The Sunday Oregonian., February 16, 1908, Page 10, Image 10

10
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 16, 1903.
TRIES
SELDOM
GIVEN DUE CREDIT
They Make Race Horses Win,
but Crowds See Only
the Jockeys.
"HIDDEN. BY THE STABLE"
While Public Muy 'ot Consider Im
portance of Trainers, Owners Are
Not Deceived Rome, Rogers
and Madden Successful.
In these days of hustle and bustle,
when an estimate of values Is formed by
the surface appearance of things, it is
not surprising that casual racegoers pay
so much attention to jockeys and over
look the skill of trainers. But owners,
much keener, look beneath the glittering
veneer of the jockey's art and give all
the credit to their trainers for the speed
and endurance that the thoroughbreds
show in their races. The trainer in racing
aftalrs Is "the man behind the gun."
The prominence of the Jockey in the
result of a race serves to keep in the
background the trainer. Consequently,
much is said and written regarding the
former. Their salaries are exploited, and
nearly everybody who has a penchant for
the turf knows much of the race-track
riders' dally lite. But the trainer, the
man who develops the race-horse's speed,
hidden as he is by the stable, comes and
goes, his actions and deeds rarely noticed.
From the time the race-horse, as a
gelding, passes from the sales ring into
the hands of the trainer, the latter is
busily engaged looking after him. His ills
and his appetite, his hoofs and his legs
all of his physical cares and troubles are
closely watched. From 4 o'clock in the
morning, when the day in a racing stable
begins, until late at night, when the
watchman goes on guard, the trainer is
a busy man. A yearling is only halter
broken when fold, and the trainer has
to teach the youngster the rudimentary
part of his race-track education to ac
cept bridle and bit. to permit a saddle
boy . on his back, and to "break" from
the barrier.
James Rome Successful.
James Rowe. who earned JTO.OOO last
year because his charges won W02.000 for
his employer. James R. Keene. has for
years been prominent in1 turf events. He
has grown up in. his profession. When a
lad he was a great jockey and rode that
mightv Harry Bas.sett when that horse
beat Longfellow. Thoe were the days
when he earned much glory and very lit
tle cash, for he worked' for Colonel Me
Danlel, who promised Rowe much and
frequently repaid him for brilliant jockey
ship wHth a pair of red boots and a bar
gain suit of clothes.
Through the vicissitudes of a hippo
drome Jockey for Barnnum's circus, he
passed into the employ of the Dwyer
Brothers, the butcher boys of Brooklyn.
As their trainer he won many races and
developed the speed of such great racers
as Luke Blackburn, Hindoo, Miss Wood
ford. Barnes and others. His salary,
combined with his 10 per cent bonus on
the winnings, made him rich long before
he trained successively for the Fairfax
stable, the Thompson Brothers and Mr.
Keene. He is credited with being worth
JSCO.000.
Rowe has under his charge 50 thorough
breds. Of this string 38 are 2-year-olds.
When the Spring arrives and good
weather and track permit fast work this
big number of horses will be cut down.
The slow colts will bo sold or given away
and only the best retained. Colin and
Ballot are the champions of the stable,
but there are three or four 2-year-olds
that have shown enough speed to war
rant the belief that they will repeat the
great deeds of these doughty racers.
Rogers Makes $25,000 Yearly.
John W. Rogers will again train for
Harry Payne Whitney. Like Rowe, he
receives a yearly salary of $10,000 and a
bonus of 10 per cent of the winnings. He
earned J25.O0O last year. His friends an
ticipate a much more prosperous season
next year, for his 40 yearlings are a
grand-looking lot, strong In bone and
muscle. All are royally bred, being by
such great sires as Hanover, Sandrlng
ham and Meddler.
For years Rogers has been a trainer.
He won his spurs long ago by beating the
Eastern champions with Freeland, Mod
esty, Pearl Jennings and others of Ed
ward Corrigan's great Westenn horses.
After he came East to reside he made the
colors of the late Captain S. S. Brown
famous with Troubadous. Senorita and
Reporter. The retirement for a time
from racing of the Pittsburg coal baron
caused Rogers to race horses in his own
name. Ho was successful and soon in
troduced Clifford as a champion.
A few years ago Rogers signed to train
for the late W. C. Whitney and the lat
ter's son, Harry Payno Whitney. He
followed up his early successes ami
proved that he had not forgotten his skill
by leading back to his barn such victors
as Irish Lad, Gunfire, Blue Girl. Reliable,
Burgomaster and Artful. By clever
handling he saved Artful's strength and
speed until nearly the close of tho sea
son that she was a 2-year-old. This judi
cious placing enabled her to check the
winning career for tho season of the great
Kysonby and she beat him home most de
cisively in the Futurity of 1904.
