Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 124, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1911 — EVERS CALLED HARD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

EVERS CALLED HARD

EIGHT-MONTHS-OLD SON CREDIT* ED WITH SOME PUNGENT REMARKS. ANTICS OF KANSAS ZEPHYR Frank Isbell Tell* Story Illustrating Pert Luck Plays in Baseball—Jake Stahl Has Peculiar Story of * Freak Play.

By HUGH B. FULLERTON.

John J. Evers, Br., came downtown on crutches a couple of days after the dose of the world's championship series and seated himself disconsolately la his shoe store. Now there are two things especially of which John J. Evers. Sr., is proud. One is his team, the Cuba, and their Inside play, and th* other is John J. Evers, Jr., who now is something over seven months of age. When he isn't talking baseball he talks John J., Jr n aged almost eight months. “The worst part of it all,” said the little second baseman sadly,” was when I got home last night John J„ Jr., was sitting up waiting for me and as I came in at the door he asked, 'Oh, father, what was the score. It is of no use to ask who lost because I can see that by the way you are crabbing? I told him what the score was and he said: 'Well, of all the rotten, punk, putrid and decayed aggregations of alleged athletes I ever saw in nil my seven months of life, those Cubs are the worst They are putrescent and odoriferous. I- don't see where you get off as a second baseman. That young fellow Collins took your crown away and made you look like a third edition of King Manuel. It is rather fortunate for the honor of the family that you broke your leg and didn't get into that series or he would have shown you up and made you look like a mole on a debutante's nose? ” "Is that all he said, John?” asked one listener. “That was practically all," admitted Evers. “He looked the rest” “How old did you say he was?" “Nearly eight months,” remarked Evers.

Fame has its limitations. Connie Mack discovered this during the Philadelphia celebration of the Athletics* victory in the world’s championship series. The entire city was given over to the celebration and honors were being heaped upon the leader of the White Elephants. He was the biggest

man in Philadelphia and men of wealth and prominence in every line counted it an honor to sit with him. He was at one of the most exclusive clubs in the Quaker City, as the guest of some prominent citizens when a stranger who also was a visitor at the club was led forward and introduced. "This is Mr. Mack," said the host, presenting the stranger. "Pm pleased,” said the stranger, shaking the extended hand, “I’ve seen you play and enjoyed it immensely." "Indeed,’’ replied Mack, politely. “You must be an old-time fan." “I am,’’ answered the stranger. “I especially enjoy the romantic Irish melodramas, but, Mr. Mack, it seems to me that on the stage you seem much heavier.”

"Luck is a big thing tn baseball.” remarked Frank Isbell, the “Bald Eagle of Wichita,” who used to wear both White Sox and Cub uniforms. "But I think the toughest bit of luck wehad this last season happened in a game against Denver early in the season.

You know that down In Wichita the wind blows at times. In fact every other part of the country la jealous of Kansas winds and most parts of Kansas are jealous of Wichita. Well, the wind was blowing right from center field that day. It wasn’t much ot s wind, only about 87 miles an hour, which we consider a zephyr in the spring. We needed one run to tie and two to win. and bad men on second and third with no one out, so that it looked pretty soft. The batter hit a long, hard fly to center, a hit that ought to have been a home run If the wind hadn’t been blowing. The center fielder came racing in to catch it. but the ball, after losing its farce, began to blow back. The base runners saw the center fielder couldc/t reach ft and both started home. Tie wind blew the ball back until the second baseman and shortstop st-rted after it, then the pitcher tried. Two runs had crossed the plate when the catcher saw the ball coming right into>hls hands. He thought rapidly, and stepping in on fair ground, caught the ball, t

touched t£e plate and completed tih* triple play unassisted. “That wasn't so bad. Of course w* felt-sore about it, but the if such things are likely to happen in the breexy season, so we let it go, and didn’t notic* until afterward that the umpire had been blown over the grandstand and wasn't there to give the decision. W* found that out too late. I started to write a letter to President O'Neill, but th* wind blew the ink off my pen faster than I could dip it up and I had to let the game go.”

Jake Stahl, the big first baseman, who, after a career of 12 years at the University of Illinois and In the major leagues, ha* announced his intention of retiring from baseball to go Into the banking business, has a peculiar story of a freak play that happened this season. The play illustrates the uncertainties of the game. “We were playing the Athletics,** says Stahl, “and Danny Murphy was at bat, with Ray Collins pitching. It was along late In the game, an'd for a wonder we had them beaten —although during the last season we seemed to be the easiest club In the country for them, not even barring the Cubs. “The thing that happened just goes to show how a club that Is playing in luck has all the luck. We had a couple of runs the lead, the game was near an end, and they had two men

on bases with two out and two strikes on Murphy, who is a cracking hitter toward right field, if he gets a good grip on the ball. Hfe took a swing at his third strike and hit the ball a terrific crack. I think I seldom have seen a ball hit harder than that one was. It came down the first base tine so far foul that I thought it would go three feet or more outside the base, and about ten feet high. I made a wild running jump at that ball, shoved up' my mitt, hoping to stab the ball as ft went past. “You may imagine my surprise when the ball darted down and in-shooting at least 12 feet, grazed my right knee and went to right field on fair ground. And when the ball hit the ground it struck, twisted toward the foul line, rolled perhaps thirty feet and stopped. Two runs scored, the batter reached second and scored later, beating us out of the game. The odd part of it was that when I ran back and picked up the ball it was split almost in half and had to be thrown out of play. We examined the ball afterward. It seems that the rubber which surrounds the cork core, had been overvulcanized, and Murphy hit it so hard that the rubber actually exploded, tore the yarn, the cord and the leather from the center out, and the air, catching the ball, made It dart onto fair ground, and beat us out of the ball game.”

Frank Chance, leader of the Cubs during the last season, had a narrow escape from serious Injury resulting from a freak of play much like that described by Stahl. The freak happened during the memorable game in which Chicago scored five runs and St. Louis nine in the first Inning, and all because it happened that a poor lot of balls got into the game. In the first inning of that game,, which St Louis finally won 15 to 9, Konetchy hit a ball so hard as to smash it out of shape. Chance leaped and stuck up his mitt to knock down the ball, which darted and hit him on the ear as it passed. The hit decided the game, showing how a bad baseball may beat a good team, if it acts in the proper manner. (Copyright 1911. by Joseph B. Bowles.)

Evers, Jr, Telling Evers, Sr., Where He Gets Off At.

A Kansas Zephyr.