Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-18
6ERTZNENI COMMIT
IN Happenings 1Sportdom

Is taking a long chance TO do so. and
may make matters rather unpleasant for
Harry Davis. Ii Stovall Is on the team
and 1t should get poor start there is
going to be howl go up against Davis.
There will be charges of cliques and dis
sension, and a lot of that rot. which is
always circulated when things go wrong.
Having had the management of the team
which made a good showing under him.
it is but natural that Stovall should feel
that he was ill-treated when he was not
retained as manager. He may not open
ly resent having to play under Davis. but
the effect of his being retained is not
going to help matters. That stands to rea-
son.
Though Jack johnson was loud in his
praise OF Jim Jeffries' gameness imme-
diately after that Reno affair. he is now
out with a statement charging that JEFF
ries quit before him. The fact of the
matter, however, would seem that JEFF
fries never even started There was not
a single round in which the former cham
piOn really fought. He was like a drunk
en- man from the time he stepped into the
ring until he was carried out of it, Had
1t been a case of lack of condition he
could have shown something for a round
or two at least. but he never showed Il
flash. Disappointing was the snowin.
of Jeffries. it does not seem fair 10 charge
him with having quit. He was nothing
more than punching bag for Johnson
and there are a lot of middleweiehts who
could have Knocked out Jeffries the day
he handed the championship title to John
son.
Johnson Is not treadns ON dangerous
ground when he offers either .Ieffries Or
Corbett $4,000 To meet him I'm tlte ring.
Both of these former champions are out
of the game and il would be Il real joke
to have them try to wrest the title from
johnson. The fact of the matter is that
Johnson has had rather easy time COM
ing to the front i'm recent years. He
seems to he fortunate enough To he al his
prime at time when real heavyweight
fighters decidedly scarce aud there il
no danger of his being whipped 10y any
one of the old-timers. Johnsons master
must be found among the youngsters who
are coming up. and the public would not
be Interested in any battle he might
range with some of the old men.
Just how it can be figured that the De-
troit team will again be the runner-up
i'm the next championship race liz hard To
understand. Last year, with most re-
markable start. when the Tigers won
something like twenty of the first twen-
ty-two games played, the team was real
ly badly beaten. The failure of the pitch-
ing staff made il possible for the Attn
letics to pass them in the race before
the season was more than half over. lt
would be a peculiar coincidence ii the
Tigers should have another so brilliant
a start, but that is not likely. Neither
does it seem that Jennings is any better
off 80 far as pitchers are concerned. UNI
less 1T be that every one of his veterans
happens to have good year. which. TOO,
is not likely. 1t would not be at all sur
prising IL there We're several teams 10
finish in front of the Tigers next sea-
son. Surely this is probable unless len
nngs has unearthed some really clever
pitchers. which. however, remains TO oe
proven.