Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 227, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1912 — CY MORGAN’S FAILURE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CY MORGAN’S FAILURE

Lost Out When Paddy Livingston Left Athletics. / No Catcher on Connie Mack’e Btaff Could Handle Bpitball Save Clevelander—Became Excessively Wild and Ineffective. , . • Many are the reasons advanced for the failure of Cy Morgan, the Athletics’ spitball artist, to stick in the league this season, but not one of them has hit the nail fairly on the head. Surprising as it may seem, Morgan’s fate was curiously lihked with that of Paddy Livingston, the little catcher who was sold to Cleveland. The Ibve for automobiling and other things may have contributed to Morgan’* downfall, but the prime cause was the sending of Paddy Livingston to Cleveland. All Morgan’s good work In 1910 and 1911 can he traced to the handling of Livingston. No other catcher on the Athletics’ Gtaff could or would handle Morgan, nor did Connie Mack care to take A chance with Lapp and Thomas catching such an erratic spitball pitcher as Morgan. As a consequence he was teamed up with Livingston, who had handled all kinds of spitball pitchers and who did not fear them. Then, too, he was only the third string .catcher, and was worth taking a chance on. When Livingston left the team it was freely predicted that Morgan would lose his effectiveness. The big twirler started- the season auspicious-

ly enough, pitching some fine ball lq» the first two weeks. Connie Mack then teamed him up with young Ben Egan. Egan Is a good young catcher, but noj capable of handling and directing a man like Morgan." As a result Morgan went from bad to worse in his pitching, became ex* cessively wild and lost effectiveness with his spitball. This latter delivery is his strong forte. In fact, no pitcher has a better “spltter” than Cy when properly handled. Some of the Athletic players believe that if Cy Morgan was again to team up with Livingston he would regain his effectiveness.

Cy Morgan.