Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-09

popularity which Davis never has los
to this day.
There is another player in Chicago
who is an idol because of sympathy
and he does not need the sympathy {
bit, for he is abundantly able to take
care of himself. Little enough thai
affects the baseball "fan," who is de-
termined to Sympathize whether the
player care for it or not.
This man happens to be Brown, the
pitcher of the Chicago National leabue
club. Sometimes he is called "Three
Fingered Brown" An accident in
youth deprived him of a portion of his
right hand. 1t did not prevent him
from learning how to pitch a curve and
how to control the ball well.
Three-Fingered Brown
Because of his crippled hand those
who are with the under dog in the
fight always wished Brown luck on
general principles That created SEN
the Chicago fans" knew Brown was
pitching his club to the championship
That made him an idol.
He was established on a pedestal
firmly founded in the affection of the
west side of Chicago, and his fame and
his manned hand are almost as much
tradition of Chicago literature as the
long record of Mathewsons victories in
New York
Coughlin is the idol of the Detroit
baseball devotees. 1t is not because
he is a particular graceful player or a
wonderfully accurate player. 1t is his
bulldog grit that makes him popular
Coughlin has the fine faculty. in base
ball of never knowing when he is
beaten.
He may make an error one moment
that will give the other side one run,
and in the next five minutes make a
three bagger that will bring in three
runs for his side. That's why they like
Coughlin in Michigan.
There are other players who have
been worshiped by the baseball fans
of Detroit in the past-do you recall
Charlie" bennett, Lady Baldwin,
Deacon" White, Hardy Richardson
but none for whom the "bleacherites'
dig in their toes more peristently than
the swarthy skinned Coughlin.
st, Louis had an idol in 1906 who bade
fair to have a temple erected in his
honor in 1907, and 1t was solely be-
cause he could hit the ball. Stone, OF
the American team, is the chap.
Awkward of manner, clumsy in his
position at the plate, even unforceful
in his way of striking at the ball., he
managed to make more base hits than
any other man in the American league,
and the st. Louis public enjoyed him
for his clumsiness.
No matter how much the critics OF
other cities might scott at the ungrace-
full attitut.e he assumed at the plate,
St. Louis people would come back with
scornful rejoinder, well. he hits the
hall. and that's more than the others
do"
BeckIey Growing Old
ST Louis, having the better of the
argument. gradually began to worship
stones awkwardness, but, alas for the
transition of human fame, Stone has
not been hitting so well this spring,
and the foundation of the temple is
shaking.
The St. Louis National league club is
hard UP for an idol The Oldest and
best known player on the team is
Reckley. He once made boilers for a
living. and he could bat In his day so
hard that one would think he might
shatter boiler plate with the ball.
He is not the great player that he
was ten years ago, but he is so old
that st. Louis venerates him for what
he has done. Other players on the st.
Louis National league team are young
and almost unknown in National league
circles. They are aspirants for the job
of ;dol.
Two or three of them appear to be