The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-12


arm won't do for pitching, he can't throw
70 second, and he goes to the field fnr
he. .lme. After the arm RECEIVERS he las
s,avs ,h enamored of the field rcsi,icn,
| Oh ms ability or he is forced into The
gap somewhere through sudden injury
70 another mans and likes the jol or
ne changes tcr a dozen mlsccilancous
.s"s9hs-the reasons Gont matter brt
me fact remains that he catches no more
anu no Longer shoots in the festive curve
h., az rue No eA.eatcher. accustomed AS
ne u 70 taxing thrown balls OF every
nl a, ana heishi, and to hard throwing.
, mt.hes me pest Holder, but many an ex-
| p'icner IL doing well today
nave been in their present nos!tions so
ionu that their battery lineage can hardly
ne Traced but few names can he men,
base bah history.
Take the Chicago club. Uncle Anso n
osed TO catch--can do pretty we'll there
now. Decker has caugh, many game.
Evertt was baokstop once So was
E'il Jango Ryan was n pitcher. Flynn
Vas The catcher of the Lncolns here on
Jennings vas catcher. Rctiz caught and
pitched t. he !, here b, rS,i in the CITY league.
pitcher. Mailman was a catcher. Cross
and Boyle were star catchers tin they
took to the inficld.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, Inc star nattcr, was
o fair sort of n pitcher. Shearon was u
failure IN the box.
Bosion-puffy caught in Massa chu>etts
az hoy. The majority of native Eastern
PLAYERS were "sandlotS" catchers at the
aye of IL.
Brooklyn-Daly was n catcher. So was
Bonner. Schoch has been behind the bat
Foutz was long a twiriins star. La
chance gas a heavyweight hackstcp
Pittsburg- Stencil caught for Arson in
lsN. smith was a. pitcher for many
years Rcrbauer was u catcher Dono-
van ,red to pitch and would not do.
New YorlS-s;leason pitched clear UP to
last season. Connanghton caught III mi
nor leagues, George Davis began as a
er. Van i,altren was originally Il catcher
then turned artist of curves and finally
went to the field
.Cincinnati-,Buck Ewing cnught tn his
glass arm took possession. Germany Smith
was u fair lsackstop.
ST. Louis-Dowd caught at college and
Cooley caught in Kansas.
Naslsington- vas the. backstop
Of Racine college. Selbach caught for sew
erai years.
F'itsimmons' right to the mIidleweight
championship Is unauestioned, but his as
sumption of the heavyweight champion
shin is not generally allowed. His claim
to it is based on his victory over Peter
Mahcr. The latter was given the title by
Corbett. hut the American public has
never recognized Corbetts right To give
It away. Corbett fought for and won the
championship properly. but sporting. au-
thori,ies have always maintained that
while lie had q perfect RICH, 10 retire. ne
championship mus; he fought for III the
ring before IT could be claimed by any
body else This view Of the matter makes
Corbelt still the American heavyweight
champion, but he must get l'itzsi:nmons
In the ring in some manner or other and
give him a good ,hraah!ng before he will
.:,in the r,rpStipa he had altar his. great
victory over John l.. sullivan four years
ago.
George Dixon is tha greatest pugilstlc
champion the prize ring has ever seen. He
defeated Cal Mccarthy for the feather
weight championship in 1891 and has Sic
cossfully defended the title ever since Abe
Willis, the Australian champion; Nunc
Wallace. the English champion, and hun,
dreds of American fighters have received
their qu.ctus from him i'll the last five
years. Dixon's victories over Willis and
Wallace established his claim to the
worlds feathcrw' light belt. and he Is the
only real champion in the ring today. Cor
bet and Fits lmmons are bptn claiming
tho American heavyweight championship
and the pair will have to meet In the ring
and settle the question OF supremacy be-
fore either will have u clear title.
Peter Jackson gained the championship
of Australia by his victory over Paddy
Slavin. and his defeat of Jem Smith gave
him Il clear title to the English heavy
weight championship Although jackson
has not fought any since he beat SlaYln.
h. is still recognized In England as the
champion OF that country and Australla.
jackson tried 10 get on Il match WITH coz
hctt, but the American was not very any
ous to accommodate him. CorDrtt mas |
claimed the worlds championship. hut nc
viii never be recognized as such Until lie
IS ever light again, but until he Te'lres ar |
ies Corbrit or Fitzsimmons VIII never DC
lble to show an ,unclouded right to the
pugilistic premiership.
For years the prize ring was dominated |
over by tho three Jacks, namely; Jack |
McAuliffc, the lightweight champion Jack |
Dempsey, tho middlcwelGht champion.
md tho great John l.. Sullivan. tlto was
he acknowledged champion of cham
liops. Dempsey was the first to fan. lie
net his Waterloo when he went up against
Fnzsimmons. "Lanky Bob was com
,ara tive stranger to the American pubic |
II that time. and his victory over the idol
zed Dempsey came like IL thunderclap out
IF "A clear sky The supposed invincible
iicaliy speaking McAuliffe IL stu the |
irhtweight champion. bu! his poor show
ng with Young Critic and ''kid Lavishe
las taken all the luster out OF his title
McAuliffe's great rival In the lightweight
class is George Lavisne. the Saginaw
Kid" as he la called. Lavlgne's showing
against Joe Walcott last year demon
,trated that he was a wonderful fighter
and when he had McAuliffe nearly OIL,
n their recent bout It Was acknowledged
hat he was the coming lishtwcisht, Me
Aul,iie is now at Hot Springs conditioning
himself go that In case he is matched 10
iEht l.syIgne he viii be in some shape 70
rain for a long battle. That Lavisne VIII
dive him the night OF his life Is gcnerni.y
Conceded by even McAuliiie's friends VI
curse McAuline was ~ no shape for
ieht when he boxed Layigne in NeM
I ork, but at the same time ne was iiol SO
lgd!y out of condition as some people Pro.
ess 10 believe He made great nsht
While his wind lasted, after which he com
nenced TO lose ground. Lavisne had MN
;oing in the last round and accordingly
many seem To think he will have sake
walk" when the pair meet TO hn'sn ihih
nay he so and II may moi, but McAu-
mes friends will be found backing their
avortc Just tho same when the pair
ome together again.
The welterweight championship has
,een vacant since Tommy Ryan met de-
49, t,a,a, ~ KID Mr(soy True, l