The Washington times., 1914-03-22
DIAMOND TRAGEDIES !.
=
OCCUR EVERY YEAR
Danny Murphy andJ Jack Coombs
Furnish Examples for the
Georgia Peach's" Story. i
By TY COBB.
(World's Greatest All-Around Player

| By TY COBB. - !.
(World's Greatest All-Around Player.)
Many tragedies Of the diamond
' are written down in the history of
the big leagues every season. Ball
players will fight for their big
league lives as hard as the ordinary
man struggles against the call of
the undertaken. Nearly all stars
realize it when they begin to fade,
but not a few successfully conceal
the fact from their managers for
some time by shrewdness In cover.
ing up their increasing weaknesses,
/ such as slowness in the field or weak
( throwing arms
But the real tragedies of the dia-
mond center about the men who are
cut down in their prime. Every time
a player enters game of ball he
. is taking a chance on being injured
in such a way that he may never
again be able to appear in uniform.
This is one Of the risks of the pro-
fession which cannot be avoided.
| Danny Murphy was star with the
Athletics in 1911. and It was his fine
| work and shrewd field leadership-f
1
that had much to do with the Philadel.
phia team taking the championship OF
the American League and finally the
| supreme title Of champions Of the
the et'f fo1loWins as soi season & a and % sithoash
veteran. played great ball. until one
day he hurt his knee in Chicago sliding
into second base. He thought little Of
the damage at the time and broke back
into the game before the knee was as
solid as once 1t had been. The Athletics
soreIy needed him. for. the club was not
going well. and, as will be remembered,
Boston finally beat them out.
l "Danny' hadn't been back In the
battle long before the knee started to
give him trouble once more. and ]
picked up a morning paper one day and
read the statement that Danny Muir
ply had water on the knee II was
specialists Of the country. but It re-
Il fused to mend. Murphy has never ap-
peared regularly in the Philadelphia
lineup since then. and hardly Day
Il wish 1 had my leg again. 'Ty.'"
he told me one day last spring when
Detroit was playing the Athletics; @ III
know I would have several more years
Of good baseball left in me"
The other day Connie released Danny
to Baltimore in ,,d. the In Internstapha, prsfapina
to take his chances with the Federal
League. He may linger year or SO
longer. but that injured leg Will not
stand much wear and tear.
"I don't know what I'll do when they
set through with me in the big league,
said Murphy to me one day last sum
mer. Baseball has always been my
life"
lack Coombs' Tragedy.
| And there is John Coomhs, also Of
the Athletics. Coombs is one of the
really great pitchers OF the day. or
was, because of wonderful speed. Il
grand curve ball, apparently inexhausti-
Bile strength. and heart of temper
ed steel. Probably his heart or
Iinch was ever too tough for him 10
face and usually mas,er. He practically
pitched the Athletics to their first
worlds championship in 1870 when
that club beaS the Cubs. and he showed
Just as good form against the Giants
in 1911 until the accident occurred
which really has been responsible for
keeping aim out of baseball ever since.
1t was also one of those quick dia-
mond casualties which occur 20 often
in baseball.
The Giants had won only q single
game in the 1911 series and the Ath-
letics had three to their credit when
John Coombs sarted out to work In the
| cOnIeSt III Ne" 1OGh. lie was inc
Coombs OF iron through six innings,
but in the seventh he strained himself
in fielding a sharply hit ball to the
pitchers box. Even the watchful Con
ME- Mack on the bench did hot notice
the twinge in Coombs face as the pain
shot through him. But / was following
the game from the press stand and
happened to be placed right behind the
catcher. All at once Coombs seemed to
slow up. He was not the same.
Something is wrong with John" 1
said to the man sitting mex to me.
Hardly had I made the remark than
he batter cracked on a hit. I do not
recall who this was. The Giants soon
discovered that the man working in the
box for the Athletics was not the same
who had moved them down through the
early innings. The Athletics knew It.
too and the smiles of victory which
had been spreading on their faces in
ming by inning were displaced hy grave
looks.
Connie did not have another pitcher
warmed up, because Coombs mad been
moving so steadily to what looked like
certain victory through the opening
rounds that the precaution did not seem
necessary. The men on the Philadel-
phia club were worried. and began to
stall and look to the bench. Collins
stopped the game while he walked to
the pitchers box and picked up an
imaginary pebble.
Meanwhile, he talked TO Coombs. II
could be observed from the press stand
that the players were making anxious
inquiry OF one another about Coombs
for they were constantly putting their
gloves to their mouths and talkin., be-
hind them. You could tell that they were
saying questioningly. angiously:
WHAT'S the matter with John
Delayed Game Further.
An emissary from the bench rurtber
delayed the game while he conferred
| with Thomas, the philadelphia catcher.
and IRA walked 10 Coombs John SHOOK
his head, and Thomas in turn shook his
head at the bench. Or course Mack
| knew that something was wrong with
| his pitcher, but lie did not want TO ask
Coombs 10 quit under fire lie has said
since that hc would rather hayC lost the
| game than 10 have taken John out
against his will. And all the time While
tho game went on. the pain. with the
intensity of a toothachc. Was shooting
through Coombs with his cIr-l uuuvc.
- expected IL would stop InIt il was
only a Temporary strain" John has told
me since. And ] wanted Ia stick that
game out and be ia on the final victory
of the Athletics il ! could
| Tho Giants, knowing that something
was wrong with CooIHbs. went after
him with the grim spirit of despair and
the inspiration of Il fighting chance