The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-09-14
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christy Mathewson aud Rube Mar
guard. OF New York. may Do me pfhso,sss
Of the national i.ssys r,aeas ~ the
Chicago White sos. and th- 's,ass
Xaltar Johnson. OF Mashingtons NAY
b The best s esi o, n'si ss", s-sSrs by the
prowress Of young Joe Wood. 5fn2H9
Joe IL the pride Of svsry bo-,onia,n,
s5 ns i' town much pr baked Il M s-sSs
Younger than any OF the quartet pre-
viousiy mentioned. the Kansas Cycloh.'
as he n Familiarity called ia lteantown
has attracted the attention Of the en-
tire country by his marvellous . bos
work during the past -four years New
Champions and sent them down To three
straight defeats. fans all over tne
United States are looking " IN ,n. I
team ana Joe Wood in particular
Upon young Wood. even more ,nsn
on Iris Speaker. Wagner. Larry SaI1
,he American league partizans pin their
hopes In winning the championship OF
the world In baseball -.
lie has had no press agents 10 boost
him as Marquard. HonuS Wagner. Joe
baseball. hu, before the worlds series
this fall In over. Wood will be the most
talked OF man In the country. r. X
Wilson and President TAFT not except
ID. II is the plan OF IN. Hed s 80.
other day during the big series fOr
three months now he has been pitching
only about one game week when ~
FOR the worlds championship opens.
Mood will be In hrst-class shape and
will have all the confidence In the
Il twenty-five Years Old.
In the first place Wood II q years
old. and has been an employe %, OF ,he
mast four years. lie IL "a right-hanueu
pitcher and batter. and is clever In heid-
record. on September !. Of twenty.elght
games won and four lost out OF thirty
six games In which he has taken part.
giving him an average OF .s7b In other
words he has pitched his team to "A
SUCCESSFUL finish In seven OF every eight
games he has taken part In and has also
RES Already he has TO his credit more
games than any other pitcher In either
OF the big leagues won last season.
with he exceptions OF Big Jack CoombH
OF tho Athletics and Grover Alexander
of the Phillies. each OF whom won
twenty-eight games In 1911. Coomos.
thirteen. 50 their standing for the year
was not nearly 50 good as WOODS u
now. No one imagines that Wood will
not better his average In the remain
ing thirty games OF the season In
short. with fair luck. Wood Is not un-
likely to set new big league record
only one pitcher In either league
finished the season last year with as
good percentage as NOpu mas now
That was Covington, OF Detroit. but as
he figured in only eight Won-und-lost
games IL would he hardly fair with
Wood to compare hts average with that
In thirty-six games this year Wood
has made thirty hits in lO4 times at
ms hits have been FOR two bases. one
was n three-bagger and one was home
run lie has four sacrifice hits TO his
credit. and has scored eleven runs. In
the field ne has made but four errors.
while making thirty-two putouts ana
ninety-one assists. This gives him
nelding average OF .969.
While a FIRST year student az the Uni
versity OF Kansas. he Joined the base
hall team representing the town or
Hutchinson, Kan. That was before he
was II years OF age. but despite his
youth his showing with the Hutchin-
son team secured FOR him an offer from
the Kans~s city club OF the American
association. Baseball was so attract
I've that Joe turned from law. at which
his father and brother had both been
successful. and gave his attention TO
become a baseball player
Taught himself 20 Pitch.
Upon being interviewed the other
day. Wood said. IN answer 20 query
as 20 how he mastered the knack Of
curVtng n ball. When 7 was years
old 7 could curve baseball. and | have
never been shown anything about pitch
fnE 7 suppose baseball b. natural
gift. for ] have devised and developed
every shoot and curve that 7 use. All
through my school days ] played ball.
and while often assigned 20 other posi-
tlons. was usually called upon to
pitch the important games"
n has often been said that Wood IS
q trifle too light for "a pitcher hut that
g. not 80. IIe stands feet n = inches
and weighs 1Gs pounds. 10 o. an ideal
height and weight FOR an athlete. es-
peciaiiy pitcher
When Joe Wood was showing remark
able quality with Kansas city four
years aEo RUDE Vanguard was doing
surprising work FOR the Indianapolis
team AZ that time John Taylor
president Of the Red Sox was look
ing FOR PLAYERS 90 strengthen his team
Fred Lake was sent west 20 look over
the two young uheuomH and he strongly
recommended wood hut PASSED on
Hube The result was that Wood re-
ported for duty with the foston oufft
early IN August. Throughout the
H. rohail world WO0d'c remarkable speed
became subject of discussion az once.
but the Young pitcher was not forced
g. exert himself much
Since coming 90 Boston Wood has
steadily Improved. mastering a perfect
drop ball and showing great sree-
whenever tho occasion demanded that
kind ~ delivery 1ic has DEVELOPED
into one Df the most scientific pitchers
IN baseball Sever being troubled ~
n sore arm and being an Exceptionally
clean living fellow. Wool 10 eiWurs
ready 90 take his turn and A. re bs't
Tor the club
In addition tp being master ritrher.
Wood is an expert at ull-ar0uud riav-