Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 110, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1917 — Lavender Has Faculty of Doing Spectacular Feats [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Lavender Has Faculty of Doing Spectacular Feats

Hurler Obtained by Philadelphia Pitched Many Sensational Games While With the Cubs. The Phillies secured a good pitcher in Jimmy Lavender, the former Cub twirler. Jimmy won considerable fame as a boxman with the Chicago team. He was a member of the Cubs’ pitching staff for five seasons. He is a native of the estate of Georgia and is one of the five hurlers who make the state famous for sending out moundsmen of class. Nap Rucker, Henry Douglas, Fred Toney and J. Erskine Mayer are the others. Lavender was a long time coming to his own, as his five seasons’ schooling in the minors would indicate. His first trial was with the Augusta club Of the South Atlantic league tn 1900. However, his first real job was wdth the Danville club of the Virginia league, in 1907. From this bush he was .extracted by Connie Mack. Manager Mack took Lavender on for a trial tn the spring of 1908, but released him optionally to the Holyoke «*ub of the Connecticut Valley league. At the close of 1908 Lavender was recalled by the Athletic management and released to the Providence club of the big International league, where

he was compelled to linger three seasons. While with Providence the “Montezuma Wonder” pitched, some splendid ball, notably his feat of shutting out the Rochester team in both games of a double-header that he. pitched against them on September 5, 1909. Purchased by the Chicago club of the National league, in the fall of 1911, Lavender began operations in the big league In the spring of 1912. and his first season was a decided success. Jimmy always had the delightful faculty of bursting into the Sensational or doing the unexpected when least expected. • ... One day, back in 1912, James proceeded to clip the wings of a certain Richard de Marquis Marquard of the New York Giants, who had been soaring through the old National at an amazing pace, having won 19 straight games. Previous to this mighty feat lavender had qualified for the job of pitching three consecutive runless games, and, although a recruit, Manager Chance considered him the proper selection. Of the many sensational pitching feats credited to Lavender his no-hit, no-run game against the New York Giants on August 31, 1915, was the masterpiece of his career.

Jimmie Lavender.