Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-31
CAREER OF A. A. sTAGG.
Chicago Coach Was Star Baseball and
 Football Player at College

l For he's a grand old Stagg," runs a song which still has a vogue at the l University of Chicago although the l George W. Cohan music and words 1 from which it was adapted have long since ceased to be modern. The Chi 1 cago song ends with Take your hat i off to old man Stagg." These words well represent the feeling of students 1 and alumni of the midway university 1 a nickname adopted from it's prox- 1 imity to the midway plaisance of the worlds fair when the college was founded in the fall of 1892--toward the athletic mentor who has produced more than his share of championship athletic teams from ma terial far be- low the average of that of other lead 1 ing universities against which he is asked to compete.
 "Old Man Stagg" has been the one dominant factor in the athletic life of the University of Chicago. Despite
 more favorable offers financially else where, he stuck to his post under most
 discouraging conditions His name is
 so linked with the university that the raging of Cobb hall. the first building
 erected for classroom work would
 cause no more surprise than Stagg's retirement from athletics so long as
 his health sustains the test. Amos
 AlOnZo Stagg was born at West
 Orange, N. J., on August IS 1862 of
 American parentage. He attended the
 public schools of Orange and was
 graduated from high school iu 1883.
 acting as pitcher on the baseball nine
 for two years. In January, 1884, he
 entered Phillips Exeter academy to
 complete his preparations for Yale. He
 played third base on the nine until
 the tutor who was captain and pitch
 CT, was expelled by the players and Stagg chosen in his place. He pitch ed in all the remaining games.
 e %
 He played six years -four in the col lege, one year as q post graduate stu dent and one year in the divinity school
 While enduring the hardships at tendant upon working his way through college, Stagg received and declined numerous fiGtterin2 offers to play pro- fessional baseball. One was $10O0 a month to the end of the season of 1887 with the Metropolitains of New York. Oyertures were made from the man ageTs of six National league clubs in- cluding the New York Giants and Pittsburg which was prepared to offer $5000 a season for his services. Stagg simply thought his duty lay in other fields.
 At Yale Stags jumped at once into athletic fame. In thc fall of his fresh man year he pitched his classmae>s to victory against be sOphOmOres. and following the Harvard freshman game was taken on the varsity nine. where he played third base going to the slab the following season. For the five years that Stagg was the leading slab artist, Yale won the intercollegiate championship. His hardest year was in 1888 when captain. The critical game of the season was against liar yard on Saturday. June 23. If liar ward won it meant the title. Victory for Yale meant q tie Yale won, to O. r +1a fnT i'm ITO aSf44y " "a Ip calledm upon to meet the crimson in the play-off of the fie
 Stage had pitched himself out in the previous game. His arm was "dead'' and he was compelled to resort 10 an i underhand delivery. Seventeen liar ward batsmen went out by the aerial route against his underhaod curves and Yale won the game and the title, 1 to 3. His greatest strike-out feat was recorded earlier in the same season, i when 20 Princetonians were set down 1 on strikes.
 While Stagg's greatest reputation as a coach results from football he play | ed regularly on the Yale eleven in only i hls last two years. in the second of i which he made All-American end be- 1 cause Yale's athletic advisers were not i willing to risk their star pitcher on the | gridiron until near the end of his col 1 lege career.
 Early in his career al Chicago Stagg | was married gt0 Miss Stella Robertson a student. Amos Alonzo Stagg, Jr | 12 years old. and two younger sisters have since been added 10 the family
 Because of the scarcity of material and by permission of the other col teges. StagG played halfback on the first Chicago eleven. His coaching reign has been continuous since Tn the quality of material and therefore | football possibilities. Stagg considers his greatest teams were those of 1899 il and 1905. The 1899 eleven defeated Wisconsin. r. to Q. al Madison. in q pest season battle fer the western title. II The 1905 eleven eI %hieh Marc Catlin