The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-12

? lfo uld ITO DIG tTeHclnaa r3l %
rap 300 or better. In 1907 he fell shy
of the coveted notch by only one
point.
Lajoie broke Into fast company
when he was 81 years OF age He had
fairly broken UP the New England
league as a member of tho Fall River
team when tlte PhlIlies got him. He
played fiye seasons for the ouakers.
hitting az high as .3Za and never
lower than .s2s, In 1901. during the
war between the major leagues La
joie. with a bunch OF his team
mates. jumped 10 the rival Ath-
ietics. That was the best season %
his career. Tor In 151 games he banged
away alta .&22 clip.
The Pi1illies in the meantime went
TO the courts and secured an In
Junction 10 prevent the "dessrters.'
appearing with tho Atilstics. Il was
finally decided ny The Courts that
Lajoie and kiS pals had no right to
play In Pennsyivahia With any c;as
other than the Pfillies- For this reas
son LaJole was sent to Cleveland, tbs
Maps assuming his wartime con.
tract,
II AJoIE had been fr Cleveland for
the past eleven yeara Fe insn-
i ~ aged inc team for Ave years. =
throwing up the Job "a 1909 altar a
pennant possibility took a bad crop
per. Immediately he resigned La
1oie's own game improved. The past
three seasons ho appears to have oeeu
as At as ever.
Lajoie has always beer a great
honor and 4 credit TO the sport, but
ne Inadvertently figured in a. breath
OF scandal In 1910. That year he and
u Cobb were hghting tooth and nall
for the league batting leadership, as
an automobile was involved as a
prize. In the last game Of the sea-
son in st. Louis "Red" Corrlden, the
player recently sent from Detroit 70
the Chicago Cubs II order that Prans
Chance might come to New York. s
played away back on the grass al
third every time Lajoie rane Up.
Larry each time beat ont . bunf
lie got five hits In as many trlr- 10
The plate. But the conduct OF Third
Basernan CorTiden and some Of the
Browns was so palpably favorabIe to
I'ajoie that Ban Johnson held an
investigation.
IL was believed that Lajose had
beaten Cobb for the honors. But !.
when Ban announced his official av-
erases Ty WIS ahead OF Larry fgau-
tional point, .5SS to 354. Ban fixed IL
up 80 that each got en auto aud there
were 10 hard feelings.
Lajoie has always baen one OF The
most popular players the ssme ever
knew. No play ever looked hard for
him. a finished fielder. he was a
lion on defense. His offensive ability
laid ir his great batting eye. for La
joie was never roted as a speed de-
mon. He used to be pretty fast, ypu
know. bur never Cobb or a .lesli-
Devore. II Larry had been speedy
bed have made the world forget, all
sbort Ty Cobbs performances. with
the ash.
Lajcis is e free hitter. like Hans
Wagner, He Is Just such another
kind OF player except that he Is the
direct opposite in everything but ef-
'ectivenees. Huns is awkward and
clumsy in his uIaneuvers even II he ir
sure 10 death; Lajoic is ali grace aud
poise. But both or them are dead1y
svatters and as liable to pink a
pi.chout for a home ran as To single
off one right Ia the groove"
II does not seem that Cleveland
could ever part with Lajoio so long
as he Is ablc TO stand up with tho {
aid OF crutch. That .Sss he ciouted
in 1912 assures him some big league
berth FOR soma time 10 como. But Z
II Larry ever does leave Cleveland
let ua hope ho hooks up with = real
bail club. IL would be Interesting
to see Just what this grand old fence
breaker would do IN the blue ribbon
classic OF the sport, y