Madden Trained Trotters.
John E: Madden cut his eye teeth as a
trainer among the trotters. Long before
he became prominent and earned a for
tune among the runners he was a drive?
of harness horses. It was during this
kindergarten stage of his experience that
he learned that the hoof in a, horse is
"the sinew of war;" that without good,
firm feet, powerful lungs, and a stout
heart are of. no more use to a horse In
order to make him display speed than a
fifth wheel on a coach when the running
gear is in poor condition. New York
World. ,
RACE FOR BRITANNIA'S CUP
King Edward Will Return Royal
Victoria Prize for Competition.
King Edward has consented to return
the Royal Victoria gold cup to the Royal
Victoria Yacht Club for competition by
the new 23-meter class, In which Sir
Thomas Llpton's new Fife yacht Sham
rock IV will race next Summer. It was
this cup that the American yacht Nava
hoe challenged for 15 years ago. Her de
feat by King Edward's (then the Prince
of Wales) Britannia created a sensation
In yachting circles. Since then the King
has retained the trophy pending- a chal
lenge. The Britannia's easy victory had much
to do with the cup remaining in the
background. That the Navahoe was in
ferior to the defender was pretty well
known some time before the race, be
cause the Navahoe made her debut in
Cowes week, and the cup was sailed for
at the end of the season. The Britannia
first met the Navahoe on July 31, then
again on August 8. August 10. August 14.
August 16, August 19. August 21, and
August 26. The Prince of Wales' yacht
beat the Yankee In all these races, and
thus when the competition for the gold
cup was held at Ryde on September 6, 7
and 11. 1S93, the light of the great Ameri
can cutter had flickered out, and the
races were soon forgotten.
Had the Navahoe proved equal to the
Britannia in the earlier races the gold
cup matches would have been much more
exciting; while one can more readily im
agine than express the state of affairs
that would have prevailed had the Royal
Victoria Yacht Club's cup crossed the
Atlantic.
The prize was one of the numerous
trophies from time to time successfully
defended by British sportsmen, and also
for this reason less has been beard of its
existence than would otherwise have been
the case.
The 23-meter international class, which
will in future race for the cup, already
comprises three British cutters, two be
sides Sir Thomas Upton's new Shamrock.
The others are Sir James Pender's Bryn
hild and Myles Kennedy's White Heather
II. They are about 16d tons Thames
measurement, 75.4 feet rating length, 22
feet beam and have 10,000 square feet of
sail. Yachts of the class must be classed
"R" at Lloyd's according to the rules of
that society, or by the similar rules of
the German or French societies, and
their cabin accommodations and fittings
must comply with the rules of the Inter
national Yacht Racing Union. New York
World.
T
FEW EXCEL AT BOTH BRANCHES
OF ATHLETICS.
Rule Has Some Exceptions, but
Majority of Football Heroes
Make No Field Records.
I
Few star football men have ever
gained fame as track athletes and vice
versa. Many football men are proflcent
at baseball, and as the latter game is
second nature to the American boy.
many college track men indulge in that
game with much credit to themselves.
But track and football seem to be at
sword's points. A man entering college
usually has- had some experience at
either game, and to that one he sticks,
so that the men who have made good
at both can be counted on one's fingers.
Looking over the list of those chosen
for the All-American teams and sing
ling out those who are yet remembered
as stare and regarded as the best in
their day, not one has left any record
of feats on field or track. Of course,
since the larger number of the line men
chosen in most respects resembled the
side of a house, not much would be ex
pected of them except perhaps In the
weight events, but with the constant
aim of all coaches to develop speed in
the back field, it would naturally be
expected that hCre some of the talent
would get into the Spring and Summer
events. However, such wsm not the
case.
Of the older forwards the great
guard, Heffelflnger of Yale, Cranston,
Hallowell and Waters of Harvard, Lea,
Wheeler, Riggs and Hillebrand of
Princeton, Hare, Woodruff and Whar
ton of Pennsylvania and the only two
men who were chosen four times for
the mythical eleven. Newell of Harvard
and Hinkey of Yale, did not leave be
hind them any records of having per
formed in track or. field events. The
back field luminaries suffered the same
fate, for neither of the Poes of Prince
ton nor McClung and De Sauiles of
Yale, Dibblee and Brewer of Harvard
and Minds of Pennsylvania, who with
Hirschberger of Chicago shares the
reputation of having been the best
fullback of them all, ever came to the
front as' a point winner on the cinder
path.
