El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-09
By Sam
Crane
OF New York American

busiest was more of an upheaval.
But still nothing could be seen OF
Jiggs. Finally, a venturesome player
Ndecided to Investigate, and following
feeble crys for help, Jiggs was finally
located He was held firmly as In
a vice by the whiskers that had got
tangled up in a mass Of 1horns- Jiggs
had to be sawed out of his predicament,
and in doing so the majority OF his
whiskers were left in the Jungle
The report of the horrible disaster
spread throughout the country. and
that meant the death Of whiskers for
ball players.
when Mustacaes Went Out.
But there was still the 'mustaches-
PLAYERS did really hate TO part with
those beauty spots Tim Deefe's was
the envy Of his fellow players and the
delight of the fair sex. Johnny Wond' 5
blonde adornment was a peach, but 1t
was the long, flowing mustaches OF
handsome Jim O'Rourke that caused
The most fluttering in feminine hearts
and envy among the men folks And It
was nothing else than those same Nm
O'Rourke's mustaches that caused the
final effacement of all mustaches from
ball players faces. Fred Titus, Of the
present Phillies was the last player to
hold on TO his mustache, but as soon
as he got married he had it shaved OIL
His wife laughed at it.
1t is a pathetic story-the tragedy
that brought about the effacement of
the mustache.
Mustache In His Eyes.
Jim O'Rourke, left fielder of the
Giants at the time of the tragedy. was
playing the same sun field az the Polo
grounds that now bothers Josh De
Josh no mHStachR TO
deceive US. Well. one day when Old
Sol was more than generally generous
with his beams, q ball was knocked
into OROurke's territory. 1t was a
most exciting stage of the game. If
the fly was caught, the Giants would
win, but if the bali was missed dire
defeat for the Giants and victory for
the detested Chicago White Stockings.
and the Giants closest and bitterest RI
vals 1t had been an intensely exciting
game. and the score was to ] in the
Giants favor up to the climax that
marked the fly nit 80 O'Reprke. There
we're TWO Ehla goans out am man
on third and one on second The p
was an east one and the spectators
jumped to their feet with hewis of joy
the victory was won. but not quite
O'Rourke muffed the ball, two Chica-
COS scurried over the plate and defeat
as the Giants portion.
Another blow up growled the
fans.
ORourke slowly and disconsolately
went to the clubhouse muttering big
words to himself as was his custom.
Well. what was tie matter. jim?
You ought to have eaten that ball IN"
chirped captain Buck Ewing
YES, 1 know ii cap" replied Jim,
''but my mustache blew in my eyes"
1,o4 h olaa Tor
and all with ball players
OutfieId Playing.
The outfield playing ,of today is
hardly up to hat it was in the earlier
days of baseball. In the infield the
present day style is faster, for they
have more speed boys now than for
merly. and also the great advantage
that goes with the feeders glove. But
the best individual infielders Of today
are no better, if as good. as those of
a quarter of a century ago
Ed. WiHiamsons, Jerry Dennys. Jack
GIasscocks. Fred Pfeffersl Danny
Richardson's Club Sullivans. Charley
Comiskeys, Arlie Lathams and other
crack infielders of % years past were
possibly superior in many ways TO the
stars of today in the same positions.
Ed. Williamson has never been sur
passed in the all around ability that
goes to make a crackerjack shOrtstop,
and neither has Jack Glasscock, '.Pebby
Jack who. although he wore a num-
Der cap, was all there when it was up
to him to play baseball
Jerry Denny was the best third
baseman of his gay. He was two
handed player. And mind you never
wore a glove when he was at his best
Either TO the right or left he was just
as good ana mis- overland scoops" of
hand, but grounders were famous
There was Tommy Burns too who
was just as good third baseman as
there is playing ball today.
Johnny Evers or Eddie Collins never
had anything on Fred Pfeffer or Dam
ME Richardson or Fred Dunlap in field
ing the second base position, or in head
work either. and Evers is considered
one of the orainiest players today
and he is
Hats Off to Chase.
AS 70 first basemen, all hats must !
come off to Hal Chase, of the New York /
Americans. He has never been even /
approached in playing the initial bag |
But there were great first basemen in J
Charley Comiskey, who first made first |
base fielding position Long John" /
Reilly, Al McKinon, and Club" Sull !
van. Dan BpoUthers. Roger Conner |
and Cap" Arson were first basemen !
but not great fielders. But my, how |
they could wallop the ball, One does |
not see batsmen Of their caliber now ]
adays, and the pitchers box in the days |
when that big trio Of hitters were in /
their prime was only IS feet away from |
the home plate. Now ii is So.
But is was in the outfield that the |