Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1912 — VETERANS PASS AWAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

VETERANS PASS AWAY

Plank Is Only Member of Original Atheltic Team. Napoleon Lajoie Is the Only "Regular" Who Played in Opening Game at Philadelphia—Four Ciptains in Eleven Years. The “old guard” in the American league is rapidly disappearing, and after a decade of baseball few of the original players who started the season of 1901 jure found in the league in any capacity. The only member of the original Athletic team still connected with the club is Eddie Pljmk, whom Mack secured that year as a young collegian from Gettysburg. Lajoie is the only “regular” who played in the opening game at Twenty-ninth street and Columbia avenue, Philadelphia, who is StlH in the big league. Lajoie lias lost to the Athletics early in the season of 1902 through the injunction proceedings of the late Col. John I. Rogers, then part owner of the Phillies. Many baseball fans are wrong in their opinion that Harry Davis, new manager of the Naps, is the last of Mack’s original team. The first man to play the initial sack for the Athletics wjts Charlie Carr. It was not until the middle of the season that Mack pulled Davis-out of a railroad office to take the job on first base, to succeed Harry Davis as captain of Dan Murphy, who has been selected the team, is the fourth captain ths

Athletics have had in eleven years. Lajoie was captain the first year and Lave Cross held the job until after the Athletics won their second championship in 1905. The third base hole was a serious problem to Mack for three years. In 1907 he started out with Jack Knight on third. Jack was brilliant, but erratic. Mack finally traded Knight to Boston for the veteran Jimmy Collins. The peerless third baseman found it hard to keep down to playing weight, but Mack started the season of 1908 with Jimmy still on- third. In 1909 Mack started out with Baker on third and Barry at short, which rounded out the present great machine. After the Fourth of July games that year Mack made a gumshoe trip to

Norwich, Conn., and signed Dan Murphy, who joined the team in Boston on July 8, and made a most sensational debut, getting six hits out of six times at bat, including a home run.)

Pitcher Ed Plank.

Napoleon Lajoie.