In the last decade the only men who
have made good at both branches of
sport have put in an appearance, and
how small is the number as compared
with the great number of young men
who have participated and who have
made honest effort to win laurels on
both fields. Campbell, Cutts, Glass and
Burr of Harvard are her greatest rep
resentatives, while DeWltt and Cooney
of Princeton, Piekarski and Lamson of
Pennsylvania, and Brown, Hogan and
Shevlin of Yale excelled as line men.
And of the whole list only two, Shev
lin and DeWitt, made their marks as
track men. These star players used
to fling the 16-pound hammer enough
to disconcert their rivals in the East
and won consistently.
Outside of Rockwell, who also wore
the blue, the backs of the later period
were no more fortunate than their
forerunners. Daly, the greatest little
quarterback that ever .donned the
moleskins, would have been an also
ran on track, and right along in his
class would have been McBride, Hale
and Chadwick. of Yale: Graydon and
Hurley of Harvard; Estersall of Chi
cago, and Heston of Michigan. This
last man was tried out for the dashes
time and time again, and Fitzpatrick
hoped in vain to turn some of the mar
velous speed shown on the gridiron
to account on the track, but all to no
avail. Heston cbuld outrun Archie
Hahn, the ten-second man, for about
50 yards, but at that point he was
done.
Of course, there were many other
men who compared ' favorably with
those who were fortunate enough to
bo chosen on the All-American, and
men, too, who were probably just as
deserving of the coveted places. But
none of these men. and the West claims
O'Day, of Wisconsin: Salmon of Notre
Dame, and Bezdck, of Chicago, violated
tho rule.
The two men above all others who
have made things hum at both sports
are neither w:hite men. Green, of Re
serve, and Mount Pleasant, of the In
dians, have the call. Both were star
pigskin artists and both are runners
and broad jumpers.
And these football men have been
about on the level with the remainder
throughout- the country: Pate, Farr,
Cadle. Orr, Baker and Clark, of Case,
are not track men, while Kneen, Kra
mer, McCleary and McGannon, of Re
serve, were In the same class. Mook
and Lamb were respectively sprinter
and hammer man, while Cripps is a
shotputter and Kaufman and Sullivan,
of Case, were good on the weights con
sidering the records prevailing in this
locality.
Taking the country over, how closely
the line has been drawn and how In
frequently have the men made good at
both sports. In the face of the grand
training college men get athletically it
Is certainly a wonderful record.
On the other hand, every first-class
track man In the country has tried for
his college eleven and with the ex
ceptions noted have been consistently
unsuccessful. The Eastern sprinters,
Schick and Duffy, were too light, while
"Ralphy" Rose and Galpln could not
go the route. New York World.
Lard Wins President's Golf Cup.
PINEHURST, N. C. Feb. 15. Allen
Lard, of the Columbia Golf Club, Wash
ington, was the winner of the President's
or first division cup in the fourth annual
St. Valentine's tournament today, de
feating J. C. Parrish, Jr., of Shinnecock
Hills, two up and one to play, in a close
contest.
Spectacles 11.00 at Metzger's.
1' Uv&A
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COLLEGE TEfllU! DEFEATED
SURPRISE SPRUNG ON U. OF O.
B A SKETB ALJj TEAM.
Multnomah Five Overwhelms Ore
gon Quintet by Score of
32 to 9.
The basketball five of the Multnomah
Amateur Athletic Club sprung a com
plete surprise on the quintet from the
University of Oregon last night, find
defeated that clever aggregation by the
overwhelming score of 32 to 9.
The Eugene lads were simply over
whelmed by the speed and accuracy of
the clubmen, whose teamwork was a
revelation.- Multnomah passed tie oall
back and forth with such accuracy, and
her forwards tossed the baskets so
cleverly, that Oregon was not at any
time able to get a good start.
Of the scores made by the visitors
only three were due to field goals, the
balance being awarded them on tossing
baskets from fouls. Multnomah took
advantage of some half dozen fouls to
add one point In each Instance to the
score.
Vivian Dent and Dan Bellinger
proved to be the stars for the Mult
nomah team. Both of these clever play
eraers tossed basket after basket with
the greatest proficiency, and when the
occasion demanded, carried the ball
down the length of the floor so speedily
that the opposing forwards were com
pletely outclassed and the tossing of
the baskets made comparatively easy.
The' game was witnessed by one of
the largest . crowds in the history of
the sport at the Multnomah club, and
all were well pleased with the ex
hibition.
The teams lined up as follows:
Multnomah. Position.
Bellinger Forward..
Dent Forward.
Morris Center. .
Barton Guard..
Allen ' Guard. . .
Oregon.
