The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-14
PUGILlSTS.
The Heavyweights
Are Now Paired Up.
COLLEGE BASE BALL
Work With Candidates at
Harvard and Yale.

With Tom Sharkey matched to meet
Charlie Mitchell. and Jim Jeffries down
on the books to fight Bob Fitzsimmons,
the heavyweight asprants for a now
unsettled championship seem fairly we'll
paired off. Jim Corbett and Peter Ma
her can no longer be seriously consid-
cred In any discussion of the heavy
weight championship, and kid Nc
Coy's recent defeat at the hands of Tom
sharkey, disposes of him, for the time
being at least. 1t does look, however,
as though ultimately Tom Sharkey and
Bob Fitzsimmons must meet before the
public viii be really satisfied as to who
Us the better man. Sharkey ought to
be able to whip Mitchell hands down,
and dim Jeffries is meeting little too
stiff game when he encounters F'itzsim-
mons, provided the big fellow has not
gone back since his Carson City fight.
With Sharkey and Fitzsimmons con
uuerors of their men they must be
brought together.
Sharkey is disappointed that he is not
booked to fight Fitzsimmons instead of
Charlie Mitchell, and Lanky Bob him
self would undoubtedly prefer meeting
the sailor to Jeffries. The only stumbl-
ing block to the match was the attitude
or Sharkeys manager, Tom O'Rourke,
VINO persisted that Sharkey should not
fight before November while Julian, in
behalf OF the Australian, desired the
Hght as soon as possible. Sharkey'S own
wishes were not consulted in the mat
Ter, else the fight would have been ar
ranged, for he told a Spy representa-
tive, when here a week ago tonight,
mat he was anxious to meet Fitzsim-
mons, and the sooner the meeting the
better he would like it.
FftzsimmonS was in the wrong end
OF the argument when he assumed to
dictate the time to Sharkey, and from
polite standpoint. Tom O'Rourke had
pre-eminent right to act as he
did However. with sharkey fair
ly spelling for chance to
get at Bob, that polite right might
have been waived without any loss of
prestige on O'Rourke's part. 1t is easy
TO see that O'R0urke was killing more
than one bird when he matched Shark
ey against Charlie Mitchell the fight to
take place in England O'Rourke has
long had a secret desire in his heart
TO go to England at the head of a troop
OF American pugilists. and when Nit
cheH-the perennial Charles who has
fallen in the ring before John L. Sulli-
van, James j. Corbett and others
stated his desire to fight Sharkey,
hourke saw his opportunity and
quickly accepted
O'Rourkes stable of American box
el's, when he sails for the other side
VIII probably include George Dixon, Joe
Walcott and George Byers. Peddlar
Palmer, the English bantam. has been
hankering after bout with the colored
wonder and the National Sporting Club
or London has offered a fair sized purse
Tor 2O-round bout between the two
This would mean a battle for the
worlds championship, and should prove
one of the most skilful battles in the
history of the ring Palmer has not
peen lighting as long as Dixon and
since 93 has not met defeat. He fought
one sIX-round draw with Dixon in 80
IN New York, and the experience gained
in that bout makes him think he can
dispose of George the next time they
come together.
Base bah practice at both Harvard
and Yale is now on in earnest, and the
students are all hoping that varsity
teams of better ability than represented
the two institutions in 9S may be de-
Neloped. Capts. Haughton and De
Saulles find themselves confronted with
almost identical conditions Gradua-
ton has made inroads into the playing
strength of both teams and at each
college the vacancies must be filed
from the ranks of the '9S freshmen
rather than from the substitutes of a
year ago. At Harvard, Capt. Rand
burgess, Hayes and Robinson are out
OF college, while at Yale, Greenway,
Ha2en and Fearey are now possessors
OF degrees and no longer available can
dtdates. Al Harvard. too one or two
OF the mainstays of the 90 team al
though still in college, are not counted
upon as probable members of the team
Reid. who did the catching so salts
factorily last year. has been told by
Father Reid that he cannot play the
game next spring.
The pitching problem is serious at
each college. Greenway's graduation
leaves big hole in the Yale team
While Harvard is badly in need of
one or two good twirlers. There are
plenty of willing candidates, but, I'M
fortunately such men do not always
develop into pitchers OF varsity stand
ard. They are saying great things at
Harvard about a young freshman by
the name of Raymond, who came to
the front rapidly in the fall practice
and has caught the eye of Ed. Lewis,
who Will look after the pitchers until
he is obliged to join the Boston club.
However, early predictions regarding
pitchers have often been found later
TO be incorrect, and the students are
not inclined to bank upon the phenom
until he has shown some steady work
Harvard and Yale will both take
southern trips this year, playing south
ern college during the Easter Vaca-
ton. Yale will start ten days earlier
than ever before, being scheduled to
leave New Haven March 30, which
means that the men will haN e had very
little opportunity for outdoor work.
Harvard will start a few days later.
This southern trip is planned princi-
pally as a means of ascertaining Just
the ability of the likely new men, and
Coaches Carter of Yale and Frothing-
ham of Harvard are hoping to find
among the green material more than
one good man. This must be done if
either college is to be strong on the
diamond in 80.
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