Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 226, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 September 1919 — BASEBALL STORIES [ARTICLE]

BASEBALL STORIES

Jack Lelivelt may be slow afoot, but he can still whale the apple. * • • Pitcher Smith of the Phillies seems to be a member of that famous family of hitters. George Shestak, catcher, recently out of the army, has joined the St. Joseph team. » ♦ • Harry Harper is after the title of hard luck champion pitcher of the American league. r? * ♦ ♦ If there is anything in a name, Ponder, the Pittsburgh pitcher, should keep the opposition guessing. ♦ * ♦ Pitcher Oscar Harstad, who spent last year- in a ship yard, has been taken on by Portland and is trying to come back. « • * Manager Branch Rickey doesn’t appear on the coaching lines at all. He uses the wigwag system entirely. The players make up for Rickey’s modesty. • * • Walter McCredle says the spitball should be abolished In the Pacific Coast league, which is a pretty good sign that McCredle has no spitball on his pitching staff. Carrying two first basemen on a club Is a novelty. That’s what, the Pittsburgh club Is doing and Manager Bezdek shows no signs of letting either Saier or Mollwitz go. * • • Whatever happened to Hi Jasper to make him shine like a star is something that maybe Clarence Rowland can answer. At any rate he has a ball that has fooled batters pretty well so far. ~ /• * * Well, so it goes. Between 1910 and 1916 Philadelphia put forward five pennant winners, including thre< world series champions. Now look and see what carbuncle Fate has slipped her for a change. ~ . ♦ • • Joe Wood declared a year or so ago that he never would pitch another game. Now, however, he has had a change of heart and has volunteered to take his turn in the box if Manager Fohl thinks he can make it.