.... Moore
. Van Scoy
. .. Loosley
. . . . Strong
Farrington
VANCOUVER WINS THE GAME
Y. M. C. A. Goes Down to Defeat
Before Canadian Five.
The Portland Y. M. C. A. basketball
team went down to defeat before the
visiting five from Vancouver, B. C., in
one of the best played games of the
season on the gym floor of ttje local
association last night. The score at
the end of the game was 32 to 30 in
favor of the visitors.
A large crowd was present and
thoroughly enjoyed the game, which
was one of the cleanest as well as
splendidly played exhibitions of the
great indoor game ever seen In Port
land. The Portland team fondly expected to
be able to reverse the tale of the game
they recently played at Vancouver, and
In the second half made a strong bid
for the game, but finished two points
shy of the' required number to make
the game a tie.
The visitors started off like whirl
winds and soon had an advantageous
lead, which seemed impossible to over
come. In the second half, however, the
Portland boys rallied nicely and came
so strong that they came very near
equalling the mark set by the visitors.
The star players for the Portland
team were Hartman and Young, who
did most of the basket tossing for the
home guard, while Tuck for Vancouver
carried off the honors for the visitors.
Special praise must be accorded the
referee, who officiated most impartially.
The teams' line-up:
Portland. Positions. Vancouver.
Pugh tlst 10 mln.).F
Gordon. H. F Tuck
Hartman O t.. Ross
Young i.O Phipi's
Gates Cr Clarke
Gordon, L G Matthews
Y. M. C. A. Defeats Academy.
Portland Academy was unfortunate
last night. Almost at the last moment
It was found that it could not put
anything like a representative team in
the field. . Through Illness their team
was composed of one first-team man
and four subs, who nevertheless put up
a good fight against their old oppon
ents, the Y. M. C. A. second team. . .
For the Academy boys Williams and
Henrys did good work, while , the
steady excellence of Pauch won him
warm approbation from the Y. M. sup
porters. The line-up was:
Portland Acad. Positions. Y. M. C. A.
Williams F Sill
Smith . F Pauch
Getz C Sheets
Robison G Roberts
Henrys G - Vosper
The second half was a give-away for
the Y. M. men. Final score, Y. M. C. A.,
62 points; Academy, 18 points. Dr.
Paine ably acted as referee, calling 15
fouls on the school boys and seven on
their opponents.- As an Academy man
this should speak well for referee
Palne's impartiality.
Columbia Defeats Prep. Five.
The Columbia University basketball
team maintained its lead in the inter-
y 5
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UMVIiRSlTY OF OREGON BASKETBALL
scholastic leaguS series yesterday by
defeating the -five from the Allen
Preparatory School by the decisive
scorn of 59 to 20. The Columbia lads
played their usual aggressive game and
soon demonstrated that they were
superior in teamwork and basket
throwing. The lineup was as fullows:
Columbia. Position. Allen.
Itook-y F Elchemier
Glf-ason K. ........... Barber
Quinn C ; Bates
Walker G Bronton
Mac Donald (i Taylor
FINE BOWLING SCORES MADE
Week of Good Sport Enjoyed on the
Oregon Alleys.
The bowlers on the Oregon alleys
enjoyed a most successful week, for
a number of excellent scores were
made. Out of the many teams in the
league the only one to suffer by lack
of Interest was the Beaver team,
which, on account of its small average,
withdrew from the league. Among the
records of the week were the marks set
by Kruse, who bowled 247, and Ball,
who set a 236 mark.
Rowe made the highest average for
three games during the week. His
average was 198 pins to the game. A
seven-pin tournament is to be started
some time this week and all bowlers
essaying this game are Invited to at
tend. t
The standing of the teams' at present
is as follows:
Oregons 48 34 14 708
White River 42 27 15 643
Columbias 48 20 18 625
Willamettes 48 28 20 583
Portland 45 19 26 422
Rose City 45 16 29 356
Hicks-Chatten 45. . 6. .39 133
Individual averages of members of
Oregon Bowling Association:
Kruse 191Meleen 166
Ambs 184:Green 166
Rowe lS2',3hafer 165
Barbour 180 Nelson 165
Case lSOIBolanc 165
Ball 179iDavles i ; 161
Kees 176McMonies 161
Endres 175iMunsinger 161
Capen 173jPredmore 159
Hanson 172, Edgar 158
Lamond 1721H. J. Christian... 156
Peters 172i Madden 155
Kelly l?l:Deaver 155
Raymond 170Ratn 153
Armitage .........1701 Allen 150
Moore 170jLandes 150
Wright 170Flaneenneyer 148
Parker 169 Vanderkalk 148
Harrington 169ShoenOach 144
Halk 166jKoch 142
Martin 166Baker 135
Pflugnaupt 166
BOXING TOURNEY ARRANGED
Tommy Tracey's Pupils Will Give
Exhibition Friday Night.
