Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-02-01

SPICY SPORT COMMENT :
By TOMMY CLARK.

BY TOMMY CLARK.
How quickly they come and so in
the world Of sport: Just two years
ago Little Johnny" Evers. the Chicago
Nationals second basemun. was the
most talked Of ball player in the game.
with the possible exception Of Ty
Cobb. Several club n were
knocking each other down offering
him managerial berths, theatrical man.
ayers showered him with offers to so
on the stage. and publishers offered
snug sums for his literary efforts. all
simply because Evers was credited
with being the brainss Of the great
Cub machine. His friends said he won
the pennant for Chicago in 1908 by the
%cleverest piece of inside ball ever pull
ed off on the diamond. All these
things happened only Il few years ago.
Evers looked like the biggest man in
baseball for the next ten years.
All of a sudden. however, things be-
gan to break badly for the heretofore
Prince Fortunatus of the Chicago club.
A business venture proved disastrous,
and shortly before the worlds series of
1910 he broke his ankle. Right on
top of this piece of misfortune he fig
ured in a terrible automobile accident.
A prominent baseball writer. one Of
his best friends. vas killed. and Evers
escaped death by the skin of his teeth.
Last season he broke down. His
ou1,o r,D,,t lool- M hin, orJ l1 -o O.
forced to quit the game. He played
every now and then during the clos
ing days Of the campaign. but failed
to display the brilliant form that char
acteriZed his work Of two years ago.
Now they say President Murphy of
the Chicago club is willing to send
Evers to Cincinnati to pilot the Reds
next season. but Garry Hermann
wants Tinker or Sheckard. AS Evers
is still young and the seasons rest
must have done him some good. Herr
mann may be making the mist;.t" Of
his life in passing up the Little .!".
JAM" If Chicago is willing to Ir: tih-
| cinnati have Evers. Hermann had btt.
ter make the deal before Mu.pA.::
changes his mind. provided Clic;&"
does not ask too much for Johnny.
Perhaps a change Of clubs would prove
beneficial to Evers as it has done for
many other ball players.
While %unpacking his steamer trunk
recently Connie Mack. manager of
the Philadelphia Athletics. hauled out
some letters that were sent to him way
back in 1908 after he decided to shunt
his veterans and try out his youngsters
and some unknowns.. That year Mack's
team made a poor showing. and not
alone was he censured. by the fans, but
by many experts. Some of the things
the assistant managers in Philadelphia
wrote him may be thus epitomized:
You were always a gutter"
"You are trying to hand the pennant
to Cleveland."
"Why don't you admit the race is
fixed"
"Your action in going on the western
trip with a team Of youngsters proved
your disloyalty to Philadelphia" r
That year Mack's team was shot to
pieces. Cleveland was picked to win
the pennant, and the Philadelphia men
lost several close games to the Maps
or the last western trip; hence the
suspicion.
And, 10 and behold, this same team
of youngsters that Mack tried out at
a cost in lost patronage to the Athlet-
les management of perhaps 100000
during that season since then has won
two %pennunts. two worlds champion
ships and made barrels Of money for
the Philadelphia club.
Of course Mack is not the only man
ager who has received letters from the
bugs. Nearly every leader has been
the recipient of many pen and ink call
downs from the cranks.
Fielder Jones, the former leader of
the Chicago White Sox, one of the
greatest managers that vel piloted a
1;~ loo ~,,~