South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-28
LITTLE NAPOLEON O
/. Of BALL FIELD CAN
SAY | TOLD YOU So
He FOreCaSted That Pirates
Would Be Factor in Race
From Start-EngIiSh Think
They Know What Fans Are.
BY Hal SHERIDAN.

Ne WORK, July 2S.-The honor
able ]. McGraw. known as the Little
Napoleon, but whose real title IS
manager of the New York Giants. Is
about in a position 10 murmur Il told
you So. While the Pittsburgh P!-
rates were hounGering in the second
division and sending rSen 10 the hos
pital just as fast as they climbed INFO
uniform, McGraw insisted that il would
be the Pirates he would have 10 beat
in the final dash for the pennant
FROM April on through June the
Pirates refused 70 respond TO the call.
The machine simply wouldn't open up
and show speed. Ii was bumped by
everyone. including humble Boston.
and lOwly Cincinnati. but early yaly
saw the worm begin 10 turn. There
wasn't any change in the material.
The same parts were in use. but as
the team began TO patch itself together
IL began TO kick up smoke IL jumped
from the second TO the first division in
a little more than a week, and IL now
has the stuff 10 whip up even faster
through the dog days.
In the meantime Brooklyn was
dropping ten straight. which helped
considerably. and the Pirates passed
the stumbling Dodgers who had APP
parently shot their bolt and are ready
TO give up the ghost.
The Giants had snatched off
lead from the Phillies before the
rates got under way in their sprint
toward daylight and had an impos-
ing lead esta blished. The Cubs and
Philles will have 10 keep full steam
ahead if they maintain position over
Clark's crew.
Although McGraw believes-at least
he says he believes-that it is the Pr
rates he Will have 20 beat out for the
flag. he doesn't admit having lost any
sleep over ii.
Perhaps it isn't chubby TO be per-
petually harping on and spoohng
about English methods in sports ia
this weekly effusiOn, but J. Bulls son
have been SO prominent this season
for what they have or have not done,
that there is an excuse. Here's the
excuse The English have found out
what a baseball fan is. II took them
a long time 10 do il, but they'll have
TO be forgiven for this Those Eng
lish cousins OF ours are usually in the
mental outfield when a joke Is crack
ed out and they have TO wait until the
second bounce to get IT.
Take it from an English paper. pub
lished weekly, that has AEE1ved in this
port, a fan" is a 'fanc3er" Of base
ball To the ordinary run Of Ameri-
cans. fan" is distinctive. IL means
a baseball bug, but the English viii
not have il that way. We, over here,
speak of a chicken fancier-no. we
don't mean what you think; we mean
a real one with feathers that looks
well in a Skillet-alsO horse fanciers.
Perhaps the English would have us
trip up and dub 'em chicken fans OF
horse fans! An explanatory note un-
der the picture OF two notables at a
baseball game says they are fans,
and adds, Fan, il may be noted, is
short for 'fanciers' of baseball" Just
fawncy that, old top.
We are given another chance TO
spoof the boys across the pono, not
TO mention some of the boys on our
own shores in the account OF recent
cricket game. AS a run getter and
batter the wonderful Ty Cobb is
piker compared TO "A phenom devel-
oped in England. Braund, OF Somer-
set, in a recent game, batted for three
hours and & minutes before he was
put out. He scored PSI runs in that
time He's a cricket player. This
may explain why they have militant
suffragets in England.