The Washington herald., 1914-09-14
Mack Thinks Bender
Is Best in the World
Athletics Selects Indian Hwler as First IN
Ranks Of Great Pitchers.

One day. about two years ago. part,
4 Of baseball men were discussing grea
pitchers and, OF course. Walter johnson
. Christy Mathewson. Rube waddeIl. ant
others had their champions. Mr.. Connie
Mack, who happened to be present
didn't offer his opinion as to the king o.
hurlers-he prefers to listen in the cours'
Of such an argument. However, the wis
leader Of the Athletics did say this: I'll
! needed q game TO win a pennant, 9
worlds championship. or when any
lning big was at stake in baseball, my
. first choice to pitch that game would
. be Chief Bender" Which. IL one realizes
the full import of the sentence. means
that Mr.. Connie Mack considers Chief
Bender the greatest winning pitcher
living. And that is true greatness. in-
deed-the winning part OF IT.
However, the basis for this story is
the fact that Charles Albert Bender is
an Indian. Even the hardy Redskins
reach the end of their physical prowess.
and some of these days, the chief is go
ing to hand his uniform TO Connie Mack
and announce that in the future, his
athletic endeavors will be confined TO
golf, shooting, billiards and sports less
strenuous than baseball Then who will
spring into prominence as the major
leagues great Indian pitcher?
Another Indian Ready.
Well, it is a safe bet that when Bender
retires as the chief, Philadelphia will
have the young man to assume the title.
And he Is Ben lineup, now one of the
Phillies' rather raw recruits, but an In
dian who is developing, and that right
fast. Therefore, Philadelphia always will
be able to lay claim to two great pitchers
|-.-t< fa5 r. ho MI
and INDUCED in the war dance.
Bender splendid record as a big league
hgrleE7is too well known TO require much
attention now. He has been with the
Athletics since 1908, and in that time has
been the mainstay of the Mack twirling
|corps. Although never an iron man." in
|the sense that he would work every other
day, he has<taBen his turn in the box
and been a big winner in all except two
of his eleven full seasons Qsl4 not in
|cludedD. In 1910 and 1911, he topped the
Ringers in the percentage of victories,
and in 1903 and 1918, he was quite near
the first position.
Bender is a Chippewa and was born at
Brainerd. MIMI, He was educated at the
Carlisle Indian School, where he learned
his baseball. He also attended Dickinson
College. He pitched his first professional
baseball for the Harrisburg team, and it
was there that Connie Mack found him.
The principal asset of Bender has been
his cool. calculating demeanor while on
the mound. Wien thousands of fans are
yelling. stamping their feet, and showing
signs of diamond dementia, the Indian
deliberately gets the sign from his catch
Ter, parts his lips in a smile Of cunning.
and shoots the ball over the plate Just
where he wants.it to go-incidentAlly.
where the man with the club doesn't
want It Possibly, the while, he Is telling
the batsman how futile it is for him to
think Of getting a base hit. This is not
fction-it positively has happened on
many occasions in a worlds series.
No Nerves in Makeup.
The stage-fright-to employ a common
expression-which is such al obstacle TO
the success of other capable hurlers in
Important contests, has no part in the
makeup Of Mack's famous Indian. And
no matter how tight the battle, Bender
never loses that confident care-free mien
which is so deadly TO the ambitions Of
opponents.
It is fitting, therefore, that the man
who is TO wear the mantle which will
be laid aside by Chief Bender is his
counterpart in diamond demeanor. Ben
Tincup doesn't know what nerves are.
1f Manager Doom could find a block
of ice capable Of throwing a baseball
10 opposing clubs, he would not have a.
Finger less impressionable to the sar-
castle filings Of the enemy and the shots
of the fans than is Ben Tincup.
On the bench before the game, Tfncup
may be found sitting lazily in a corner
watching the practice. Is he to pitch
that day? That is not to be found out
by a general survey of the bench. as
II is when another twirler has been
told of his assignment for mound duty. /
Take Alexander, Mayer, Marshall, Rixeyi
pr the other Doom hurlers. Go to the
bench on the day they are slated forl
huty. They will have a new warm-up
ball, procured from Sam Payne many
minutes before Killefer, Burns, or PatI
Moran is ready to look over their curves |
Sitting there on the bench awaiting the |
summons, these palefaces will be twist
ing the sphere around in their hants. |
fhanging their position and telegraphIng |
he fact, to all who can see, that they
ire about TO earn their salary
Tincup continues his lazy position untn