Evening star., 1911-08-25
PLANK ONLY GOT ONE CALL
DOWN IN II YEARS FROM MACK
Athletics Southpaw Has Had Remarkable
Career-Old Frank Foreman Was
His Coach at School.

PHILADELPHIA. August o5.-When
the late Sir Alfred Tennyson wrote about
the brook that goes on forever his mind
was unaoquainted with the great national
sport of America
Were the great Englishman alive today
and a poet of our pastime. in all proba-
bility he would have written an ode or
an epic to the southpaw who goes on
forever-Edward Plank.
Much has been written about Plank's
career, and much can be said. OF all
that old guard that surrounded Connie
Mack when the latter led the pathfinders
of the American League into Philadelphia
but two guardsmen remain-Davis and
Plank The latter has been notable
figure among the pitchers of the Amer
lean League.
Born in the little hamlet of Mount
Pleasant that nestles near the battlefield
that brought the war of the rebellion to
its ultimae close. Plank is known as the
man Of Gettysburg.
Saw Base Ball Score at Twenty.
Thirty-seven years ago Plank first saw
the light, and when he is thirty y-eight he
will retire to that farm, closing a dozen
years that have been filled with base ball
achievements and deeds of comparative
glory. For Plank will retire next season.
having rounded out by that time a dozen
years Of active service. Plank has been
notable in his career for several reasons.
FIRST. he has outlived all the south
paws who started with him: secondly,
he never played In minor league. and.
lastly, all of his years Of endeavor have
been with a single club, the present
champion Athletics.
in Plank's life. Until he was twenty
years of age he never saw base ball
score. Until he was sixteen he never
saw a base ball and bat, and until he
Then a townsman of Eddie, who had
been to college and returned to Mount
Pleasant. started ball team. He
coached the town boys, and finally
brought them to the point where they
could be considered a splendid team
Plank was taught to pitch. and he has
cast no dscredit on his tutor.
When Plank was twenty-five years old
he went to Gettysburg to college. The
coach of the institution the year that
Plank entered was that ancient come
dian and splendid moundman of the dia-
mond, Frank Foreman, famous pitcher
Of the old Baltimore Orioles. Foreman
was there when the candidates for the
ball team reported Plank didn't even
know the look OF a base ball uniform by
| that time, as the town boys all played in
their farm clothes.
Foreman asked the various men the
positions which they had played, and
Plank modestly told the coach that he
had pitched some down home" Fore
| man started the squad working. and he
| Immediately watched the southpaw close
| ly. One day Frank took Plank aside and
| said:
| See here, you're there. and II you
/ follow my instructions closely I'll make
you one of the greatest southpaws in the
country"
| Called It Slant Eall.
| The coach never had a more devoted
pupil. Morning and afternoon. sunrise
and twilight, Plank was out working
under the watchful eye of Foreman.
The crossfre that has made Plank IA
nous was invented by Eddie, who called
1t "a slant ball. at that time.
Foreman saw him chuck a couple one
day The coach almost fell on Eddie q
| neck and wept. KID" said Foreman,
| you've got about the richest thing in
the line of a crossfire that the old man
ever looked at; stick to it and you're
made"
Piank's career at Gettysburg is still a
college idyl. He defeated everything in
the shape of college mines that came to
! the purlieus of the battlefield, and still
his fame did not percolate to the ears of
| the professional scouts.
Foreman gave up. coaching at Gettys-