New-York tribune., 1911-01-06
TIMELY BITS OF SPORT
A Second Hal Chase Looms Up
on Baseball Horizon.
OFFERS SERVICES TO M'GRAW
Grover Hartley, Catcher, Sends
in His Signed Contract to
the Giants.

Hal Chase must perforce look to his
laurels If all is true which Is embodied in
letter received yesterday from a future
great by John J. McGraw. II reads as
follows:
Il suppose when you read this letter you
will think ] am eccentric but ] thought
] would write to ask you if there was
cnance for young man 20 go down South
with your team 20 be tried out. II I don't
prove TO you that ] am as good as HaI
chase is IN catching wild throws ! VIII
fraighted (freight iO back TO New York
can catch the ball behind my back with
one hand. no matter how hard they come
will stand ont in right field and the fellow
on third can throw the ball over 10 hrs'.
That will he as far as II will get for l
will he there with one hand TO receive It.
Hoping you will give me chance TO prove
v hat 1 claim is true, ! remain etc.
Tho name Of the writer. concealed for the
present. may be spread prominently on the
records Of baseball in the future. Such
enthusiasm is sure to appeal 10 the little
maraeer Of the Giants and the star is
likely to get his cnance.
Although we'll supplied with catchers,
=
list. NcGraw has not allowed an oppor-
tunitv to slip 10 pick up any promising
material in sight The signed contract Of
4 Grover Hartley Of the Toledo club, was
received yesterday at the headquarters Of
the club Hartley went to Toledo from
the Springfield GnD club He played in
only nineteen games with the American
Association team, going TO bat ffty-four
times and maintaining an average of .2o9.
In letter TO the secretary Of the club
Hartley said that he was planning to start
practising right away, as the training sea-
son would soon be here.
Earl Mack. son Of Connie Mack, mana
ger Of the Philadelphia Athletics, who, IT
NAV he mentioned in case somebody has
forgotten. won the worlds championship
last October. has signed a contract 10 play
with the Scranton club, Of the state
League. next season.
Earl Mack is a catcher and went behind
the bat for the Athletics in one or two
genes last fall His father has now
turned him over 10 Monte Cross. manager
Of the Scranton team. to develop, and he
could not have picked out much better
Instructor The youngster is natural
baseball player and is even now catcher
Of great promise and a batter Of no mean
ability. His progress will be watched with
Interest.
The annual meeting Of the United Hunts
Racing Association was held al the Wind
sor Arcade Yesterday. Perry Belmont was
reelected president: II. s. Page, first vice
president: Henry W. Bull. second vice
president; W. r. Grace, treasurer, and II.
\. Buck. secretary. j. Searle Barclay, jr,
w. r. Grace A. Henry Higginson and
VI r. Page were named directors of the
association.
The story comes from Jacksonville. Fla,
that Jimmy Butwell has decided to cast his
lot with the American jockeys who are
riding abroad He has signed 2 contract
with Baron Lazeroff. Of Russia. at re-
tainer Of $500 a month and the regular
riding fees Of SIS for a winning mount and
SO for a losing mount. Butwen is q m
ished Lorseman. and has ridden with much
success here in the last two or three years.
He had the mount on Sweep when James
r. Keene's good horse won the Futurity
of 1903.
Preparations for the Southern trip of the
Athletics will he made shortly by Captain
Davis who returned home recently. one
of the first things that Davis did was to
deny emphaUcally the reports that he
WOULD play first base and manage the St
Louis Browns next season. Davis said he
had an offer from st. Louis, as well as
Cleveland and elsewhere but would remain
with the Athletics this year. at least.
Davis stated that there would be few, If
any, changes in the team this year.
The new owners Of the Browns, although
they have made a small deposit. are no
nearer the throne than at the beginning
They are not in a position to select a new
marager, for the reason that they do not
own any ball club. There still remains q
huge amount of real estate to be taken
care Of, nominally controlled by the Ma
tor al Bank of Commerce. Hedges states
that all the details will be settled as soon
as the $4,000 is within mis- reach
"Toots" Schultz, Pennsylvania's crack
pitcher and reputed as being the best box
nan in the collegiate ranks denies that
he has signed contract with the Yankees.
Schultz stated recently that he did not in
tend TO play big league ball while he was
going 10 college. This is his last year at
Pennsylvania, and he wants TO pitch the
Red and Blue ball team to an iatercolleg-
ate championship before ne thinks Of en-
tering professional BALI
Arthur Butler. third baseman of the Fall
River club Of the New England League,
has been sold 10 the Boston Nationals by
John H. O'Brien. The Fall River man
agement gets in return bonus Of $500 and
Fg1r ell A.