The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1910-08-11

FRANK PFEFFER, Cub pitcher,
i probably has the most thankless
job that a ball player could have.
Every afternoon Frank gets on the
slab. But no thousands cheer him
and the ball game does not hinge upon
whether the batter gets a single or
Is famed. For 1t is the time of the
batting practise.
It's thankless job, when you come
to think of it-this pitching to batters
during the practise For Is minutes
you stand out there pitching the best
you have.
One after another your pals walk up
to the plate, take a swing at the ball,
and the next man comes up. No in
terest, no excitement. Just the mo-
notony of serving balls to brighten
the batting eyes of the regulars.
Pfeffer,. although he joined the
teams in the spring, has not started
game this year. He has finished
several, but only after they had been
hopelessly lost.
The Cub regulars have an idea that
IL Pfaffer has ever the opportunity
that he could start and win his own
game. That's the opinion Of the fell
lows who bat against him in the prac-
tise every day. And, maybe, some
time Frank will have that opportunity.
He's waiting for it.
Meanwhile, If there is any man who
works without pay it is the pitcher
who does nothing but pitch in the
preliminary batting practise. It's
work for him without any Of the ex-
element, without any of the applause
that is given to the pitcher out there
lighting to win a game for his team.
Pfeffer was a University Of Illinois
man once, but signed with the Cubs,
and then was traded to Boston, only
to be taken back later. He Is the
style of man and baseball player that
Chance admires.
While you are talking about the
star shortstops of the American
league don't forget Jack Barry Of the
.,thletics. In Philadelphia they say
he is the best in either league. In
Boston this Is disputed. They say
Wagner of the Speed Boys is the real
thing. Detroit thinks Ownie Bush has
1t on either of them. But this fell
low Barry goes along taking care Of
the hard ones, delivering hits when
they are wanted and playing an all
round sensational game. It's a great
question. who's the best shortstop this
year. but at any rate Barry will have
to be figured in the running.
Ever hear of a baseball game being
forfeited twice in the same day and
on each occasion to a different
team?
1t sounds, like pipe dream from
the Winter Fireside league, but 1t
actually happened last Fourth of July
in Mobile. Ala. in the Southern
league.
Charlie Franks New Orleans Pei
leans were scheduled to play two
games with Mobile on Independence
day, one in the morning and the 9TH
er in the afternoon. It Is a league
rule that the two games on all holi-
days shall be played this way, and all
the receipts are pooled ana divided
equally among the clubs.
The Mobile management wanted to
play a doubleheader in the afternoon,
and thought that Manager Frank
would agree to 1t, as 1t would mean
more money. But they failed to get
permission to do this from the league
directors.
It SO happened that Frank needed
games In the won" column at that
time more than he did a few extra
simoleons. So he told the Mobile man.
agement that he was going to play
morning and an afternoon game. But
they laughed at him.
At ten o'clock Frank and his Pelican
flock rode out to the ball field with
Umpire Billy Carpenter in tow. Be-
fore they arrived there the Mobile
club got wind of 1t and had the park
locked. A deserted and locked park
greeted the Pelicans on their arrival,
but Frank ordered everyone to scale
the 12-foot fence How the Peli.
cans, and especially chubby Charlie
Frank, got over the fence is a ques-
ton, but they few over all right.
Umpire Carpenter refused to partici.
pate in SO undiginfied an affair. So
the players opened one Of the gates
and let him in. Otto Hans pitched
three balls over the plate, and Car
penter forfeited the game to New Or
leans. The team then went back to
the hotel.
The Mobile management had ad-
vertised a double-header and the
park was crowded to the overflow in
the afternoon. New Orleans won the
first game and then started to leave
the field. The Mobile club oficials
had gotten next to the umpire and