Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-08
BY Billy Evans.


The hardest lesson for any athlete to
learn. Is when to retire.
1t is next to impossible to convince
some broken down wrestler that his
days as q grappler are over.
Its almost worth your life to argue
with a once great fighter that he Is all
In and should retise on his laurels.
Its just as foolhardy to try and I'm
press on some ball player or umpire that
his best days are over and that he Is
rapidly going back.
For some reason or other every athlete
In every branch Of sport can seldom be
made to realize that he IL hitting the
toboggan and should make room for the
younger generation. They all insist In
clinging to the belief that they were never
better. that next year they will come back
stronger than ever, that they never were
more valuable to the respective teams.
Perhaps no fighter ever enjoyed more
popularity with the sporting public than
Battling Nelson. His willingness to meet
all contenders for his title, his policy Of
always fighting on the square. his game
ness under any and all conditions. made
him big favorite. Nelson's proudest
boast however until his Moran bout was
that he had never been knocked out.
What a shame that Nelson. with his snug
little fortune and clean record. couldn't
have retired after losing his title to Ad
Wolgast. although he wasn't knocked out.
The Battler insisted he wasn't in shape
when he met Wolgast, that he was as
good as ever. and, that he would prove
the truth Of his statement to the public
In his first fight Of any importance after
the Woigast affair Nelson suffered a
knock out at the hands Of Owen Moran,
thereby taking the edge of his wonderful
record.
Jim JefFries' Experience.
Jim Jeffries went into retirement. an
indicated fighter. He was looked on by
many as the greatest heavyweight OF all
times. Promising fighters were always
contrasted with the giant boilermaker.
The lure Of gold and the fact that he was
looked on as the hope of the white race
caused JefYries to come out OF retirement.
Every follower Of the giant Californian
knows what happened to him last Fourth
of July. Jeffries has fattened his bank
roll. but In al probability he would trade
defeated heavyweight champion. John
sons defeat Of Jeffries is the one black
spot on the latter's great record.
NO greater umpire ever donned the
mask than Jack Sheridan. Players and
public always regarded him with favor
and confidence. Last summer trouble
with his eyes caused him to announce
his retirement. While his decision was a
big loss to the American League, yet he
retired with twenty-five-year record as
an umpire that was without q blemish.
illness made 1t necessary that Sheridan
return to work, after an absence of sew
eral months. He also worked in the
worlds series. During those games he
had q number Of difficult plays to decide.
Had any other umpire on the American
League staff rendered the decisions in
the same way it is questionable IL any
, that Sheridan. who once retired because
| of eye trouble, so decided the plays gave
| supporters Of the Cubs chance to- say
| unkind things about Jack. While Jack
probably doesn't mind any OF the criti-
cfsm that has been handed him. al he
gave the plays Just - he saw them. still
its - b regrstted that after twenty-five