South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-20
DEFEND LAJO|E IN
FIGHT WITH BOSS
Menke Maintains That Great
Hitter Has Not PurpoSeIy
Laid Down This Year, Say
ing Birmingham is Afraid of
His lob.
BY FRANK G. NrENKE.

NEW YORK. Aug 20-There are
few fans in the country today who
can believe the charges brought by
Manager Joe Birmingham Of the Maps
that Larry Lajoie has laid down on
hin.-that the great Frenchman has
not given the club the best that was
in him.
Those who know LajOie p-AOnally
and those who know him only through
his record as a bail player cannot be-
lieve that Birmingham charges are
founded on fact. For IS years Lajoie
has been in big league baseball and
during all these years he has been a
credit and an honor 10 the game. For
Is years not a breath OF scandal has
fiuttered about his name.
And now comes Birmingham, dis
gruntled and angered because he is
the leader OF tail end team and at
tempts TO blacken the name of man
who has done a hundred times more
for baseball than he ever has done or
ever Will do. and whose memory will
live and be cherished for decades
after Birmingham s has been forgot
ten.
Fear I.aiOie.
Does Birmingham wish TO get rid of
I>aJOie because Ne fears that the vet
eran second D6 seman may supplant
him as manager? There are some
who feel that this ight be the under
lying cause for Birmingham charges
against the veteran. Several months
ago a report -Sas current that such a
change would take place. Birming-
ham is said TO have a contract that
still has two years to run, but man
ayers are not always retained for the
full length Of their contract.
None of those who know the great
Frenchman intimately can believe for
one moment that he would deliberate
ly plot against any man. Lajoie
stacks up as a man, clean and straight,
and one who had given the best that is
in him TO his superiOrs for Is years.
Certain IL seems that now, IN the twi-
light Of his wonderful career. he could
not change his nature; and he would
not sully his name by any quitting tao
tics.
Weak This Year.
Lajoie has not been hitting them
out this year. His batting has been
woefully weak. But there has been
nothing wrong with his fielding, moth
ing wrong with his throwing. He still
is, despite his 80 years, the most
graceful fielder in the game, and he
still ranks as one OF the greatest de-
fensive players in the big leagues.
If Birmingham bases his charges
against LaJoie on the fact that he isn't
being treated unjustly. Lajoie has
been in slump and batting slumps
come frequently In the careers of even
the most wonderful and most consist
ent sluggerS. This isn't the first bat
ting slump that Lajoie has encount-
cred. Back in 1907 and 1908 the best
he could do was .299 and 2S9 The
general verdict then was - Hes
through" La1oie upset the dope by
coming back in 1909 with 1924. with
1884 in 1910. 1865 in 1911, 1858 in
1912 and .335 in 1913.
This year Lajoie hasn't been able to
hit them for better than about .223.
His grand average covering all the
other years of his career is .331-the
best average ever compiled by anyone
over such "A lengthy stretch. It's a
wonderful record and one no doubt
that brought TO LajOie a feeling of
pride.
Cut General Average.
An average of .223 for this season
will tear LajOie's general average
down something like eight or nine
points Bringing il down to around
342 IL still remains a, wonderful rec
ord but not such a seemingly unbeat-
able one as 1851. Does anyone think
that Lajoie deliberately would lay
down in his hitting knowing full we'll
that such an act would rob him in the
final years of his baseball career Of
the honor of retiring with a general
average better than any batsman ever
made before?
Lajoie, during the ten years or so of