Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-08
GEORGE FOx'S DISCONTINUE
WHEN THE FAMOUS BATSMAN
FAILED TO HIT A CURVE BALL.

"The short story artist of The Star who
each week gives us a sketch Of the long
ago sports certainly pleases us old fell
lows. for personally know of nothing that
tickleS my fancieS more than these remi-
niscences." was the remar kof Mr.. James
A. Sample the bar ker and financier. Mr..
Sample in his youthful days was an
athlete and as a member or the old Ma
tional team made a record as a first
class ball player.
81 we'll remember the days when curve
pitching was first talked about. and
though Jimmy Bangs of the Eagles may
have been the first pne to do the trick in
public. Arthur Cummings of New York
got the credit as he pitched his first
curve balls in a game against the Junior
Nationals on the White Lot on 1863 Cum
mings then pitching for the Junior tx
celsiors of New York.
Il was greatly interested and much
pleased with the sketch of George Fox
couple of weeks ago. and can bear testi-
mony to his fame as the greatest bats
man the game has ever possessed, and
agree heartily with the statement that his
equal has never been seen. One OF the
funny incidents in the history OF the old
Nationals was Fox's first experience with
curve pitching. When curve pitching be-
gan to be the real thing in team work,
strange to say the junior organizations
were the first to practically demonstrate
its worth and Washington was the
pioneer in the movement. Leaving out
the claim of Jimmy Bangs, as his own
catcher in those DAYS. Dick Mclean, did
not really understand what made the ball
take its peculiar move. the first practical
use of curve pitching was made by
junior team called the Pacific against
those clever youngsters of the Creighton
club. The PacifcS were anxious to de-
feat their rivals and they secured
pitcher from Baltimore named Charley
Tucker ana put him in against the
Creightons He demonstrated the value
of curve pitching SO successfully that the
clever Creightons were defeated IA to 3,
and Tucker had fourteen strike outs.
Just about this time. or later in the
season. a tramp pitcher rolled into WASH
ing. and making known his ability as a
ball player soon found employment and
a place on the old National team. He
gave out that his name was Pete Ban
non and that he had trick pitching down
to a science. One evening a lot of the
old fellows were discussing Pete's won
derful shoots. and some one remarked
that he would bet wine that Fox could
knock them all over the lot on any and
all occasions. The supporters of Ban
mons new style were mighty eager to
take up and make the wager.
Fox at that period was devoting more
time to rowing than to base ball, having
Joined the Potomac Boat Club. and was
a member of its champion crew, but one
day he came out to the grounds, got into
uniform and went out for practice, as he
wanted to keep in trim. though practically
out of the game. He was swatting the
ball for keeps from the delivery of Stud
ley. Dignan. Hicks and others who were
practicing in the box. and had things all
his own way until big Pete Bannon walk
ed out of the clubhouse and began TO
Timber up his immense big arm. left
handed Phil Baker being at the receiving
line. Fox watched Bannon pitch for
a while and then remembering that some
of his friends wanted him to show how
easy it was to hit such pitchers invited
Bannon to shoot them over. Now Fox
was mighty swatter I'D to that day and
no slabman ever got away from him with
credit. but
Say 1t isn't fair to relate. Bannon
pitched rings all around the king of bats
men and | assure you Fox didn't so much
as get a tin off of Bannon that day. No
one enioyed it more than he himself, for
it was a condition. not a theory. that
made him admit that Bannon. as a pitch
err. was superior to Fox the batsman. 1t
was a most enjoyable affair and the gang
certainly was tickled at FoX's discom-
future.
but this first essay at the curve and
his fall down only stirred Fox up, and
he and BanlOn used to practice right
often after that and it was not long be-
fore he had mastered the curves and was
once again able to hit them all over the
lot.
They were great days" said Mr.
Sample. land | am thankful The Star is
recalling them to us old residenters once
again..