaners had nothing
against Thomas .T. Lynch, but they
felt he belonged to the old order, and
so he had to go.
A new combination has therefore
come to baseball. It is composed of
the progressives of the National
Dengue, headed by John K. Tener,
and made up of the gentlemen named
along with ‘ harles Hercules Kbbets.
tiie Squire of Flatbuah. Never let It
be said that we slighted Charles Her
cules in any matter. He was a pro-
I gressive long and long before the Na
tional League felt the slightest symp-
, to in of a change, and lie Is a pro
gressive now.
! 1' <‘harles Hercules were not al-
\ read} a progressive, lie would un-
; doubted!v be converted bv bln part-
; nei’s. the Messrs. McKeever—the
, Mes-i s. Progressive McKeever. as we
I might say to give them their firm
! name.
. Curiou- ' enougn. Harry H*»mp-
j stead. Jim Gaffney, W, H. Baker and
j F i »i > *r Britton are all com para
' ! ’ e!\ in«»x perfenced in baseball a r
j far® Tb« former, who wa® the first
! ire newcomer® to break int.o i a
leag ue fs a son-:n-law of John 1’
P.rus e ao>®t egisialor the leac is
eve-- ba<’. bo* Mr. Hemnsteari paid
Ihr!* attention to b^eball. Like the
• 1 'er*. f'o". evet. he w n s , s;:.,;ne c s
man. ond ici.ness men are very pe
culiar people in that they can not see
wliv their business interests should
be jeopardized by a lot of senseless
jangling.
Wanted to Uplift League.
.Mr. Hempstead had notions about
uplifting tlif! league before the others
arrived, but he had to wait until he
got able assistance, and then the
general uplift almost yanked the dear
old National League out of its boots.
Another strange feature of the
change that has come over the an
cient organization is the fact that all
the progressives are alike in that, they
are cheerful, good follows. There are
few better than Hempstead. Baker.
Gaffney or Britton, and a short an
swer is unknown to them. Truly
these be queer times in the National
League.
We are not saying that John K.
Tener will make a startling success
of his new Job of presidenting. Time
alone can determine his fitness for
the position, but we do sa v that the
■ « a
disposition to yield to the sentiment
of the fans b\ picking out the best
man they could find anri giving him
full swing for four years. If Tener
falla down that will be Tener's fault,
and Tener has yet to come a cropper
on any job he ever undertook, If we
read hie record right.
As for Barney Drey fuss. Murphy
and Garry Herrmann, they are in the
movement., hut not of it. They are
Just being swept along by the gen
eral impetus of the vacuum cleaner
that is being applied to the league.
They probably do not object, because
it would do them no good to object
Thev belong to another regime en
tirely.
Garry Herrmann-is still a member
of the National Commission, but that
too. is something that will probably
be taken up a little later on. Tiie en
tire National Commission lias served
its purpose as it is now constituted,
and might well be abandoned, but
granting that the commission is to
go oi: indefinitely, ii is about time to
oust Garry.
Athletic Club Five
Will Meet Augusta
Quintet Saturday
The Augusta Young Men's Chris
tian Association basket ball team will
play the Atlanta Athletic Club bas
ket ball team in the third game of
the season next Saturday night on
the local club's floor.
The schedule for the season fol
lows:
December 20 Augusta Y. M. C. A.
December 27 Open.
January 3 In Columbus.
January 10—Auburn.
January 17—Georgia.
January 24 In Birmingham
January 3J— Open.
February 7 — Birmingham Athletic
Club.
February 14 — Mercer or Olemson.
February 21—Columbus Y. M. O. A.
RUSSELL TO BOX KNIGHT.
NEW ORLEANS, LA , Dec. 15.—
Frankie Russell, local lightweight,
has been matched to box Phil Knignt
in a ten-round bout at El Paso, Texas,
on Christmas Day. This will be
Frankie’s first scrap since lie lost ;o
Joe Rivers about one month ago.
'Red' Smith Here;
Thinks Dodgers Will
Be Well Up in 1914
J. Carlisle (“Red”) Smith, third
baseman of the Brooklyn Dodgers and
Atlanta boy, is back after a trip to
Cuba with the Dodgers after theclose
of the National League season
“Red” had a great season with the
Dodgers. He batted at a .296 clip,
fielded way up among the third base
men. and led the National League
batters in making two-baggers. In
the extra base department he was
among the first ten.
“I think Robinson will have a first
division team next season." says
Smith. “He lias a strong infleld, with
Daubert on first; Cutshaw, second;
Tinker, short, and yours truly on
third Of course, we are not sure of
getting Tinker yet, but I think Joe
will come along, especially If he gets
that $10,000.”
FOOTBALL TEAMS PLAY TO-DAY.
BARNESYTLLE, GA , Dec. 15.—The
class football title at Gordon Institute
will bo decided this afternoon when 'he
Juniors and beniors meet in the final
game.
Vandy Eleven May
Play North Carolina
NASHVILLE. TKNX.. Dec. 15. — It
was officially announced last night
that Vanderbilt probably would meet
North Carolina University in football
next season for the first time since
1900. Negotiations have practically
been (dosed for bringing North Caro
lina here o/i October 24.
Othet g uni-s scheduled to date ar«>
Tennessee, November 7. Auburn, in
Birmingham November 14 and Fe-
Tvanee. on Thanksgiving Day. The
i matter of a gam* with Michigan is
ih^ng considered, but on account of
ihe bn i d schod i> is hardly prob-
uhie that it tvik l»« attempted, a- it
| M !: be M ' •' inn kt* k* * Mp
t(. Ann Arbor.
Here is a fine old brand that
never varies in quality.
During ail the years of its great success
it has never once lowered its original
high standard.
Always made of choice leaf, selected for
its unusual mildness, and ripe, mellow
richness.
Piedmont is a cigarette imitators ha\e
never been able to equal. Whole
coupon in each package.
(fr.
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/O forty