Tommy Tracey's Columbia Athletic
Club will hold another. amateur boxing
tournament next Friday night. Febru
ary 21. The bouts arranged so far
promise to be most exciting. The large
crowd at the last exhibition indicates
the desire of the Portland fight fans to
enjoy more of their favorite sport. Mr.
Tracey has been conducting a boxing
school in this city for several years and
has schooled a number of clever young
sters who will exhibit their prowess
next Friday night.
In the 125-pound class Bill Bundy is
scheduled to box Nick McCarthy. Both
lads are clever youngsters and during
their three-round go can be expected to
put up a rattling good entertainment.
Bob Wheatly and Lou Young.'who have
appeared before at Tracey's "gym," will
meet again. This time Young, who was
defeated before, hopes to reverse the
decision. J. Donohue of Battery B.,
Fourth United States Coast Artillery,
is matched to meet Gus Rosher of the
Columbia Club in a four-round bout at
135 pounds. Young Nelson and FranX
Sax will meet in the 145-pound class.
Frank Madden and Dan Sullivan, two
of Tracey's heavyweight pupils, will
meet in that division, and a rattling
good bout is assured.
APPEAL- FOR HORSE RACING
Committee of Horsemen to Go Be
fore New York Legislature.
LEXINGTON", Ky.. Feb. 15. Kentucky
horsemen will appeal to the New York
Legislature on behalf of -horse racing. A
committee composed of Major P. John
son, president of the National Trotting
Association, and Adjutant-General of
Kentucky, Col. Milton Young, owner of
the McGrathiana stud, and Col. John R.
Allen, commonwealth attorney here, were
selected this afternoon to go to New York
and appear before the Legislature at Al
bany next Wednesday to protest against
the repeal of the Perry Gray law, af
fecting racing In New York.
Haskins, Runner, Is Dropped.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 15. Announce
ment was made today by Vice-Provost
Smith that Guy Haskins, the great middle
distance runner of the University of
Pennsylvania,- and the present intercol
legiate champion for the mile and half
mile, had been dropped from the rolls of
the university for failure to maintain his
scholastic standing.
Bee Keats' Auto ad, section 4, page 7.
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TEAM.
ll SHMIl IN TRAINING
INDIAN ATHLETES WORK HARD
FOR THEIR COACHES.
Will Do Better Than White Boys
When Up Against Hard Prop
osition, Says Trainer.
"Pop" Warner, athletic director at the
Carlisle Indian School, answers in the
Van Norden Magazine some questions
which he says he is often asked about
the Indian as an athlete, such as the fol
lowing: '
How docs the Indian take to training?
How does he like it? Is he faithful to
his work? Is he ambitious to win? Is he
quick to learn? Are there any peculiari
ties common to his race which are not
perceptible in the white athlete?
According to Warner, the rules at Car
lisle are such that the candidate for
athletic honors practically keeps in train
ing all the time, and there have been
cases when the Indian has trained just
as faithfully when not under strict re
strictions. He says:
"He will practice much longer and more
persistently than while boys and can do
things with his body that the average
white boy cannot, because the Indian Is
used to a rough and ready outdoor life
and has had to help himself more when
a boy.
"I notice that Indians generally are am
bidextrous. They may write right-handed
and throw a ball left-handed, or they
may be able to throw either right or left-
handed. Some throw right-handed and
kick a football left-footed.
"Hudson, who probably kicked more
goals from the field In games than any
football piayer who ever played, used to
kick about as well with one foot as the
other.
"Another characteristic I have noticed
is that they cannot be coached in the
rough hammer and tongs way the college
boys are coached. They will not stand for
'being roughly scolded, but better results
are obtained by jollying them and coach
ing in such a way as to keep them from
sulking.
"In other respects they are as any other
race of people, and I can't see much dif
ference between them and the white boys,
They are just as game, and there are
some quitters, just as among white boys,
but I think on the whole they will do
better than white boys when they are
up against a rough proposition.
"That. is. I have often been surprised
myself to see them do things in close
competition that they couldn t do in prac
tice. They generally are right there in a
pinch, and don t get nervous or excited In
a tight place.
"Still another characteristic is that they
learn a great deal by observation. I have
noticed this a great deal. They see some.
one else do something and they are quick
to observe how he does it. and thus they
learn rather more easily than white boys
"They like to win, but if they lose I
don't think they take it as hard as white
boys do. They are not keyed up to their
best college spirit, as schoolboys are, but
they are inspired by the Indian spirit,
which keys them up to do their best
against tho white man and show him the
Indian is all right. They do love to get
the better of the white man, and in ath
letics they have the opportunity they are
looking for.
