Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-14

Bruno Smelser, FIRST OF the $4,000 beauty
tIrsd to the. minors and is. pitching 667
| per cent. ball for the Blue Jays He has
one interest IN life-his arm and he takes
Charlie Grubb. manager of the Blue Jays,
Is eccentric, Will only pitch when he feels
right and is general nuisance But the
owner refuses to FIRE Bruno, who has an
| extraordinary assortment OF pitchers tricks.
Another neat trick of the sort required
| Sullivan's collaboration. Ordinarily foul
| balls against the grandstand netting were
tossed back to the catcher by players
from the bench When Bruno worked,
Steve Sullivan did his own retrieving.
When Steve picked up the ball he would
toss 1t back TO Bruno, who would at once
step into the box ready TO pitch. Sulli-
van, returning to the plate, would pick
up his mask where he had dropped it
always behind the batter and from six to
ten feet away from the plate. AS Steve
picked up the mask he would address
some remark to the batter calculated to
extract a reply. II the batter turned his
head to answer. Sullivan would drop the
mask and dive into position for the turn
OF the batter's head was Bruno's cue to
slam the ball over for a strike. Man
ayers howled, team captains protested.
but there was nothing in the rules to
prevent Smelzers throwing the ball, and
II Sullivan cared to dash over and take
one without his mask that was Steve's
risk
With these and other tricks, too nu-
merous to mention and tedious Of explana-
ton. the ten-thousand-dollar arm con-
tinued In the game. and Smelzer, with
only a 1.-THE of his strength. held his
place and his percentage on the right
side of 800.
Charlie Grubb second baseman with the
team for six years and playing manager
for four, found his trouble at last A
recruit from the wilds of Wyoming
literally elbowed the boss out of his place
at second. Charlie had no wish to be-
come a bench manager. and he hung on
as long as he could but he could not
conceal the fact that he was no longer
hitting In the .275 class, and, to mako It
worse, his legs were going back on him.
McRae. the Wyoming recruit, was not
only a sensational infielder. but he could
hit like Delehanty and he was a streak
on the bases.
Two or three of the sporting writer's
started a campaign TO drive Grubb to the
bench, and hammered away at him so
viciously that the entire baseball popula-
tlon took up the cry, and when that hap
pens IL Is the wise man who will step
aside as quietly and unostentatlously as
possible Grubb was not WISE He took
to snarling at reporters. and this was
throwing gasoline on the fire. In the end
the manager was forced TO retreat and
McRae got his chance-and made good.
To make the situation worse for Grubb.
the Blue Jays struck a phenomenal win
ming streak. which carried them through
the first division and TO the top for the
first time in four years. AS Gribb had
been at considerable pains TO make
enemies out OF the newspaper men. the
sporting writer's at once pointed out that
but for Grubb's obstinaoy and bull-head-
edness the team might have been IN front
much sooner.
The left-held bleacherites-why is II
that all the insurgent fans sit behind
third base?-began attacking Grnbb every
time ne appeared on the coaching lines.
and they made his life a misery 10 him
They called him poor old man" ana
sang him the song about the good ola
wagon that "done broke down" He got
no credit for handling a hrst-place team.
and Grubb. who was soured clear
through, tried 70 fight back. He at
tempted 70 match the insurgent al
repartes-one set OF brains against a thou
sand. ana the odds thousand 20 one.
Grubb began 10 brood over his troubles
and fight with Dave Bullen. The man
agsr went 80 far as 10 make threats
against his prosecutors. which erept into