Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-15
THREE AND TWO
The Third Year Introduces "Sockless" Shaw, an Old
Friend of "Gabby" Who Brings the "Wanderers"
Up in the Race With the Dummies"
By CHARLES E. VAN LOAN
The Worlds Most Famous Writer of Baseball Fiction

! did / tell you?" and winding up with
something worse; and. after such an in
PRODUCTION, the sockless one went on to
| make a reputation
Opinions differ about Sockless Shaw's
ability as a ball player; but maintain
that II he did not set the Great Lakes
aIlre. at least he made them steam slight
| ~ Tor such hitting had not been seen
LOT many moon. Before very long he
! had thousands of perfect strangers figur-
ing MS batting average from day to day;
ana II amounts to something to set hu-
man beings to manhandling divisors and
dlNidends. They also kept cases on his
triples and home runs
The pitchers were deeply interested in
MI Shaw, and sooner or later they came
10 know, by means of the underground
Telegraph system which carries such in
telligence, that the mighty Sockless,
When hitting against low balls, became
practically swatless. Shaw did not like
that sort of pitching. For some reason
or other he was unable to take his usual
swing at low ball; but he made up for
this weakness by killing everything else
IN the pitching repertoire. If he hit low
ball at all-which was not often, for he
preferred not to offer at them-seven
out OF ten of his attempts would roll
weakly down the infield.
Tho pitchers also discovered that II
he liked, it was fast ball, anywhere be-
tween waist and shoulder, or across his
letters, as they say. Sockless would
wait long time to get a single smash at
a ball of that sort; and he never allowed
one of them to get away from him unless
he was under absolute orders to wait or
sacrifice He had no particular rule about
striking at the first ball; and pitchers who
tried to bean" him in order to drive him
back from the plate found that he had
castiron nerve, and would hit a ball "ofr
his ear If he had to do It.
The old friendship between Gabby
Nelllgan and Shaw warmed again; and
whenever the teams visited each other.
the men were never separated for long
They went to moving picture shows
form of entertainment evidently design
ed for the edihcation of those who have
nothing but eyes-to musical comedies.
where Shaw translated the Jokes unon
his fngers-and to other places of amuse
ment. and found much pleasure IN eaeh
others society.
Life was not all moving-picture shows.
however for shad Roe had at last found
two gooI pitchers in his spring catch:
and In the home town the fans were
beginning to cackle about a pennant
winning team. The pitching staff was
goin we'll. Gabby's stonewall infleld
worked by wireless; the outfield was hit
uhs as nara as an outneld should in
order to hold its job, and many a bunch
or fans have talked pennant for less
reason.
, The wanderers were also in the run
ming with both spikes; and the flag lay
somewhere between three teams-the old
reliable Benedicts, to whom a pennant
was no new thing the Dummies and
the wanderers. The Benedicts retained
their lead until within sight of the sea-
fhaiE V.Nt
denly went wrong, and that methodical
aggregation slipped reluctantly out of the
race. leaving the fight between the Wan
derers and the Dummies. the betting
even money and take your pick.
CONTINUED TOMORROW