The evening world., 1908-11-09
Merkle'S Failure to Touch
Second Has Cost Him
Twenty Pounds in Weight
HE Can't Forget 1t: the
Public Can.

X n ERKLE, back in his home
VI town, says that he has wor
ried off twenty pounds
weight since the fatal day when he
failed to touch second"
This has been a terrible strain
On me-" he says, "for l can't forget
t."
Merkle Is surely to be pitied. His
misplay did directly cost the Giants
the pennant, of course, for 1t hap.
pened to come just at the crucial
moment when winning game would
have given them a safe lead, consid.
sring the cinch games to follow.
And coming as It did the play was
noticed about thousand times as much
As 1t would have been earlier in the sea-
son. Failed to touch second" became
national joke. 1t was on everybody's
tongue. No doubt Merkle heard that
hundreds OF times when the Joker didn't
know of his presence and didn't even
know him by sight.
phrase fell lightly from the tongue of
the comedian, always to bring a laugh
from everybody but the unfortunate vic
TIM He heard it on the cars and along
the streets. No wonder he Couldn't
forget It,"
The misplay in itself was nothing that
merited all this attention. In fact, it
was common play with many clubs
all through the season. Frank Chance
himself did tho same thing more than
once. But when Merkle did 1t with the
struggle so close Chance jumped in
quickly and demanded his pound Of
flesh in the strict observance OF a rule
that had become practically dead let
ter.
1t wasn't Merkle's fault so much as
that of Il manager who failed to notify
his men that foxy opponent on that
day would be looking for every possible
chance 10 base protest on a technical
The, Giants manager is a far more
experienced player than Merkle. He
knew what TO expect.
the public eye at the moment. and
whose name was linked with the joke
of the season an hour afterward.
Probably mistakes just as destructive
the game instead of at the very end OF
1t, and many time in games played
before that and afterward.
In any case, it's too bad that Merkle
need all OF his batting weight next sea-
son, when he begins to wipe that touch
second" joke off the slate.
AMENESS on the football field is
L. common thing. and. as a rule,
~ excites little comment, for there is
nothing unexpected about it.
But the variety displayed Saturday by
Lee Warren. OF Yale, in the game
against Brown is too unique TO escape
notice. With two ribs and collar bone
broken. Warren continued playing as
hard as he could without a whimper or
q sign of distress. When II was noticed
that he seemed unable 10 get into action
effectively. time was taken out and he
was told to lift his arms. He was I'M
able to do so. and quick examination
showed the damage done. When taken
out OF the game he protested and begged
to be allowed to remain on the field
until he was sent 10 the hospital, He is
out Of the game for the year. but II he
could be allowed on the field no doubt
ned go out again, splints and all,
II Cooney, the gigantic Yale lineman
is put out of the game for the season
by the injuries received Saturday il will
be tough luck for old Eli.
Injuries received by star players in the
minor games of the season have often
crippled in her smaller games Unless
HarVard's injury list grows in propor-
ton the bulldog will find the Cambridge
OUTFIT tough chewing,