Evening star., 1914-07-25
COOMBS ON MOUND
''Iron Man" Pitches Five IN
nings Against Syracuse.
YIELDS BUT FOUR HITS
After Long Illness He Shows Old
Speed and Is Not Affected
by Trial.

SYRACUSE. July 45.-John Coombs.
master pitcher of'the worlds champion
Athletics vino for more than year has
been SO tightly gripped in disease that his
hopes of life were at one time dubious,
astonished his teammates yesterday by
pitching remarkable ball against :he
Syracuse team of the New York State
League.
That the contest went ten innings, that
it was Won by the Syracuse team 81,
were all factors CT small Importance to
the Athletic players. Their big interest
was in the performance Of the iron man
of other seasons.
1t was a spectacle that thrilled every
member of the team to see the big Maine
farmer smoking the ball over the plate
with all his oldtime speed and showing
in the pinches the nerve that made him
one of the most masterful of pitchers.
Has Speed, Curves and Control.
Coombs pitched FIVE innings against
Syracuse. He used both his speed and
his curves. but contented himself with
more hooks than shoots. Four hits was
all the home team could get off the de-
livery of the man who beat Matnewson
the nrst time he was ever downed in a
worlds series. who was the victor i'll the
famed twenty -four inning contest with
Boston. the longest i'll the histor5 OF
major league base ball, and who in the
season Of 1910 went nfty-three innings
without being scored on. Coombs did not
issue single base on balls, his control
being perfect.
Yesterdays performance was the first
appearance OF Coombs since April 10,
1913. This was The opening game of the
1913 season He started against Boston
pitching for five innings was compelled
to retire from the game.
There were many persons who believed
that his illness started with his collapse
in the NTH worlds series game of 1911,
when Coombs. who had the Giants shut
out. was seen to stagger in pain, and
later was compelled to quit the con-
test. CoomEs had torn muscles in his
side, and walked for a time with d lane.
The winters rest put the iron man"
right again. and he did good work for
the Mackmen during ali the season Of
1917 This attack had nothing to do with
1913
Ailment Proves Mystery.
In fact. this ailment was so mysterious
that. for time, it baff1ed the best ply
sicians. Its cause has now ben definite
" traced to bites Of reaches received in
a southern hotel during the spring train
ing of 1872 In some manner the poison
Gus bite of the insects affected the carti-
lese OF backbone. the cushions between
each of the vertebrae undergoing a
process of disintegration.
Coombs spent winter in the south and
part of the summer in Maine, and then
in August of last year attempted to re-
turn to help out the Mackmen in the
final rush for the pernant. Just as Man
ager Mack was about to use him. Coombs
had a most serious relapse, and for d
time his life was despaired of.
Then his treatment was changed, with
the result that he responded. He has
been with the team for portion of this
season. coaching and amusing himself
by pitching to the batters in morning
practice, out neither Manager Mack no1
the PLAYERS had expected to see him in
the game.
| His remarkable work yesterday holds
out the possibility that he may get back
| After the game Coombs said that the
effort he put forth did not affec. him IN
| the least. and that he could have easily
gone the full route without unduly
i straining himself.
/, rhe only run made off Coombs was in
| the first inning on a pair of short Sin
giles and wild pitch, which Ira Thomas
might have stopped with a little more
| effort.