South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-21
SMITH SAYS He
IS OUT FOR TOP
RUNG THIS YEAR
Ed Admits He's Out for Flag in
Southern Michigan and Pros
poets Are Bright = More
Than Made Good in 1914.


This particular place on the ever
changing map is the championship OF
a baseball league which means that
Ed is going after the Soumich 1915
pennant with the everlasting deter
rnination TO win the coveted rag.
Although South Bend has been in
Organized ball for "A seasons but one
pennant has ever been awarded 10 a
local team. In 1910 Eddie Wheeler.
now owner of the Flint club in the
Soumich, grabbed the honOrs from
the Central clubs. Smith now prom
ises TO bring home the bunting again
only said bunting will be taken from
the Southern Michigan magnates-
This promise should be regarded
seriously by South Bend fans as the
Hoosier leader has the reputation Of
getting what he goes after. He IS re
sponsible and responsible alone for
South Bend being on the baseball
map in any way. In the spring and
summer of 1913 indications were that
TINS section of northern Indiana would
forever be without organized baseball
due 20 the loss Of the Central league
franchise.
But Smith was of different opin-
ion. As owner of the Grand Rapids
team he had skinned every CLUB IN
the Central league. He then sought
a new field, choosing South Bend, his
home town. as the most profitable.
Baseball men told him he was making
a mistake. South Bend at that time
had the name of being a dead goner'
but Eds stubbornness came TO the
rescue and ne landed a berth for the
city in the Southern Michigan.
Results have proven that Ed S
Judgment was correct although the
fight has been hard one. He started
the 1914 season with a club that was
about as near regular ball team as
a brOOmstick is almost a pump handle.
1t was a makeshift organization COM
posed OF raw recruits and worn out
veterans with one or two promising
Youngsters who stayed throughout the
season. BY careful watching and
good Judgment Smith shifted the good
from the bad. pruned here and there.
spent money and when the middle OF
the season rolled around he had
respectable. appearing team which
had begun To work properly.
The HOosiers made a poor start but
under the managerial eyes of Smith
and his side-kick. Ben KOehler. they
marked up a fair record before the
close of the first half OF the season.
A slump during the initial eight
weeks OF the short schedule kept the
Smithies at the bottom of the column.
But Just two weeks before the close of
the initial half they began TO climb
and in those IA days ascended to fifth
position.
Again in the opening of the sec
ond leg Of the season the HoOsiers fell
down for several days. holding the
cellar without opposition. Here
Smith and Ben KOehler began work
ing and through hard pounding sent
the team 10 the third hole in seven
DAYS. This place was held by the
TIoosiers from that time on until the
close of the season with the eXcep-
ton OF a few days when they dropped
into fourth place.
There were but three other teams
ON the circuit whose average records
for the season ranked above those Of
the Smith crew. Battle Creek which
took second place at the close of the
second half by leading South Bend by
one game was the only club which
did not drop below third place dur
ing the entire season. Bay City had
an excellent record, not going lower
than fourth place bat once. then Oc-
cuDying the cellar but for a week.
Saginaw fiuctuated around during the
entire season. finishing the first half
in sixth place and winning the second
by a short margin.
But the point is that smith kept his
nondescript crew up among the lead
ers and with an average record
against veteran opposition. Battle
Greek BAY City and Saginaw were
teams with more than usual expert
ence. The players were not raw
ieaguers but the greater majority had
played in the Soumich before. Smith
himself had seen but little ball in this
league while but few of his players
had ever worked in the circuit. But
these handicaps did not hinder his
going into the fray with a terVor that
Kept the leaders in fear OF serious
rally.
The recital OF the 1914 record of Ed
Smith and his bali club is Just a re-
Murder Of what may be expected from
the Hoosier pilot this year He viii
net bother with bunch of amateurs
who do not even have the earmarks
OF corners this spring. He has al
ready signed "a bunch of men who
are proven and who are known TO
Soumich fans. The recruit squad will
be composed largely of youngsters
who are reported 20 have promising
records In the professional field
Ed wants team composed of big
men. He is partial 70 lanky ball play
ors although he himself. just AT this
time. is almost as broad as he is long
At least three more SIX footers have
been signed by the Hoosier owner for
the 1915 try-cut and ne expects them
20 make good. He said Yesterday that
he has another candidate for the
shortstopping job and a new out
fielder
Just whether Ed viii make good his
promise about grabbing the pennant
is naturally unknown bUt every sign
points toward his being among the
leaders I'm the league when the season
closes unless some funny surprises
are sprung. South Bend should sup
port Eds club 20 the utmost this sum-
mer as he has shown confidence in
the sporting public here. He viii not
put on season ticket selling cam
paign this spring as he says tina he
believes South Bend fans viii back
his club without any haggling.
GETS PLAYER