The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-30
FRED MERKLE IS
CHAMPION . J|NX"
OF BALL PLAYERS
REAL HARD LUCK
GUY.

CHICAGO. Nov. 2s.--Fred MerkIe, of
the New York Giants, can claim and
will be awarded UNANIMOUSLY. whether
he wants It or not, the title OF worlds
champion 5inx player. At least that Is
the opinion OF /. e. Sanborn. II has
been Merkele's misfortune to figure in
several mishaps which occurred so d.
rectly In the center of the baseball
timciisht that he cannot hope to have
Thorn forgotten as easily as the mis-
takes or slips of baseball heroes usual
" are.
Merkle is not the only player who
ever made costly errors. There are
many who probably have made more
than he ever did. He lis not the only
big league star who has been accused
of pefrifaction OF the skull. but some
of his brain plumbers have been made
nj such times that they have attracted
the attention Of 4 nations fans
The ffrst time the thickness Of Mer-
kle's dome became a Matter of world
wide discussion. WAS in the fall of 1908.
That was the year In which his failure
to touch second base robbed Al Bird
well Of clean base hit to center field
which would have scored the winning
abtA &h gazing Wbui1 nave won
the National league championship.
which would have entitled the Giants
to play In worlds series. which they
might have won---and 80 on.
Merkle's failure TO touch second left
the pennant race a tie, and the Cubs
won the playof and the worlds PEN,
nant from the Detroit Tigers But
New Workers always will believe the
Giants would have beaten the Tigers
In 3GNG tttft' h&rLrsr bna a.
ond.
Perhaps the result of the 1918 series
Just ended, might have aoftened the
hearts OF Gotham fans toward Nc
~e-Faw's sisst- hasefe.n If he had not
been 50 unfortunate as TO get in badly
again--but that Is running ahead OF
my story,
When Manager McGraw decided to
keep Fred Merkie after his 1905 mis-
take and threatened to make a star
first baseman out of him everyone
nearly everyone outside OF New York
--applauded Mc0raw's Judgment. 1t
would be inter esting In the light of re-
cent history is know now II the dumpy
pilot of the Giants Is glad or sorry.
Under McGraws encouragement and
tutelage Merkle lived down his 1898
bsundcr sufficiently to become an in
fielder good enough to hold down a
Job on a team which has won the Ma
uonal league pennant three years in
succession. and that's going little.
Not 80 many remember that the fall
ure OF Merkle to cope with an easy
foul fly between first and home bases
was equally responsible for New Yorks
defeat. 1t happened shortly before
Snodgrass' mum and would have kept
the center fieider's error from cutting
any figure In history. Chief Meyers
shares some Of the blame for losing
that foul. because he might have made
himself heard suflciently, In spite OF
the roofing, to remove the thought of
= collision from the mind OF Merkle
But the fact remains that IL McGraw
had not stuck to Merkle the Giants
might have won the worlds series of
19i2. II liz no part OF this argument
to hint that without MerkIe on first
base the Giants might not have been
champions of the old league last year.
That In admitted. and the only point
being established here Is that Merkie
has proven link OF considerable pro-
portions to McGraw and the Giants
The unfortunate first baseman stood
out prominently in the mishaps OF this
years worlds combat, and 1t is more
than possible to show that without
him the Giants would have made a
better showing in the late series. II
Is easy to show II. It Is not at all
probable that the Giants should have
beaten the Athletics this year without
lot of horseshoes on both feet.