Evening star., 1909-02-14
PLAYERS
Who CAN FIGHT
Moriarity Seems to Have the
Call as the Best "Scrap-
per" in Base Ball.

If the Browns, through trade or pur-
chase. should conclude the trade whereby
Pitcher Frank Smith Of the Sox becomes
part and parcel of that club the st. Louis
Americans will boast possession OF the
man who. at least in his own opinion.
can whip anybody in the base ball world
today.
Smith has frequently broken into the
fight world with challenges to professional
boxers. Presumably he can fight. At
any rate his prospective opponents saved
themselves the trouble Of finding out by
declining to meet him.
This was the fate of his most recent
challenge to Champion johnson. about
which there fingers a mean suspicion that
Frank was looking for a losers end in
exchange for a knockout. At any rate.
for his temerity in challenging he has
acquired certain bigness about the torso
when talking Of his fight prowess that
has SO far prevented any Of his mates
from pressing the question too far. He
might really be loaded. you know.
That Smith is by no means invincibIe.
despite his great strength. George Davis
demonstrated. Smith had habit OF
choking, playfuliy CD the other MEM
bers of the club on training trips. ne
tried 1t on Davis once and that old lion
turned on him and gave him a pretty
trimming. Smith had to beg for mercy.
Many critics have been quoted as say
ing that other men could whip Frank
Smith should they meet in a pugilistic
battle. Moriarity seems to have the first
call as the best ''scrapper" and his repu-
tation comes from the minors, where, it
IS said, he liked to fight as well as play
ball. At indianapolis one day Moriarity
got into an argument with some Of the
Indianapolis players. AS soon as the
game fas over he went to the Hoosier
bench and offered to whip the entire
the players jumped Moriarity, while Ed
Barrows. their manager. was coaching
them. Moriarity beat the six and then.
just to show that he was still full of
fight went al Barrows. VINO could handle
himself pretty well.
Charley Schmidt has many supporters,
as has John Anderson. The latter is quite
a wrestler and is one Of the strongest men
In the league.
About the most respected man on the st.
Louis American League team Is Bobby
Wallace, as any one who has had any
dealings with the hardy Scot will testify
Wallace, though small. Is one OF the
fastest men in the game with his foot
work and is quite clever man with the
gloves Having wonderful constitution
also materially helps the Browns short
stop. Smith is heavier than Wallace and
maybe In rough h-and-tumble would whip
hhOdy.
Jimmy Williams is another ball PLAYER
who would not turn his other cheek to
man If one had been slapped. and
many in st. Louis would wager even
money that the former Gothamite could
whip as many players as the next. There
is no telling what ''Dode" Criss would
do If he were ever awakened enough to
really mix with a player, and as a rule
this type OF man is dangerous II once
aroused. Powel1s weight eliminates him.
but in his prime John was dangerous
antagonist
The story goes that Zimmerman whip
ped a whole clubhouse full OF Cubs and
was looking for more when the Cubs
were on the down grade early last sum-
mer. Sheckard was the worst sufferer
and 1t Is said that Chance was a little
the worse for wear after his inter-
view. Del Howard ran to the clubhouse
in an effort to help his manager and Zim-
norman met him at the door. Heine asked
him what he wanted and when Howard
saw Zimmerman's "phiZ" retreated