The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-10-24
BOXING NOTES.

Ora of the most promising of the younger contenders for the Hghtwed eight crown is the littEe New York east sider.' Willie Beecher who recently made such a fine showing against Joe Rive1+s and Johnny Dundee in Los Angeles Willie will be twenty-two on Sunday, having been born in New York, of Hebrew pareItage, Oct 70, 1892 Beecfner fought his first profeS7 stona1 battle about five years ago, and since then he has mixed it with some of the best of the hghtwefghts- He has earned draws with Jack BTttton and Leach Cross, and has defeated sueh good men as Tommy Murphy, Dick Eyfard, Battling Nelson Youns Corbett and Phil Cross, not to mention five victories over Knockout Brown Although Joe Rivers gained the deciss- ion in the Los Angeles battle, the AEexaran had to travel at his fastest pace the whole distance, and won only on weight in the last year, and he now finds himself unable to fight his best at less than 135 pounds. He Is i i've feet six and a half inches Tn height Willie is married, and 9 simple nver,'' and ought to improve in the next few years.
 I Biu McKinnon, the Boston light heavyweight, is one of many Cana ddans who have made good in tfae ring. He was born in CEarlottetowns Prince Edward Island, twenty eight years ago today, and has been fighting for eight yeaiss One of his first vdc- Itims was Porky Flynn. Tn 1909 he fought a draw with Jack Sullivan, but I later lost to the famous twin He defeated Harry Lewis and Sa1lor Burke that year, but was vanqu1sfled lby Jimmy Gardner in two bouts at I Boston Early in 1910 McKinnon whipped Joe WaIcott in Brockton, and later triumpEred over Frank. Mantell, but was defeated by Sailor Burke. In E1912 he lost to Eddie McGoorty, and last year, after fighting a draw with Jack Dillon, he was knocked out by the l Hoosier battIer in Indianapolis Last l month McKinnon met Mike Gibbons at Covington, Ky, and was outpointed by the St. Paul nfddIeweight
 Joe Wood, the Red Sox twirler, and Leslie rfunarnaker, of the catching staff of the New York Yankees, and formerly of the Red Sox, were born on the same day, Oct. 25, 1889S and each will pass his twerty-hfth mile stone on Sunday. smoky Joe'' claims Kansas City as his native town, while the big bae1stop made his mundane debut in Lincoln, Neb., William J. Bryan's home city.
 I Wood, who has already attached his signature to a 1915 contract with the Red Sox, started his diamond career as a shortstop on the Kansas City, 1 Kan, high school nine. Tn 1906 he played in the faheld for a, serni-profes- lstonaI club of his native city, and did so we'll that in 1907 he was offered a l job with the Hutchinson, Kan, club of the old Western. Association. He played mostly at second base, but he 7 was occasionally tried out at other positions, and made good. One day Manager Andrews saw Joe burning the bal over the plate. just for exer- else, and 1t occurred to the pilot than
 Wood might have the nakin's of 3 pitcher. He tried him out, and wood immediately became the twirling sem saitton of the circuit. The next yeal
 he was back in Kansas City, pitching in the American Association, and to- ward the close of the season he Joined the Bostonfa1ls Since then he Ina: made a reputation as one of the most resp1endent stars of the diamond.
 Catcher Nl1nlanna.ker broke into the
 game in 1909 with Dubuque, in the
 Three-I. He was given a tryout by
 Chicago in 1910 but was turned bacl to Bloomington, and in 1911 the ReC Sox got him. He quickly displayed enough ability to win a place witt Bill Carrigan as a regular catcher Onx
 day he broke finger and Cady got
 his chance, and after that he was permanently displaced. This veal tNunamal1er caught for New York.