Evening journal., 1915-05-12
CRAVATH HAS HAD
HIS UPS AND DOWNS
"Cactus" After Many Fail
ures, Finally Landed Per-
manent Position
ONE OF GAMES
OLD FAVORITES

Z
Phily attack is built around TINS
California slugger, and If Clinord -,
which is Cactus regular name. does
not belch forth homers and Things at
regular intervals the Quaker pl'enois
cannot win their games
Cravath is an athlete, who perhaps
has never had the credit that is COM
ING 10 him. In 1913 his banner year.
he was a regular terror and poled IN
so MANY runs with his long hits ana
almost won a flag for Philadelphia
that many people thought he was en-
titled 10 the automobile for the most
valuable player in the National
League.
The car went to Jake Daubert OF
fhe BROOKLYN. who, though he hit a
few points higher than Cravath, did
not send in one-third OF the runs
which Cravath poked in. and had very
few extra base hits as compared 10
Cravath. But Daubert also had helo-
ine in his favor and won the car over
Cravath by few votes.
However, the subject of this lecture
is that young man should never STOP
irving. no matter how long II may take
him to succeed In many ways era
vatb is the most unique character now
playing ball. He was 81 years old
when he first won his regular position
on a major league team. He came
through at time when=most players
wero going back. Any player who
starts to come after his thirty-hrst
birthday is a rarity.
And 1t was not lack Of chance that
kept Cravath down. He first came up
At %. and a rookie al 26 is considered
a pretty tough old bird. And Cactus
was ali of that He hung around for
nearly two seasons without showing
anything, and went back TO the minors.
Three American League clubs tried
him out. and after a fellow has three
cans tied on to him at q years of age
he seldom hears the fourth call, espe-
ciallv when he goes over the thirty
year mark But Clifford c. just kept
on trying, hitting minor league pitch
ing for all he was worth, and now at
80 he is one Of the big stars of the
game.
Il Cravath first jumped into the minor
league batting averages in 1908 as a
member of the Los Angeles Coast
League club. His birthplace is San
Diego. Cal, where he still makes his
home.
a CraVath pumped out long hits on the
3|n CQ1st quite frequently. but his Pacific
<zk dast averages never stamped him as
y wonder of a batter until 1907. H'
!I.' - I'd 90 play there FIVE years before he
OF 800 rating His batting averages
with Los Angeles we're as follows
1908. 272' 1904, .26S; 1905, 1853; 1906
# 2S3; 1907, 1903
z8 First With Red Sox.
m That 1903 average got him his frs
# ,nll 70 the majors, and he was purchase
y AIIf| he oil 10 nj. for
S'tons through the 1905 season. hi
l< ~ 1ig .256 in "a games. Cactus did n,
how up much of his home -runnir
s. ability, as he landed only one homer. 4
hit ten doubles and eleven triples.
John l. Taylor saw no use carryir
Cravath another season and waive
were asked on him. Comiskey refus,
to waive and he went TO Chicago.
about ten games with the White Sox
did not hit the size of his collar Cor
iskey asked waivers and Nashingt,
needing an outhclder. gave him a tri
He.hit even worse with the Senator
After Cravath had only compiled
average Of .l64 for twenty-five gam
Washington let him 90 to Minneapol
in the American Association, whC
Cactus became famous in Cantillon's {
Mans Home.
Home running soon became his 10
suit in Minneapolis, and his BATH
average amount every wear he play
there In 1909 he hit 290; in 1910 3
and in 1911. 1858 In his last year
Minneapolis. CraVath hung mp one Of
= greatest long-distance hitting recol
ever hung up in the minors.
In l67 games he maze l47 runs a
22l hits. His bingles included SO d.
bles: is triples and % home runs.
also stole 3 bases.
Despite this great hitting there v
81 no great demand for Cravath, as
WIS then 80 years old and scouts
called his average Of .l64 in his
wear in the American League. Howe'
Horace Fogel purchased him for a fai
moderate price-S4.0U0 and GRAY
started to see what he could do in
National League.
Cactus again had a hard time sti
ing. and was regarded as more or les
fzzle after months play. lie
Jack Titus fought Tor the right field
and Titus played the early part of
season there. Later Titus was trs
TO Boston and Cravath got a temper
regular assignment.
There was much hard hitting in
National League that year. Cravath
ishing forty ninth, with an averag
.2Ss for 1870 games. His game bag
year contained 30 doubles, Q triples
II homers.
Yet even then Cravath had not
- STEADY job. When the 1913 50
opened Doom. then manager of the
lies, decided he needed more speed i
outfield and ON the bases. He bei
the hard working Cravath. and ST
Cozy Dolan in right field, along
Magcc and Paskert.
Success Crowned His Efforts.
cozy played about dozen q
while Cravath was acting as pincl
ter Cozy lost his job one Saturda
tefnoon when Chris Mathewson
pitching for the Giants, and had q
lead going into the eighth inning
CraVath, the pinch hitter. came up
drove the ball over the right field
winning the game for Doom.
After that crayath went 10 right
snd he has been there ever since.
banner season was 1918. when
-3fl and his extra base hits includ
doubles IA triples and 10 homers
year Crasath fell back to Dos. b