The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-09
SPORTING LIGHTS
THE ZONE,
tGrantland Rice.)

NNrantland Rice.)
for nc first time in eighteen cam
palehs, Fred Clarke will be missed
from the games firing line this spring.
The Pirate veteran has turned in his
UNIFORM. discarded his glove and hung
his warclub upon the wall.
Whose turn, from the roster of the
ola guard. is next? Hans Wagner has
served sixteen seasons under the Big
rent; Nap Lajoic is facing his six
G year; Christy Mathewson has
stood the brunt of twelve Giant flag
lghts and two world series: Tommy
Leach was on the ragged fringe more
man once last summer: Sam Craw-
1or Is no longer Il recruit. while BEN
der, Plank and Murphy of the champs
can hardly go on forever.
. The Big Three.
When Mathcwson, Wagner and La
Jole drop back. the game will never he
quite the same to a good many people
IN New York. Pittsbirg and Cleveland.
Matty. Hans and Larry-mechanical
wonders. brainy and courageous; all
ways readN-always trying and nearly
always making good-well above he
general average of the clan.
For twelve Years Mathewson has
carried the bulk of Giant burdens
willing to work whenever called and
~ met oIt w Ndlll up when some
pitching pal is preparing to dctonate.
And that thrill of Mathewson advance
ing to the rescue in the ninth inning
With two on base and one run needed
TO tie means something that another
will find hard tn duplicate when the
Big Gun is finally spiked.
And how long will it be before
Pittshurg finds another Honus when
the FLYING Dutchman has whaled his
last base hit and passed on into the
games twilight?
years for a City and delivers above 800
every year, his passing means more
thar the absence of his ability.
An Example.
Joe jackson batted .40S for Cleve-
land last ear. but Shoeless Joscph
hasn't taken Larry's place yet by quite
a margin.
AS an illustration. for over two
last season Lajoie had been
out through an injury. 1t was thought
for a while that he would never play
again. In a tight battle one day, with
the bases full and the score tied. Lar
rN was called from the clubhouse to
bat in the pinch. When he first
jumped into view the entire stand rose
and began raving and cheering. Every.
man. woman and child in the arena
was upon its collective feet. rendering
the kins homage. There was no let
up as Larry picked out his warclub
and limped painfully to the plate.
Amid all This wild tumult the Chicago
pitcher pushed n over. and the
Frenchman's response was "A rakish
double that cleared the sacks. And
for five minutes. until he had disap.
pearcd from view into the clubhouse.
II frenzy acclaim rocked the stands.
Taft. Roosevelt, Dewey and Schley
combined could never have obtained
such a reception from the anne num-
Der of folks. Lajoie to Cleveland
means more than a 15-year batting
average of 1855. To the fanatics of
n a city he is the heart Of the game,
and when he drifts out there will be
no replacing.
Not Through Yet.
Not that Hans. Matty and Larry are
ready to fall back under fire. They
may be approaching the threshold of
the Twilight Zone-the Fringe OF
Goodnight-but hardly for another
year or two beyond.
They had Matty on the Hog Specia
last summer when Big Six was raked
fore and aft in six successive games
but when the showdown came
through six weeks of work in the
stretch. Mathewson led the charge
and then gave his people the jump.
! game In the worlds s~eries-holdina