"They are very sportsmanlike and quick
to give credit to a better man or a better
team, and to acknowledge tney are lairiy
beaten. They don't try to bulldoze of
ficials and argue with them all the while,
as the white boys often do, but say noth
ing and saw wood, although they know
when they are getting a square deal as
well as anyone.
"There are many funny things which
happen on our trips, such as putting
sugar and cream in boullon in cups and
mistaking olive oil for sirup, etc.. but the
mistakes Indian lads make are not as
many nor as bad as white boys of the
same experience and educational ad
vantages would make under like con
ditions, because they are so observing."
Chicago Record-Herald.
At New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 15. Fair Grounds
results:
Three and Oqe-Half Furlongs Marse
Abe won, Hammock Boy second, Rose
burg II. third. Time. :44 4-5.
Six Furlongs Queen's Souvenir won,
Albert Star second, Blue Lee third. Time,
1:21 1-5,
Six Furlongs E. T. Shipp won, Ketch
emike second. Financier third. Time,
1:19 2-5.
The Bush Cup Handicap. 2i Miles.
$1500 Added Red Gauntlet won, Yankee
Girl second, Temaceo third, ilme, 4:10.
.Mile and Seventy Yards; Selling War
ner Gr is wold won; Adesso second. Heart
of Hyacinth third. Time, 1:514-5.
Mile and Seventy Yards Katie Powers
won, Denigre second. Creel third. Time,
1:52.
W inlock 43; Castle Rock 15.
CASTLE ROCK. Wash., Feb. 15. Spe
cial.) Winlock won a basketball game'
tonight from Castle Rock High School
by a score of 43 to 15. Winlock is un
defeated and open to all comers.
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SPIT BULL ON BUNK
Famous Saliva Slant Has Seen
Its Best Days.
HURTS PITCHERS' ARMS
Cy Young Will Still Use the Curve
to Get a Third Strike on Some
Heavy Hitter, Says Um
pire Evans.
Spit-ball pitchers are on the decline.
Three years ago Jack Chesbro so mas
tered the spltter that he was practically
unhittable. writes Billy Evans, American
League Umpire, in the Cincinnati En
quirer. His saliva ball had every kind
of a possible break on It, and from it the
hard hitters of the American League
were easy picking. His marvelous work
In the box for New York made Griffith's
team a near pennant winner. In the
final game of the 1905 season, on the
result of which hinged the American
Leakue pennant, it was the irony of fate
that Chesbro was to lose the game, be
cause he lost control of one of his spit
ters. The ball hit the grandstand and
allowed Boston to score the run that
cinched the possession of the flag.
Chesbro' s wonderful work caused all
the other pitchers in both big leagues and
the minors to sit up and take notice.
.Immediately every pitcher began to
dabble with the spit ball. Such veterans
as Cy Young, Bill Dlneen, Al Orth and
a number of others began to experiment
with it. Some of them became quite
proficient in its delivery, while others
passed it up as a bad- Job. A number of
twirlers never tried to master the spltter,
but In order to deceive the batsman they
went through the preliminary maneuvers.
The discovery was a great boon to many
a pitcher, but It worked a great harm ,to
the batting department of . the game.
Nothing has done more to lessen hitting
than the Introduction of the spit ball.
It is the bugaboo of every batsman, and
the greatest hitters in the profession con
tend that it is mere luck to hit the splt
ter, provided it breaks properly. When
the expectorator fails to break it comes
up to the plato as big as a balloon.
That the use of the spit ball injures the
arm of the pitcher there is no question.
Chesbro, the pitching marvel of 1305, was
practically useless during the season of
1906. He seldom worked, his arm always
giving him trouble, and when he did
essay to pitch the derrick was generally
used on him about the fourth or fifth
inning. His failure to show form in 1906
caused Chesbro to announce his retire
ment, and last season was well on its
way before Managar Griffith induced
him to again don a Gotham uniform.
Chesbro was fairly successful last season,
but showed only flashes of his 1905 form.
Bill Dlneen is one of the great pit
chers who experlmented-wlth the spit
ter to his sorrow. Big Bill got the
habit In 1905 and used the spltter to
quite an extent. At the time he suf
fered no inconvenience, but In 1906
he slumped badly. Until the spltter
made Its debut Dineen always depend
ed on his curve ball to bring him vic
tory, and batters who have faced the
big pitcher will tell you It's a thing
of beauty. While using the spltter
Dlneen passed up his curve ball and when
he tried to go back to his old assort
ment he discovered he had lost much
of his cunning and also much of his
cannon ball speed. He placed all the
blame on the spltter and passed it up.
