The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-19
EDDIE PLANK HAS
GLORIOUS RECORD
Hero of Mondays Game Has
Always Been With the
Athletics

Always oeel WltI1 TIC
Athletics
When the late Sir Alfred Tennyson
wrote about the brook that goes on
forever, his mind was unacuuainted
with the great national sport of
| America.
Were the great Englishman alive to-
day. n a poet of our pastime, in all
| probability he would have written an
ode or an epic to the southpaw who
Much has been written about Mr..
OF all that old guard that surrounded
Connie Mack when tho latter led the
pathfinders of the American league
into Philadelphia, hdt two guardsmen
remain-Davis and Plank. The latter
has been a notable figure among the
pitchers of the American league.
Born in the little hamlet of MouE.
Pleasant that estles near the battle
field that brought the war of the re-
bellion to its ultimate close. Plank is
known as the mar of Gettysburg.
Saw Baseball Score at 20.
Thirty-seven years ago Plank first
saw h lightfi and when he is thirty
eight he will retire to that farm,
closing a dozen years that have been
filled with baseball achievements and
deeds of comparative glory. For
Plank will retire next season. having
rounded GU by that time a dozen
years of active service. Plank has
beer notable In his career for several
reasons.
First. he has outlived all the SOUTH
iaws who started with MIN; secondly.
he never played in Il minor league.
and. lastly. all of his years of endcav-
or nave been with a single club, the
present champion Athletics.
Now. there is a touch of the unique
in Plank's life. Until he was twenty
years of age he never saw a baseball
score. Until he was 16 he never saw
a baseball and bat, II until he was
"a he never pitched l. game.
Then a tor;nsntan Of Eddie, who had
been to. college and returned to Mount
Pleasant. started a ball team. He
coached n town boys. and finally
brought them to the point where they
could be considered a splendid team.
Plank wa taught to pitch. and he has
cast no credit on his tutor.
When Plank was - years old he
went to Gettysburg tn college. Tho
coach of the institution the year that
Plank entered was that ancient come
dian n splendid moundman of the
diamond, Frank Foreman, a famous
pitcher of the old Baltimore Orioles.
Foreman was there when the candi-
dates for the ball team reported.
Plank didn't even know the look OF
a baseball uniform by that time. as
clothes.
Foreman asked the various mer
the positions which they had played,
and Plank modestly told the coach
that he had pitched some down
home Foreman started the squad
working. and he Immediately watched
the southpaw closely. One day
Frank took Plank aside and said:
See here. you're there. and il
you follow my instructions closely II
make you n of the greatest south.
paws in the country"
Called 1t Slant Ball.
The coach never had a moro de.
voted pupil. Morning and afternoon
sunrise and twilight. Plank was ou'
Foreman. The crossfire that ha.
made Plank famous was invented b,
Eddie. who called it "a slant BALI a,
that time.
Foreman saw him chuck a couple
n day. The coach almost fell on Ed.
dies neck and wept. kid" sale
Foreman. you've got about the rich.
. NtAIA6 III lIS use VI d CTGSS.ITC rta
the old mar ever looked at: stick tc
1t and you're made"
Plank's career at Gettysburg is still
a college idyl. He defeated every.
thing In the shape of college mines
that came to he purlieus of the hat.
tlefeld. and still his fame did not per.
colate to the ears of the professional
scouts.
Foreman gave up coaching at Get.
tysburg and went to the Boston
Americans. the first year that the
American league invaded the Hub.
Frank was entering the evening ol
his usefulness as a pitcher at that
time. One of his closest persona.
friends was Connie Mack. They had
and a deep-seated friendship existed
between the pair.
One night while the Athletics were
in Boston Foreman went to the hote
and saw Mack.
Con-" he said. there's a %lefthandel
down at the college where your hum.
Die servant has been coaching tina,
I'm stalking @ to this Information
because somebody is going to graz
him."
Plank Takes Milk Train.
Connie flew downstairs. He grabbed
q telegraph blank and wired terms to
Plank. telling him ii he was willing tc
accept to join the club in Washing
ton. Plank almost had heart failure
when he read the wire. As Eddie ex-
plains 1t his heart was almost leapine
from behind his tongue" Flank pack
ed his trunk that iliEhl. WAS up to take
the milk train to Philadelphia at
dawn n went straight to Washing
ton. He introduced himself to Connie
and was measured for a uniform.
The next day after his arrival Eddie
was showed in against Washington. He
beat h Inflated Win Mercer Ga and
had a victorious debut. Chicago heat
MIN. n then Eddie won a string of
eight straight games He was a win
ner from II start. n with Waddell
comprised as fine a pair Of portsiders
rs could he found.
Since that time his career has hccn
historical. He led the league in 1905.
and in only or" year. 1905. has he
lost more anne than he won. His
record in that year with a sixth place
club was sixteen lost and fourteen
Won. With Jimmy Dygcrt in 1905 he
worked every other dar for a month.
and this pair won the penrant that
year between them.
Called Down I3ut Once.
In all his career Plank has been
called down Ivy his hut once,
has been put out of the game hut
4 solitary time. Roth happened on the
same day in Chicago.
In rccompcnsr to his manager.
Plank turned around IL pitched IA
twc-hit game AGAINST the st. Louis
Browns. Plank will quit anyway next
year. but he chcrishes the belief that
he would like to pitch u no-hit zane