Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-06
VETERAN PICKED
T0PLAY LEADING
ROLE IN DRAMA
For Thirteen Years the Great
Southpaw Has Been Win
ming Consistently.
Rv J. W. McConaughy.


GONE months ago Mr.. Ban john
son. the fat gaekwar Of the
American League, ordered his
Irnpires TO jack up the speed Of base
ball games so as to send the Loyal
Public home in time for dinner.
with these Instructions in mind
an umpire approached a famous vet
eran twirler in a game in Philadel-
phia ana suggested that he smoke up
a bit and not waste so much time be-
tween pitches.
The veteran looked grave. Instead
Of favoring the umpire with his views
as 10 the size Of that officials hat, the
activity OF his brain and the char
aster OF his forefathers he gently re-
Piled:
See here-Tm getting along toward
forty and I can't hit It up with these
Youngsters. II I'm going to pitch
nine innings ] have to take my own
time to IT,"
The umpire was abashed-which is
a mighty remarkab BILE thing for an
umpire TO be. The veteran proceeded
with his pitching in his usually de-
iberatc manner, unpursued by fur
Their suggestions from the umpire.
Furthermore the story went the
rounds Of the umpires and none Of
them make any comments when the
veteran is taking his own time"
Oldest, Greatest Southpaw.
The gentleman who thus spake to
The umpire and moved him to respect
was Eddie Plank, of the Athletics, the
Oldest pitcher and the greatest left
handler tn baseball He has been at
II thirteen years, every year in the
big league. and in all the time he
came down to the finish of the sea-
S0r bur once with a record OF having
lost more games than he had won.
This was the year that the Athletics
finished sixth.
Other pitchers-Matty, for instance
have been pitching big league base
bali as long as Plank, but there are
features Of the slim Athletics per
t0rmanCe that make his career even
more remarkable than Matty's. In
the first place he is a left handler,
and handlers are VIGOROUSLY
,aort-lived. There is no intention
10 make this a surgical treatise, but
any doctor AN explain Il to you.
The constant hard throwing with the
eff arm has a bad effect on the
heart and drives left-handers out Of
baseball Plank has long outlived
every other southpaw who started at
the time he did
This is probably due to the fact
That he began playing baseball much
alter in life than the other big
.-aguers-later than any American
boy It has been reported that he
began pitching on the day the battle
o., t}e,tsbuTg was founght, but this is
.5gat." erroneous. II probably arose
nom tn" fact that ne was born in
''it}s71rg i'm 1878. but it was 1895
'e'ore ne had ever had a baseball in
Ms hand. That's right. Twenty years
"'o before he ever handled a base
'aID and in America all that time.
Began When 20 Years Old.
lt was shortly after his introduce
non no the national nuisance that
.oans Mr.. Plank cast his eyes upon
Gettysburg College. In other words,
ne headed for the fountains Of learn
ing about the time that most youths
are Wip'ng their lips and backing
away. He was 25 when he qualified
'S pitcher for the college team, and
Us explaining the fact that he Is
S0. hale and hearty In pitching,
.S .L rugilsm, il IS the strain on the
BOY that eventually crumples up the
man
An old-time pitcher. Frank Fore
man was coach of the Gettysburg
squad Il that time. When Plank
'He out to try for the team he
handed out few specimens of what