Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 237, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1912 — BOSTON RED SOX, LEADERS IN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE FOR AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BOSTON RED SOX, LEADERS IN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE FOR AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT.

“iron Men” have been few Title Has Been Given to Many Pitchers in Baseball But Not All Have Fairly Earned It. That peculiar niche In baseball affairs which is filled by what are known as iron men is one that has had few occupants. The iron men of note, real Iron men, have been few and far between. The term Is applied only to pitchers, and means those pitchers whose constitutions are sufficiently strong to permit them to do more work in the box than most

twlrlerS could stand. Unusual capacity for work and exceptional pitching ability are attributes of the iron men of the mound.

The first pitcher to ■whom the term, •was applied was Joe McGinnity, and he came into it not so much because of ths frequency with which he pitched as his capacity for double headers. To this day he goes into the box often, and few pitchers have worn so well. There are two other leading exponents of the iron man business. One is Ed Walsh of the White Sox, the most notod of the three, and the other is Jack Coombs. Coombs isn’t pitching as frequently as he did last year, but his capacity for work, coupled with his skill as a boxman, tided Connie Mack and the Athletics over many a rough spot and pulled out many a game in which some other pitcher had wobbled. Coombs, like Walsh, could stand being hurled info the breach many a time beyond the ordinary, and then his expertness on the peak did the rest Walsh probably has pitched in more games a year for the' length of time he has been in the game than any other pitcher baseball has known. It was predicted half a dozen years ago that the inordinate wear and tear would get him, but he is still at it, and as effective. If not as strong, as ever. He to s spitball pitcher too, another thing supposed to be very* trying, but he contends that with him that form of delivery is no more exacting on the arm than any other way of pitching.

Joe McGinnity.