At the close of last season Dlneen ap
peared to be working in old-time form
and insisted that he bad finally recov
ered from the injuries the spit ball
had worked on his arm.
Cy Young, the grand old fellow of
them all, has an excellent spltter in his
repertoire. When asked one day why
he didn't use it more. Cyrus replied:
"I've managed to get along these many
years in baseball with nothing but the
old curves and speed. When I have to
depend on the spit ball to win I'll begin
to think about retiring. Only on rare
occasions do I ever fall back on it."
In Cy's last statement there is food
for a little story. Nothing gives him
more pleasure than to send some of
the great hitters like Lajoie. Stone,
Cobb or Crawford back to the bench
on strikes. It's on such men that he
will use"the spltter with two strikes
on them. I recall one game on Cleve
land grounds in 190G. when Young
caused Larry to fan with a couple of
men on bases. The smile that lit up
the veteran's countenance as he walked
to the bench showed he was satisfied
with life. He had compelled Larry to
swing at a spltter for the third strike.
Ed Walsh, of the Chicago White Sox,
was to the season of 1906 what Chesbro
was to 1906. Walsh was working with
only fair success, when Fielder Jones
prevailed on him to take up the spit
ball. Walsh worked and worked with
it and in 1906 he startled the bascbau
world with his sensational work. His
pitching was a large factor In the win
ning of the pennant and the world's
championship by the White Sox. His
work in one of the games with the
Cubs, in which he struck out 12 of the
hard-hitting National League cham
pions, proved him to be a pitching mar
vel. Walsh held up well under the
strain and did good work last season,
although he was batted quite freely
during the closing stages of the cam
paign. Several times during the sea
son he was compelled to rest for a
week because of a sore arm caused by
the excessive use of the spitter and
overwork.
Perhaps the most interesting as well as
one of the cleverest spit-ball pitchers In
the business Is Jimmy Dygert. of the
Philadelphia Athletics. In size Dygert is
one of the smallest pitchers in the busi
ness, yet he is one of the speediest In
the American League. Dygert, in my
opinion, is the only pitcher using the spit
ball today who in no way injures his
arm. Every pitcher using the spitter de
pends on a snap motion to make the
break of the Bpitter all the sharper. Not
so with Dygert. He delivers it with a
free and easy delive.ry, using exactly the
same motion as when throwing his curve
or fast bail. Dygert's spitter is one of
the most effective In the business.
Very few left-handers use the spit ball.
In fact, Oscar Graham, of the Washing
ton team, was the only southpaw to
have it in his-repertoire. The main rea
son for this, no doubt, is that left-handers
have enough trouble getting control
of the old-time curves, without mixing
In the saliva ball. Eddie Plank, Jess
Tannehill and a number of other south
paws tried out the spltter, but soon dis
covered that it would be necessary to
have the plate widened if they ever ex
pected to get one over.
Big league managers have learned that
spit-ball artists, as a rule, are in-and-outers.
When they are good they are
very good, but when they are bad they
are very rotten. No longer are star slab
nrtlsts advised to take up the spitter.
The managers realize they are far stead
ier without it. and are much more liable
to weather the tight places If something
other than the spitter is the twlrler's
chief stock in trade. The same feeling
has spread to the minor leagues, and no
longer does the bush manager get on his
happiest smile when a pitcher applying
for a job makes known the fact that h
has a great spit ball.
A year or so ago,- when one of the big
league managers went on a scouting trip
in quest of pitchers, he looked with fa
vor on the spltter. Now it's different.
The same manager much prefers to learn
that the pitcher he la after depends on
good curves, speed and a change of pace
for success. Of courso. a good spitter
will receive attention, but tho twirler
minus the wet ball is looked upon with
the greatest favor. Few. If any, of the
young pitchers who broke into the Ameri
can League last season used the spit ball.
Tho minor league pitchers realize the sit
uation, and the number of bush pitchers
who have passed up the spitter is sur
prising. There are a great many more spit-ball
pitchers in the American League than
the National. For this, no doubt, the
batters of the older league are truly '
thankful. Glen Llebhart is Cleveland's
leading spit-ball artist; Harry Howell
shines for St. Louis with the wet ball;
George Mullen is Detroit's champion
moist slinger: Ed Walsh and Frank Smith
vie for the damp-ball honors at Chicago;
George Winter is Boston's leading ex
pectorator: Dygert is Connie Mack's star
twirler with the spray ball; Charley
Smith heads the Washington corps of
experts as the leading exponent of the
spitter, while Jack Chesbro still holds the
honors in New York.
