The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-02-06
Not a Baseball Man Not Con-
nected With the Giants
Can ''See" Hin,
McGRAW SAYS HE LOOKS
OUT OF CORNERS OF EYES
In This Muggsy Detects Shrewd-
ness--Mathewson Does
II, Too
BY RALPH L. YoNKER.


press, libretto by Glen Warner. score
by John McGraw, the following anus
.ng bit OF Dialogue appears.
Nanki Poo Thorpe: But suppose
that should be no professional after
all.
A thousand critics: There! We
were sure OF 1t, directly we saw you
play!
Since Thorpe mas signed with the
New York Giants, not single base
oall man not connected in some way
Or other has had good word to say
Tor Jims ability or his capability as
professional baseball player.
In order not to prejudice the reader
dnjustly against the Indian, il may
be well to state that John McGraw
likes him. But, John Mctiraw IS man
aSer. OF the Giants, he signed Thorpe
and ii is his business to like aim.
McCraw likes Thorpe not cnly be-
cause he is big and is fast. and Is the
greatest athlete in the world, but ne
likes him because he peers out OF the
corners OF his eyes like man trying
10 look by and not through glasses
whenever he is asked question.
his nuDil Ol ONl VI lhS
corners of ones eyes Ueft corners
preferred) denotes shrcwd end cal
culating disposition. Matnewson does
il, says McGraw
But outside OF this there doesn't
seem to be much said about Thorpe's
ability as a player.
Miller Huggins. manager OF the
!, Cardinals, says that he picked up In
formatoR. concerning Thorpe that
would make almost any manager
looking for good ball players leave
vhe Indian completely alone. Ac-
cording to- the information dug up by
siuggins. Thorpe will make neither
yood base runner. good hitter or good
thrower
While Thorpe Is fast on his feet, ne
lacks that instinct OF the game wnlch
cannot be taught baserunner ~ Is
something that must come 10 play
or naturally. He did not give prom
ise of becoming swatter when ne
vas with the Carolina league. Hug
eins believes that his putting the
shot and indulging in other exercises
~ a similar nature has made the In
dian muscle bound so that ne can
never become 1.-THE enough for a good
Baseball player.
Connie Mack turned down chance
70 bid for Thorpe. Mack said that ne
didn't think Thorpe would ever de-
-yelop into player ana ne diuh
want him as q side attraction.
After he found that he couldn get
him, Barney Dreyfuss OF the flrates
"a said To have claimed that he start.
cd after him In the first rosy nush o.
,he thought that he would make big
on. when more sober reflection had
lad the time to get in its work, ne
decided that he, wouldn't nave "ahteu
The big Indian anyway
Dreyfuss' idea, II seems, was 10
have Thorpe giyS exhibitions OF MS
athletic prowess before the regular
hague games. He Yas to sprint, put
tha shot. and all that sort OF stun.
nm thinking II over. Dreyfuss decided
that that would hardly suit the rams
who are lothe TO stand for even clown
coaching very long.
Frank c. Bancroft, business agent
of the Cincinnati Reds, thinks that
'rborpe made a big mistake Dy sign
;ng n baseball contract He thinks
.s5t he should have accepted a vaude-
Z. vile contract. and that he would be
eiyen $500 a week II he were to go
on the stage.
Some weird stories as to Just what
Thorue's duties with the Giants VIII
no have been sprung One OF them
has II that Jim will be used solely as
sprinting coach for the Giants.
while IL may be true that there isn't
ono man in score In the pls
leagues who knows how to run prop.
erly. Il Is doubtful that Thorpe would
ne chosen at sala-y said to be any
where from $4,000 to S7,60O year
for the purpose Of teaching the
Giants how 10 step.
There are those who say tnat
Thorpe Is too old TO learn now 10 play
baseball any more, 1t being generalIy
accepted that he doesn't know now
They say that the indian Is 20 years
old.
Frank Dobson. coach at southern
college. who PLAYED with Thorpe in
leOq sava that he will be very much
surprised n Thorpe makes good. He
failed TO attract the attention OF the
major league scouts while with Fay
etteyille and Rocky MounSain, while
other men in the same league were
picked ND. Dobson himself was draft
ed by the Pirates.
Now that such q fuss has been
stirred MP over his professionalism
and now that the A. A. u. has come
in for such deal OF criticism in It's
methods OF handling this case In par
.icular and amateur athletics in gen
eral newspaper readers In Raleigh
and vicinity aee wondering why the
fact that Raleigh papers used stories
about Thorpe and his playing In the
Carolina league went unnoticed IL
seemed TO be common knowledge
q that Thorpe was professional even
before he sailed for the Olympic