Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-11
SPORTING COMMENT.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Is it possible that the Jeffries-Johnson
fight was a repetition of the Burns
O'Brien affair. when Burns, after agree
ing to lay down, suddenly changed his
mind and concluded to fight, thus catch
ing OBrien off his guard?
What was it that brought about this
nervous collapse which sent Jeffries into
the ring in dazed condition? Maybe the
thing was framed up for Johnson to lay
down and that for some reason Or other
he refused to go through with his end Of
the frame-up at the last minute and
Jeffries, who had not boxed, was caught
mapping. This would certainly be enough
to bring about that nervous condition.
The more one hears of the affair the
stronger grows the conviction That tie. e
was something materially wrong with ths
various angles Of the fight. Tex Richard
has said enough to variant the charge
that there was more crookedness in con-
nection with the fight than has been
shown to date. There were several per-
sons in the know at the start, and II
anything happens to displease these wise
fellows the entire facts may be brought
to the surface. =. -.
This talk of matching Frank Gotch
against Jack Johnson is about as absurd
as the story of Jeffries wanting another
chance with the champion.
Gotch Is great wrestler. but he Is no
longer boy, and it will not be an easy
matter to teach him new tricks. True, he
would probably be able to put up a bet
fries last Monday, but then that does not
prove anything. In their search for some
one to beat Johnson sCorbett and his
friends are going to MAKE a wonderful
reputation fer the colored champion and
incidentally a lot of easy money. 1t
MIGHT as we'll Ia concealed that at the
present time there is not man in the
pugilistic- game who figures to stand a
chance with Johnson. A few years OF
idleness and dissipation may give sew
eral a chance, but just now he has the
stage to himself. Gotch would be foolish
to think of entering the prize ring He
has made a wonderful reputation as a
wrestler and he could lose all this in a
single encounter with johnson.
AS for Jeffries wanting another fight,
there are reasons for believing that he
has already had one fight too many. He
will hardly attempt to re-enter the ring.
He has enough of the worlds goods to
keep him in comfort the rest Of his days.
and no one win begrudge him a life OF
rest on his farm for the remainder of his
days.
1t is doubtful. IT, there is another in
stance in. base ball where the pitching
STATS of several teams have gone to
In the present campaign.
Pittsburg, for instance, was strong on
the slab last year. yet has shown little
or nothing this year. If ever. there was
a team which had great pitchers 1t was
the Cubs, and yet that team is now weak
on the rubber. The same Is true Of De-
troit, and on the whole the pitching in
both major league circuits is far below
last years standard. There must be a
reason for this. and the fact that the
regulation ball now contains cork instead
of rubber may have had much to do with
the weakness shown by most pitchers.
Not only is the ball now in use mostly
out of shape after it has been hit few
times, but the pitchers claim that it is
harder to pitch for the reason that il
does not curve or shoot as did the old
ball.
Whether there is anything in these
claims is not known, but certain 1t is
that the ball now used by the major
leagues is not near as good an article as
it was when rubber and not cork was
used.
The scarcity of competent umpires is
hest illustrated by the fact that trouble is
being found in trying to fill the vacanc:e
created by the resignation of Sheridan an1
the illness of KERN. Excepting Bill Di'
neen, none of the members Of Ban John
sons staff have been ball players. but IN
the future these places will be filled by
men who have outlived their usefulness or
the diamond. There was a time when the
retired ball player did not make gooo
umpire. as. rule. but the caliber of the
men then playing ball was much d1neren'
| from what it is today. 1t would seem bu'
! just that when after years of service 9
man finds that he can no longer deliver