Every batsman In the business would
say amen if every spit-ball pitcher would
suddenly lose his cunning. It's the spit
ball artists who have put a crimp in his
.300 batting average. No doubt a large
number of fans would repeat the amen,
for the spit-ball pitcher has caused him
many a late supper with his dilatory tac
tics in preparing to pitch. Some insist
the spit ball is destined to pass out of
baseball, while others claim It has come
to stay. Time alone will tell.
DEFENDS SUMMER BALL
DAVE FCLTZ ARGUES AGAINST
AMATEUR RULES.
Ex-Brown University Star Says Stu
dents Should Be Allowed to
Play ior Money. '
In view of the determined attempt that
is to be made by the Intercollegiate
Athletic Association to eradicate or at
least modify the laying of "Summer
baseball" by college students, the ideas
of Dave Fultz, former center fielder of
the Highlanders, are Interesting. During
his days as a student at Brown Uni
versity Fultz waa one of the best players
in the college ranks. During his career
as a successful professional player Fults
often spoke Interestingly on the aspects
of college baseball. Now Fultz is a prac-'
tlclng lawyer and a lecturer In the re
ligious field.
Fulta' views follow:
"I see no reason why the bona fMe
college student of good standing and
good moral character, who engages In
athletics for money during the Summer
months as a means of obtaining his edu
cation, should not represent his col
lege. Our students sing in churches or
in Summer opera companies and then,
return to college and sing In our glee
clubs; the writer may contribute to news
papers and magazines and still write for
our college publications. He of much
wisdom may coach the delinquent stu
dent and still represent our debating club.
All this is done for money, but the ethical
status is never questioned.
"We are prone to view this question
from but one standpoint. In many cases
the man has not taken money simply for
money's sake, but because he is in sore
need of it, and then they say: 'O, there
is nothing wrong In a man's playing for
money, only he should not afterward
play on college teams.' Why not, if he
has done no wrong? Are two rights ever
repugnant in principle?
"The experience and reputation he gains
in college are part of his stock in trade.
Has he not as good a right to invest
these as the singer, the writer, the stu
dent? Are the laws governing athletlis
generic? Are they differentiated from all
other college regulations? Will they, too.
not stand the tests of fairness and
honesty?
"Let our faculties adopt a high
standard of scholarship, and the 'floater'
who goes from college to college to ply
his trade will find no place to lodge.
There are too many loafers In our col
leges already, and not all of them are
athletes bv any means. Debar all con
ditioned men if it seems best; require
one-year residence if you please, but let
us have no more discrimination against
him who already has his burden to bear.
If you want to know conditions, ask the
athletes themselves that Is, those who
have been out of college long enough to
look upon the rule as a joke."
Chit -Chat of Sporting
World
BY WILL G. MAC RAE.
NICHOLAS KONAPLIN. one of the
foremost breeders of light harness
horses of Moscow, Russia, has sent two
pure-bred Orloff mares to this country.
One trotting mare, Energla (531) will
be mated to the great McKInney, 2:11',
and the other will be mated to Bingen,
2:06i. The mares will travel over 5J00
miles just to be mated to American-'
bred horses.
Spokane's athletes may preen them-,
selves over the quick knockout Louis
Orsie gave Ed Rushton, of Multnomah
Club, but the fact that tho wallops
were delivered whilo Rushton was
about to shake hands shows the gang
up there is woefully lacking in so
called prlzering courtesy. Chit-Chat
bestows on Orsie the title of the cham
pion Sneaker Knocker-Out.
Abe At'tell, he of the J250 per ounce
of flesh, has anked Jimmy Coffroth to
arrange three fights for him within
the next two months. Wise Abe says
he is willing to fight Battling Nelson,
Pac-ky McFarland or any of the light
weights. H figures he could be beat
en by a lightweight and not lose pres
tige. The California Breeding Bureau has
just lost Watchful by death. The horse
became the property of the bureau
through the system now In vogue at
Emeryville. Watchful won a breeders'
race and was turned over to the bureau.
Fred Mulholland, who was starting
judge at Portland when we had racing,
has declined the presiding Judgeship
at the Denver meeting to bo held this
Summer. Judge Mulholland will be in
the stand at the Meadows this Summer.
No man has a better idea of what it
means to hit the toboggan when he is
not looking for It than has the base
ball player who joins a team with the
reputation of being a kingpin and fails
to make good.
The San Francisco Bulletin has
sprung the old motheaten question
whether Sullivan could have whipped
Jim Jeffries when Sullivan was in his
prime. Everybody and his cousin Is
taking a crack at the answer.