The evening times., 1911-06-16
ALEXANDER IS
STAR TW|RtER
Young Recruit of Phillies is
Leading the Big League
Pitchers

braska, famous for its prairies, Will
liam Jennings Bryan and Samuel Wa
hoo Crawford, loyal, radical DEM
family. His Jeffersonian tendencies
the child was brought to the baptis-
NAL fount Alexander. pere, said in
response to the customary query:
"Grover Cleveland
And thus was christened Grover
Cleveland Alexander, the iron man Of
the Phillies and the sensation of the
National league. Today a young giant
who bears little comparison to the
baby that rested in his mothers arms
is creating more terror In Chicago,
Cincinnati, New York, Pittsburg, St.
Louis and Boston than the boil weevil
or impure food.
Alexander is veritable iron man.
AS Jack Coombs is the strong, stable,
steady giant of the Athletics, so is
Grover Cleveland Alexander the tow
er Of strength to the climbing Phil
lies.
No task has been too great for
Alex to accomplish. He pitches on
Monday, he relieves wobbling
pitcher and saves the game on Tues
day, and he goes back in the box to
keep up his illustrious and victorious
career. He knows nothing that re-
sembles fatigue; he never sulks; he
is always ready. No pitcher In this
country is more feared and no fellow
In baseball is more popular and more
highly respected, both for personality
and for prowess.
As King Cole last year was the SEN
sation Of the circuit, so has Alexander
usurped his place this season. He is
the one young twirler picked up in
last falls crop that stands head and
shoulders above the rest, and has
lived to his minor league reputation
Able.Bodied Worker.
A little historical sketch of Grover
Cleveland will reveal why he shines
as an able-bodied worker. Even in his
youth he always showed that disposi-
ton to give the best that was in him
: He was always willing to try and
never too old to learn.
Alex, like most of the boys in a
small community like st. Paul, bound
ed on the east by the sunlight, the
west by the postoff1ce, the south by
the family wash and the north by the
weekly newspaper. learned to play
baseball.
Through Nebraska that season a
team known as the National Indians
were touring and separating the 10.
cund farmer from a portion of his
crop money. Alex had always dabbed
around In the inf1eld, and was only q
fair specimen of outgardner at that
The first day that the Indians
showed up the manager was in q
pickle. His regular pitcher either had
souse or was sick, and they were
going into the game without slab.
man. The manager grew apoplectic
The stands were filling, a guarantee
had been paid to the visiting team, and
things looked as black as a southern
plantation.
Alexander came along in his Gus.
tomary easy manner.
osE Hi, ~. Aleek,, s;to, y, yelled th' manager
Il never did," drawled the youth
"but can try"
That's the keynote of Alexander
can try.
He did, too, and in strenuous
fourteen-inning contest that had the
farmers buying throat troches for a
month, Alex defeated the Indians. The
next day the same teams played. The
old "I-can-try" boy was there again.
In the nine innings that he pitched
not a hit was smote, not a run was
scored, and the phenomenal youngstel
had twirled no-hit, no-run game in
his second appearance on the slab.
Became Professional.
It was only short time after that
the young man began to commercial.