Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-31
GETTING LAVE CROSS
Tim Murnane Declares It
Was a Ten-Strike.
HIS WORK AT THIRD
DANGER OF LETTING GOOD MEN
LEAVE A TEAM
Philadelphia Experience With Billy
Hamilton and Chicago's With
Clarkson and Kelly Recalled.
BY T. Fl. MURNANE.

Has Washington made a ten-strike in
securing Cross? There can be no mistake
about it. Cross Is a winning ball player,
and the QuakeTs' loss will be the Nation
ais gain. No third baseman puts up the
constant brilliant work that Cross does.
and for timely hitting Lajo.e alone has
matched this well-rounded veteran. Always
in shape, with the fine points OF the game
at his fingers tips, and with nerve to
spare, Lave Cross is the ideal ball player,
and Washington Will stand much higher in
the race as the result OF the deal with
Messrs. Shibe and Mack.
Cross was a shining success as a captain,
for he was forced to get good work out OF
very ordinary ball players, and the glory,
often distributed TO Connie Mack was in a
large measure due to Mr.. Cross and his
clever handling OF men on the ball field.
Harry Davis is to take the place made
vacant by Lave Cross. All, no. Davis is
not in the same class with the man from
Cleveland. Harry is a good ball player,
but needs an overseer while In uniform.
His felfoW-playerS cannot have the same
respect even should he prove only the
mouthpiece of Manage Connie. Lave Cross
will be missed in the Quaker city, where he
had great army of friends and admirers.
Cross will make tie hit of his life at Wash
ington. He Will do fielding stunts that
will set the fans wild and make the Oldest
inha bitants quit work
Did you ever notice Lave Cross after
walking in the field for practice? The first
thing he does Is to walk about one-third of
the way from third to the home plate, and
make a mark across the base path with the
toe or his shoe. This mark is to guide him
in his work on ground balls. for any bali
that he goes by this mark to pick up he
will never even attempt to throw to first.
It's sort of dead line with the player. He
is the only ball player that 1 ever noticed
working with this system.
Connie Mack may pick up a fast young
man and pull along, for, after all, it's the
Quakers' pitchers that pulled the Athletics
through. and without Bender and Plank in
good form, with the Rube for an outside
chance, the Quakers are not a good ball
team.
club that brought the championship to Bos-
ton. The Phillies were close to the top
each season, and thought they might land
the pennant II they only had a good cap
tain Boston had Capt Billy Nash, but
figured that Jimmie Collins was doing such
phenomenal work for Louisville that he
would be the man for third, thus leaving
Billy Nash out of the reckoning Billy
Hamilton was wanted to hit up the run.
getting qualities smooth Frank Selee
never lost an opportunity to tell the
Quaker fans and newspaper men that all
the Quakers wanted was a good captain,
and Frank, in his goodness of heart. finally
said he would trade Nash for Hamilton
The Quakers took the bait most beautifully
about down and out, while Hamilton was
playing a whirlwtnd engagement, and filled
the bill to fraction. Hugh Duffy was on
hand to captain the team. In fact, for sew
eral years Duffy received as much extra
money for acting as assistant captain as
Billy Nash received for doing the number
one turn. Seee had made winning move
and the way the new Boston combination
pulled off couple of championships, even
against Hanlans Baltimore wonders, was
a treat for the base ball fraternity Collins
and Hamilton proved wonders while VIII
in the Quaker village, and soon went to the
grazing ground, with a story to tell and
the Philadelphia team played like lot OF
deck hands
Sale of Clarkson and Kelly.
In 'S5 and SO Chicago won the champion
ship with Arson in command, and the old
with a lot of cowboys, so he advertised
to sell any player that he had Mike Kelly
and John Clarkson were sold to Boston for
$4,000 each, and the league club of Chi
cago has never won a pennant since that
time. One great player means everything
to ball club
Last season the Boston Americans started
out with the same team that won the
championship Of the year before. with ex-
ira new material, and made but two
changes in the team. TO find trouble to
land in the first division. The chances are
ten to one that Boston would have made
hne race with the original bunch had the
line been left In proper form.
Two players Of equal strength Will prove
valuable to one club and O handicap to
monkey with q winning combination In
base ball. or, in fact, in any other business