Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-07
DIAMOND STAGES
MANY TRAGEDIES,
SAYS MAThEWsON
BY caRlsTY MArAEwsoN.

John Coombs is out of the hospital.
Coombs' case has been one Of the
tragedies of baseball in recent years,
and the big leagues are freckled with
tragedies, knowledge OF which never
reaches the public Few fans realize
the battles the old stars make to.
hang on when they begin to realize
they are slowing up and that they
have not the snap Of past years and
are not covering the ground they did.
Frequently they kid even themselves
and attempt to conceal their failing
ability by numerous tricks and arti.
fees. Look at Devlin and Steinfelit
and Bill Dahlen and even Mike Dom
lin. Hans Wagner is man who viii
die hard
Tragedy Of coombsi Case.
But Coopbs' experience is even a
greater tragedy than those due to
age. VIII IN a ball player is forced to
quit because he Is wearing out. The
bis twirler of the Athletics had al
why's lived as clean as a ball player
can and always played the game for
all IL was worth, and, through no
fault Of his own. he was cut down in
the prime Of bis baseball days
Even II he does come back, as he
predicts he will, he will have lost
practically the two best years of his
pitching life through a little accident
In the worlds series of 1911. Men
who are familiar with Coombs' case
tell me that they do not think he win
ever be st to work again. Perhaps
they are not counting on the iron
nerve of the man.
AS recall the incident, ii was in
the seventh inning of the fifth game
for the worlds championship in 1911,
when some New York batter raped
q sharp one to the pitchers box.
Coombs made Iunge for the ball.
If he had missed 1t, the damage
would not have been great, as the
Giants won the game in extra IN.
nings, anyway, ana the Athletics
finally took the series. But Coon1ba
made the lunge, and that lunge put
him out Of baseball for two Years.
It was immediately after this lunge
that the Giants began to hit the great
iron man OF the Athletlcs. His stun
was gone. we did not know why
AAkCus Jul sEtIdAt Z Wcl1 Attit EEnldkh
OF McGraw that day, j
60 after him now said he
We've got him.
coombs Showed Gameness.
We did go after him and won the
game in extra Innings. Al certain
player on the Athletics has told me
since that Connie Mack was for
taking Coombs out when he saw that
the great twirler was not himself,
but that the board of strategy adj
yised against it, and the Athletic
leader permitted himself to be over
ruled Coombs pitched on, not to
the end of the battle, but for an In
ming or so, I don't remember but for
an inning, and each pitch meant O.
knife thrust of pain to him But he
would not quit under fire, and he has
paid for IT. The next year he was In
a hospital and more than two years
later he left it. or course, his stay
has not been continuous, but there
is no doubt in my mind that the
strain wore him out so that he was
open for the attack of typhoid which
pulled him down at the beginning Of
this season.
A big Lacquer that | hated to see
pass was Arthur Devlin, an old Giant
third basenlan, who came into his
job because oTesnahan developed sci
attic rheumatism after McGraw In
tended to play him on the bag, and
who held on to 1t for more than eight
years Devlin was one of the best
third basemen ever, and he might
have been a star yet except that his
legs went back on him prenlatuTely
and he began, to slow up. He was
one OF the best friends of McGraw.
but Mae never dallfes- on account
Of friendship when he sees that a
player Is not covering the territory
be should s... a.
When DevIin Slowed Up.
McGraw, Devlin, WIltse and used
to play bridge whist on the trains
continuously while on the road when
Arthur was with the Giants. Devlin
was shrewd ball player and readily
realized it himself whNn he began to
slow up. But he tried hard to cover
his failing legs. He began playing
the position over closer 10 the, bag,
feeling that he was safe If he could
keep the hits going between himself
and the base, and depending upon
BridweH to take care of the greater
territory left exposed between him