Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-26
Iand VIII Not Drop Cy --latest Sporting News and Comment
SPORTING COMMENT.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

Whether the recent charges of Charley
Murphy against Garry Hermann and
Barney Dreyfuss will result in anything
more serious than a typewriter contro-
versy remains to be seen. The public has
learned not to take these squabbles be-
tween base ball magnates very seriously.
Time and again it has been shown that
these men can apparently come to the
verge of causing a disruption Of the base
ball structure only to sit together at a
love feast the very next day.
But the Murphy charges are perhaps
more serious than anything of the kind
ever recorded in the history of the game.
He charges that Hermann and Dreyfuss
are in league with Ban Johnson to wreck
the Cubs and bring about a twelve-club
monopoly. The scheme does not look
plausible, but Murphy says so over his
own sigma ture. and one would suppose
that Hermann and Dreyfuss would be de-
cidedly anxious to have an investigation
so that if Murphy cannot prove what he
charges he can be punished.
The impression that c. p. Taft is Muir
phys hacker is undoubtedly erroneous.
Murphy beyond question owns the con-
trolling interest in the Chicago club. The
money which Mr.. Taft advanced him has
long since been paid back, and if Taft re-
tains any interest in the Chicago club it
is small one only.
That Murphy has been a detriment to
base ball is generally admitted. But 1t will
he no easy matter to get rid of him. He
has property rights which he can pro-
tect.
Murphy has been a really remarkable
success in base ball. That must be con-
coded. In the five years that he has
been at the head of the Chicago club four
pennantS have been won. True, he had
Il great ball team, but under his regime
the team was built UP. Trades which as
founded the public followed one another,
until the Cubs were finally conceded to
be a great base ball machine.
But his snuccess has had the effect of
making him too Independent for his own
good. and his latest outbreak should not
be allowed to go by unnoticed.
According to Charley Hickman, Nc
Aleer did not miss anything when he
failed to draft Pitcher Nagel, who was
recently purchased by the Pittsburg club.
Nagel. according to Hickman, is too
major league pitcher. He was q member
of the Toledo team with Hickman two
years ago. and. while he undoubtedly
knew lot about the art OF decefv1ng
the batters. he lacked the stamina to go
through an entire game. OF course. two
years may have made a great difference
in the youngster, but he is said to be but
little taller than Kid Elberfeld and
weighs no more than 40 pounds.
That the Cleveland club should deny
the reported release of Cy Young is not
surprising. Young is too good a pitcher.
even this Iate in his career. and most
valuable attraction, to be allowed to slip
may be expected to pitch just as success
fully next season as he has In recent
years. and that would be good enough to
allow him to hold his job.
Unless Al Kaufman has reason for be-
lieving that he will not be seriously hurt
or his reputation blemished by his intend
ed match with Jack Johnson. he is MAX
colored champion. Kaufman has never
shown enough to warrant his fighting
Johnson. There are others not so high
up in the game whom he would do we'll
to first dispose of before aspiring so
high. If johnson and Kaufman meet In
France OF England the bout will be view
ed with suspicion, for good Judges have
contended right along that Kaufman
would have to improve materially before
he would stand a chance with Johnson.
Only the development Of many young
sters will change the cmplexion Of the
American League teams next season. AS
matters now stand most Of the teams
will toe the scratch made up almost
identically as they finished the last sea-
son. There will be a switch or two here
and there. but there will be decidedly few
new faces.
1t may be that there will be an abnor-
mally large number Of young players to
break into the game. but that would be
unusual, for as a ruler only very small
percentage of the players brought up
from the small leagues make good in fast
company.
Mc.Aleer's team, for instance, is not apt
to undergo a single change, so far as
new faces are concerned. for it is ex-
tremely doubtful If any of the young
sters secured will be able to shove the
veterans out of BERTH
Winning the lightweight championship
cannot have been as profitable to Ad
Wolgast as it has been to other holders
of the title. From the time that the
Michigan lad got the decision over Bat
thing Nelson he has virtually been in re-
tirement, not even appearing on ahe stage,
as has been the custom for getting reve-
nue. for most champions. An injured
wrist is given by Wolgast as the reason
for his idleness. Whatever the cause.
there is no doubt that in the matter of
gathering some of the worlds goods
Wolgast has been decidedly unfortunate.
and it is not at all unlikely that his
title will he lost the very next time he
steps into the ring.