Evening star., 1909-05-30
OLD MASTERS HAND
REJUvENATES 'J|GGS'
Canti|lon First to Bring Out
: Donahue as a First
BaSeman,

"Jiggs" Donahue joined the Washington
Nationals last week, says the Detroit
News. He came from Chicago and was
part of trade in which the Sox gave
Donahue, Altrock and Cravath for "Bill''
Burns He came as one who has seen
his best days: a man who has outlived
his usefulness to one locality and one
organization. The Sox had ,1ed him.
were through with him, for he was no
longer the Donahue of the days when
the Sox fought for and won a worlds
championship.
In Detroit Donahue has been playing
good ball Cantillon made him captain
of his team last week and he is doing
we'll He is getting the Nationals to-
gether and they will be better because
he is in their midst
But Donahue has been surprise. for
the change marked his rejuvenation. He
can today be regarded as a player who
came out of the discard Photographers
can again gather around first base and
snap "Jiggs'' in action as they used to
do. for Donahue is again going high in
the air and wide of the base and deep
behind first. making those stops and one
handed catches that won game after
game for the White Sox and that won
worlds title for the team of Fielder
Jones.
Joseph Did It.
Cantillon is In all probability respon-
sible for this change in Donahue, for it
was Cantillon who was originally re-
sponsible for his place in the big leagues.
Years ago "Jiggs' was playing with
Dayton, Ohio. In the Central league He
was a catcher, and one of the few left
handed backstops in the game. Later
on he went to Milwaukee, and here he
came under the management of Cantillon.
and it was Joseph who made a first
sacker out of Donahue; 1t was Joseph
who taught him the fine points of the
game as viewed from a first baseman's
point of view, and 1t was Joseph who
brought out the best there was in
Chicago secured "Jiggs' and he didn't
do SO we'll at first, but later on he
showed enough class to entitIe him to
that position. Isbell was then playing
second and Donahue's work made it
impossible for Isbell. or any one else for
that matter, to replace him there.
As a Leader.
The White Sox won the American
League pennant. while the Cubs captured
the flag in the National League. The
two teams representing one city in maj
league ball were pitted against each other
in the battle for the worlds title.
Critics believed the White. sox didn't
stand much of a show. To be frank
about it. the White Sox believed just
about the same thing that the critics
opined about them.
The members of the team held meet
ing. 1t was proposed that to keep on
the safe side and make the worlds
series profitable venture the Sox should
propose to the Cubs that The two teams
split their share of the gate receipts so
that the loser would not lose anything
but the title.
Most of the players were in favor of
the move. but that was before Donahue
spoke. He jumped to the floor and he
yelled:
'splt-split- il. We play this series
and we play it on a percentage basis
Well GO in and beat them-give them
anything? Why? Are We here for lot
of charity. Well take ours and wen
take all of 1t and our share will be the
long end of the receipts. D'you> hear
me?"
They did. The result of Donahue's
speech is base ball history.
Donahue Really Won.
Donahues share of the receipts from
the series. including Owner Comiskey's
bonus was $1.S74.3.
That is a neat sum of money to be
paid for six days work. but there are
lots of people who still insist that "Jiggs'
ought to have been given half of the
whole amount Of money divided among
the White Sox players. so brilliant was
his work
The a9,S45 fans who saw that wonder
full series of games are still talking of
Donahues great playing. Nothing that
Hal Chase has ever done approaches
the record of Jiggs in those six games
Ii is a record not shown in figures.
but record that lives in the memory Of