The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-21
Interesting Biographies of the
Pitchers in the Series to Date
John W. CoOmbs

lie Grande. Ia. is the spot where
John Wesley Coombs began to cause
his masculine parent to take nocturnal
rambles across the cold floor and ii
is twenty-seven years ago that this
interesting event took place in the
Coonhs family.
When John was 4 years old the fam
lily moved to Maine to West kenne-
bunk to be exact and here the fami-
ly lares and penates have been as
scmbled ever since.
After Coombs mad reached the es-
tate where he believed an education an
essential, he vent to Colby college,
which is one OF the reasons for Wat
ersville. Me. For the four years that
Coombs was at this institution he was
its star pitcher. His record with this
fresh water institution made him the
objective of a dozen scouts. But as us
rivals to the boy.
In 1906. after the %sheepskin was
safe in Coomhs' possession. he Joined
the Mackmen. Right at the outset he
vas given the %stiffest dose W pre-
scented for a tyro. He was sent against
Joe Harris of the Boston Red SoX in
a twenty-four inning game, which
Coombs won in the greatest long dis
tance struggle which the major lcag-
ues have had. Coombs' eNertions in
that game took all the sap out of him
for some time which was augmented
by the fact that he was uncontrolla-
bly, wild.
When Socks Seybold was hurt.
Coombs went to right field and proved
his versatility by playing a stellar
game and hitting the pill like a mad
man. Last season saw all the nur-
turing which Connie gave to his big
Maine monarch come back ten fold.
Coombs did wonderful work through
the season. winning thirty-one games
and losing nine. the first pitcher in The
Athletics history to win more than
thirty games in a season.
In the worlds series the Iron Man
rlade history-winning his three games
and cinching the series.
This season Jawn got away to a bad
start. hut fell down. He recovered his
stride. however. and had the fine rec
ord of twrnty-nine won and eleven lost
ut the finish of the season. He hits
like Il streak and hats with either
hand. Cnomhs is a giant. onc Incl
over six feet and weighs, in condition,
100 pounds.
Charles 4. Fender
Whenever yon want IL perfect type
of h noble redman. don't scout
around with Jack London or any of
those literary Columbuses. but pass in
two bits to the window at Shibe park
some day when the jumps announces
the "hattericS-e-c-eS for Philadelphia.
Hcndcr-r-r and Thomas-s.' etc. For
at that time YOU will see Charles AL
bert Eenderti the greatest Indian ath-
lcte who ever broke into professional
baseball. MI who was not woocd from
the right paths by the seduction of
p%alcface firewater and one who is Il
credit to the ace and the national
game.
1t was in Brainerd. Mimi. on the
reservation of the Chippewa tribe that
Bender first became a unit of thu GEN.
sus. When he was a youngstcr he
Wen to Carlisle. where he was active
in both baseball and football. Al the
latter game Bender received several
mcmentoes in the shape of fractured
ribs and d~isarticulatcd parts of his
anatomy. but he soon developed into
II of the best %halfbacks which that
famous institution has turned out.
\ little lese majestic on the part of
Charles Albert caused him to forsakc
the tepec Of Uncle Samuel and stray
into the precincts of Dickinson college.
Here his fame as a pitcher became
marked and in one game against Get
tysburg he opposed Eddie Plank. now
his friend and teammate. 1t was the