Evening star., 1913-10-11
COOMBS HEARS GAME
HELPLESS IN HOSPITAL
Pitcher Who Helped Win Two
Worlds Championships Re-
joices at Victory.

PHILADELPHIA, October lion a cot
in the University Hospital, with thirty
eight-pound weight suspended from his
feet and his head held in one position by
weight Of ten pounds, Jack Coenbs,
Iron Man" Of the Athletics, who won
that title for himself and two world s
championships for his teammates by
herculean work against Chicago AL New
York, rejoiced Tuesday in the victory of
the Mackmen over McGraw's Giants.
Coombs. barred from participation in
the blue-ribbon event of base ball by
what doctors call typhoid of the spine,
received the news of the first clash of
the worlds championship contenders
play by play from his wife and Mrs.
Ira Thomas, wife of Coombs' famous
battery mate. They were Watching the
electric scoreboard and every move on
the Polo Grounds was phoned to the
stricken but lion-hearted hero of two
worlds series.
A telephone transmitter on his chest
and a receiver cushioned to his ear, the
big pitcher, his face wreathed in smiles,
settled down to receive the details, when
his wife's voice on the other end of the
line made known that the battle had
begun.
Forgot His Condition.
Coombs radiared optimism He forgo.
the weight on head and feet and the
illness that transformed him from an
Iron man" to a helpless invalid. His
mind s. eye pictured the scene at the Polo
Grounds, with $4,000 wild-eyed rooters
shouting for their. favorites He saw his
teammates drive Marquard from the
mound, heard the ring of the bat as
Baker drove his home run. and trsmbled
with sheer joy when the last Giant was
retired in the ninth, with the score q to
4 in favor of the White Elephants.
With intimate knowledge of the work
ings of the great Mack machine, Coombs
was able, time and time again, to fore
tell plays. Not once did his judgment
prove faulty. He knew when Barry. past
master of the squeeze play" was going
so sure Baker was going to belt home
run that he bet his wife a dollar on It.
f- Forecasts Prove True.
Not only was he certain in his pre-
dictions of the Mackmen's moves, but
he forecasted the battery for the Giants
long before the game started. Most of
the experts had picked "Matty'' to do the
pitching, but size-up OF weather con-
ditions, as afforded by the limited view
from his hospital window. convinced
Coombs that Marquard would be the
pitcher.
e"Matty nothing" he said. "McGraw
will pitch Maruuard. dark, dull day
like this He'll depend on Marquard'
speedy shoots to fool our boys. It's hard
to see fast ball this kind of weather"
While picking Marquard as the twirler.
he said before the contest started that
the "Rube' would be driven from the box
When Marquard retired, Coombs laughed.
will Stick to Cot Until Well.
After Baker bore out. Cooinbs' predic-
ton that a home run lurked in the third
sacker's bat, the stricken pitcher said:
II, always knew Bake was a man of
his word. The last thing he told me
when he left here Sunday afternoon was
that he felt as though he could deliver at
least one home run during the series But
now. that he's got it, so early, you can
expect several more.
Coombs was laid low with his present
illness after he had apparently recovered
from typhoid fever, which attacked him
early In the playing season. He had spent
several months on his farm in Maine and
returned to this city looking hale and
hearty before Labor day. He practiced
with his old teammates, and seemed to
be gaining strength. when he again be-
came Ill.
"I'm going to stick to the hospital" he
said until I'm entirely well. Then Mrs.
Coombs and i will bury ourselves in the
Maine woods for the winter; and you can
bet that will do my utmost to repay the
boys for the time lost this year.