The Washington times., 1914-03-22

Athletics. Mack had another pitcher
warming up by this time, and finally
the side was retired. There was q be-
tween innings conference on the Phila-
delphia bench, and Connie" decided
to let John go on, believing that he
could hold his lead through the two
remaining innings. He did not realize
the extent of the injury, for Coombs,
after his way, made light Of It,
So Combs went back to work in the
eighth. and the Athletics were sun
ahead when the inning was over. pnt
the Giants were closing up on them and
hitting John. The pain was worse in
in the ninth, and the players on the
Philadelphia club had to stall often.
John could not conceal the agony he
was suffering. but he pitched grin.ly
on In the last gasp Of the ninth the
score was tied. and Coombs was done.
Another pitcher finished the game for
Philadelphia, and the Athletics lost
That night John Coombs was In a hos
pital In Philadelphia and was pitching
the final innings of the game over. SO
his nurses have said. They had to hold
! him down in his bed because nc go;
the notion that some one was trying
TO take him out of the box, and he wal
fighting against 1t.
Never Right In 1912.
, Coombs was never right In 1912. He
.
winter on his farm in Maine. and he
I; declared Il would be his best year. But
members of the Philadelphia club have
/ told me since that John was listlest
; throughout the training season, and die
! not display the pep to which they
| were accustomed in the man. Connie
Mack sent him against Boston IN the
first game of the season. and the flush
on his cheek made Mack believe that
| John was right again. Connie
knows now that it was the fever hrsh
! Let John relate this chapter in his
| own words as he told it to me after he
| Joined his clu. briefly late last summer
after his long siege of illness. Said
John:
"As | warmed up for that opening
| battle against Boston ] never felt more
| fit in my life. I had lots of stuff and
wanted to work because I seemed
strOrR. 1t was the false strength OF
fever This lasted through the early
innings. and then l began TO feel dizzy,
a nd black specks started IN before my
eyes, and the batters became indistinct
Ny curve would not break.
Whats the matter, john Connie
asked me.
I'm not right l replied. and Con-
ME took me out
That night John Coombs had tenn
perature of 1ei, and II required only a
ccuDIe of days for the physicians 10
confirm their belief that 1t was typhoid.
The old strain of the 1911 worlds series
had gotten one of the earnest pitchers
Of the diamond. Somewhere I'm the
South Coombs had encountered the ty-
ph0id germ. Doubtless this same enemy
o. society had found its way into the
systems of the other members of the
Athletics. But their good physical con-
dition made. it possible for them to
throw il off. In John 1t found a good
lodging place, for the old strain which
had put him in the hospital had weak
ened him.
1t was weeks before Coombs was out
OF bed. and there were times when those
in charge had grave doubts whether he
would ever get up again. Big leaguers
on all the clubs asked about John So
licitously, for his type is popular in tho
profession. At last. he Was able to sit
up. and then walk around a little. The
danger from typhoid was past
Seeks To Regain Health.
John then set about II grimly to re-
cover his health and strength He went
to the Maine woods and lived in the
open When il looked certain toward
the end of the summer that his club
would once more be q contender In the
worlds series, he wrote Connie" Mack
that he felt strong enough to join the
team, and that he expected, with six
weeks of work, to be In shape to take
his turn in the box during the world $
not feel that he should draw salary all