The Washington herald., 1915-01-04
Monaco Marvel" Does Real
Comeback" Stunt While
with East Liverpool Team.
OTHER SPORT COMMENT
By WILLIAM PEET.

r eQeTal League. ne was
on the edge of the grave, but he per
| formed a Comeback.
| Back in 1910 Shanks went to a medi-
cal gent who hammered Shanks' chest,
shook his head sorrowfully like. and
said:
MY boy. prepare for the finish. You
amt got no more than a couple of
weeks to live"
The baseball season had just ended.
& Shanks, at that time, was playing for
the East Liverpool, Ohio, team.
! Shanks beat it over to Monaco, Pa,
! just across the river from East Liver
pool. For some old reason he choose
to die there.
The examination OF Shanks was made
at the solicitation of the Pittsburgh
club, which thought a lot of Shanks'
skill, but was slxeptical about his gen.
eral health. When the doctors report
was submitted. the Pirates of course
gave up all thoughts of snaring Shanks.
Well, Shanks went over to that Penn
sylvania town prepared to die. Early
in the spring Bill Phillips, manager of
the East Liverpool team, nearly col
! lapsed when he got a letter from
Shanks asking when and where he
should report for spring training.
! When Phillips recovered his equilibrium
| he wrote Shanks to report at once.
Shanks did-looking huskier and stronger
than ever
EITHER that doc didn't know his busi-
ness or Monaco is some health resort"
said Shanks.
Shanks had good season in 1911 with
! East Liverpool, went to Youngstown.
Ohio. in 1913, and graduated from the
minors the next season, coming to
Washington, where he has been ever
since.
Shanks wasn't the only star that the
Pirates have passed up. Barney Drey-
| fuss owner of the Pirates. had a chance
to sign Iris Speaker, the wonderful Red
Sox outfielder. who then was in the
minors. The deal was all ready to go
through when Dreyfuss learned that
Speaker smoked cigarettes.
Right now I'm offa that fellow" said
Barney. Il won't have cigarette
smoker on my team. These fellows never
amount to a darn-no wind, no endur-
ance, no nothing"
Whereupon, the Red So1 secured
Speaker and he became the sensation o.
the American League. He ranks today,
despite the fact that he smokes cigar
cites, as one of the greatest outfielders
the game ever has known. II he were
placed on the market he would bring
$4,000 at least.
One Of the few experienced baseball men in the
Federal League is Edward HanlOn. Of the Baltimore
club. HanlOn does not conceal his dissatisfaction
with present conditions BE loves baseball and is
not anxious to see the great sport killed. Hanlon
admits that the Federal League cannot succeed in
the long and that in Baltimore with JACK
Dunn's club out Of the way. the Gilmore organiza-
ton has not come up to expectations. Hanlon
afso knows that the salaries drawn by the bail
players are too high and that they mean heavy
loses. He realizes that another fight with organ
izcd baseball will bankrupt many persons Hanlon
Is finn believer in a plan to take the Baltimore
L.Ir aTIr-l
burg. Buffalo and Brooklyn into the International
League. But how such plan can be accomplished
Hanlon is unable to say.
Says the baseball writer Of the New York Sun
Tho Federal League in general and the Brooklyn
Fcderals in particular will miss the wise counsel
OF John NJ Ward, retiring business manager Of
,ths BrookfGds. in the continuance Of their fight
against organized ball. Mr.. Ward may be identi-
fed with the club in a legal capacity, but he will
not be able to give it his time or attention in
the future he did last summer when the Feds |
were making their first bid for popular favor He |
was Of the two experienced baseball men
in the organization when it launched. |
the other being Ned Hsnlon and he lent all his |
wisdom gained through long experience player. |
manager and baseball warrior TO the new cause
In many respects John VI. Wards advice was |
not followed. His stand the question Of players
contracts and various features embodied therein |
did not meet with the full approval Of many or
bis associates much trouble and considerable |
expense might have been spared the organiZa- |
ton. He was heart and soul in the movement |
TO establish league, but many of his ideas |
on the campaign to be followed were along slner
lines than those Of other advisers whose ideas |
accepted This does not his rela- /
tions with the Brooklyn club which most |
friendly up to the day Of his retirement.
Mr.. Ward has wavered in his belief that |
the new league would succeed ultimately and he |
IS roofing hard for it today as he was when |
he was directing the business ahairs Of the Brook
feds.
49, Toh.
the league, but time Will bring improve
ment along this line. Some cities will have to b
eliminated and better ones taken in. But there
is chance Of the men behind the organization
to stay and one who has followed the Affairs
Of the organization will question their gzmeness.
Even If they had any desire TO quit they would
be foTced 10 stay in, If only to protect the vast
amount Of money already sunk in the enterprise.
Mr.. Ward will devote all his attention in the
future 70 his law practice which has been allowed
to suffer twice owing to his love for the game which
he helped 20 much TO popllarize. First he came
out Of retirement to become connected with the
Boston Nationals and after resIming his practice
an offer from the new league brought him back
to BASEBALL But he is satisfied that baseball
must be abandoned and he gives up tle sport with
regret.
Kid Gleason late Of the Chicago White So1 has
a boost for the new manager, Clarence Rowland.
He IS smart baseball man. said Gleason, |
and ] expect to him do wonders with the
so1. know him and know that he Is as good
A. they say. Some baseball players may not think
he is. but Rowland will let them know before
be is at the helm long that he is the bos.
With Collins at second and Weaver at short |
he has the infeld in fine shape and then he has
Bunny Brief for hrst base. hear he has picked
up a good third bsseman. and If he has he win
have splendid inheld The pitchers and cztchers
are frst-class. John Collins Is good outheIder
rs there is in the league and he has fine outhelder
coming in Fech. He may not be . wonder the
drst year, but eventually he will develop into q
star. watched him play a number OF games in
the American Association and I told Comiskey
that he had picked up a grand ball player.
Expect to sec the SoT in the running in l9Is."
The oftmade prophecy that the Boston Braves
would be unable to repeat in 1915 must be modAea
somewhat, in view Of recent happenings. Il was
generally admitted that stalings' team was shy
On high-cSss outheld material. the reversible out
ieid being marked BY considerable quantity but
little quality. The acquisition Of Sherwood Mage
changes the outlook to = great extent. He can
bit all kinds Of Pitching and Is a better hy chaser
nan most Of the Stallngs Eardeners playing his
position with plenty Of Judgment II President
Gafney 10 able to swing the deal which win make
Hans LobeEt a member Of the Braves the feeling
that the Braves win be the 1875 champions viii