Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-28
GEORGE BELL WOULD LIKE
TO SEE HUMMEL AT FIRST
Pitcher Thinks That Silent
John Is Right Man to Re-
place Swacina.
ORIOLES CHANCES LIKED
Evening Star Kept George Up
on Baseball During Win!
ter Months.
BY GEORGE BELL.


tl-lCHtf NtMhGk Baseball 1luD.1
COLUMBUS, Ca, Feb. ISL see
no reason why we haven't got
GOOD fighting chance for winning
another pennant Tor Newark and
Harry Smith this year. If we can get
four pitchers working regularly in
good form, a god ana experienced
third catcher and a first oaseman, we
will be right in the running.
There Is one thing which | would
like to say before going further, and
it concerns this i~st base Proposition.
have not seen either of the two new
first sackers. Bob Thompson and
George Smith, jr, in a game and so /
I'M not in a position to pass judgment
on either of them. | should be de-
lighted If both turn cut to be stars,
but if they fail to make good thereiis
one man whom / would particularly
like 10 see hold down the job left by
Swacina. He is John Hummel Silent
John told me recently that he would
be delighted to play in Newark, and
think the only thing that prevents
l5ummel from becoming a Tiger is the
waiver question. That part of the deal
harder to obtain waivers right now
from big league clubs than at any
time that | can remember These Feds
have butted IN just enough to make
every manager grab at anything that
looks at all good. Hummel is born
baseball player and a perfect gentle
man He is properly nicknamed Silent
John, and his ability to fill IN at any
position but the battery points proves
h .xrrv 70 mo oil nd atrd
lard to induce the big leaguers to
waive. l guess.
/ played with John at Brooklyn for
five years ana, truthfully, I can say
that / couldn't pick any infield or out
field position at which Hummel could
not fill in at any old time. | remem-
Der, too. one year on spring training
trip We played an exhibition game
outside of st. Louis. John wanted to
pitch and we let him That was the
last time he ever toed the slab. He
never got a man out and the boys
sweat blood. The outfiel'lrrs had sun
burned tongues from chasing the pill.
Finally the whole infield moved out to
the garden and we had seven out
fielders. Even then it was hard for
John to prevent them from scoring.
Maybe you will think l am little
Jealous about John because he tried
TO pllCil. ftfHdpS ain, Out L just
related this incident because thought
it might interest the fans.
John can't be beat for a utility man.
AS for hitter, well, there are few as
guod in this league. IIuinmel would
make a first baseman for the Tigers
that will round out our team and
make it combination fully as good as
last year
I think the team we will have to
beat out this year is Baltimore The
Orioles have escaped the Feds attack
and Birdie Cree should make them
stronger than ever. I expect no trouble
for the champions in beating the
Birds, however, because we always
seemed to have a little on them.
1 have kept pretty well up on base
ball during the off season. We have
the Evening Star mailed to Knoxville
daily and | must say that / enjoyed
the sport pages, particularly the ~.
F.. N" column. Some of his answers
tick,ed the folks up home and they
posted the pages up in the country
store every time something good ap-
peared i rememl .er one answer that
the boys are still laughing over. Some-
body asked the question, What is
steam?' The answer was: steam is
water gone crazy with the heat" The
boys back home spring that on every
stranger who comes up our way.