New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-13
Fans Called Him a Grand
SANDER" but He Showed
GameneSS.
MILLER HIGGINS A
STANCH DEFENDER
Cardinal Manager Ayers lie
Made Difference Between First
and Second Division Club.
BY LEE ARMS

dew from Lee Magee 70 a friend In St
Louis. The letter ended somewhat as
follows:
81 have always wanted 60 play ~
New York" he wrote 81 have always
considered that my town. I'm GER
tainly glad TO land there. and III give
Donovan everything / have
That sounds Ike Magee There is a
hovish. clean cut enthusiasm TO the
Cincinnati German. even In his wors,
moments. when he Is consigning some
euprosedlv opinionated arbitrator 70
,be regions OF the eternally damned.
or nayhap staging an interesting few
moments OF hsticufFs with Bill Sweeney
crstwhile Of the Cubs. let us say down
around second base.
Mageo is an odd ball player In 81.
Iouis they named him Flash and
later they called him grand-stander.
II he was d grand-stander he was
game one. During the fag end Of the
1913 season. with the Cardinals Whit
i-g the dust Of half dozen other
clubs. the fans, however unaccountaoly'
connected Magee somehow with the de-
becle. The left feld bleachers were
con" Magee. Only ball player knows
what - is 10 have the home fans single
him out for their abuse. IL IS expected
on the road; at home IL has wholly
cemoralized more than one man VINO
might otherwise have been able 20 give
something Ike his normal ability 70
his ball club.
lagce met the onslaught character
istcailv. lie refused 10 bulge an men
physically or mentally. He fought BACK
with the bleacherites and dared them
snCiy o. collectively to meet MN
after the game" These arc stock INES
90 the ball player. but Magee offered
from most diamond athletes 10 mat ne
meant them.
one day after q particularly in'ser-
able afternoon Cards were playing
the Cubs-in which the fans had blamed
everything upon him, hagee had ocea-
sion 90 catch a fly ball that came his
rav There were runners abase, u the
writer remembers correctly.
Imagine. then, the sensation created
when Nagee reached into the air and
used but one hand 20 glove the ball
lie held Z. Then ne shook II dehantly
at che bleachers.
Some ST. Louis scribes are wonder
inc yet what the mob would have done
had Nacco missed that ball and had
tl. runners scored!
In that act an erasperated and un-
Conquorahlc spirit was asserting itself.
It IS an index 10 Magee's prior and sub
scoucnt career upon the diamond.
In ST. Louis no tears were shed when
Tarce left. because 20 the average fan
lfaooo ohviouslv was not a great ball
ri.ver Obyiouelv. we said. but Miller
urrc,rs revoreei that Judgment.
.,f.coo " eaid Uucpire 81 the close
r.Ll1of- seesor "cor.sticited for me
.tr di4.ro,cc betTeon a frst and sec
s it.....~-, bo1l cl,,b"
~R'." Wa arc,ued che isn't excep-
.:,-.Il,, co.
.rfl e.. enough ro,urnod Vuc-
.rf. ,.,,to aoo hitter" we continued
.Uo bi+s ENOUGH " asid Uugpins.
$50, IS ho star fielder" was adj
vs.c.d
.u. tolds enough" asserted Higgins.
"But how can ne constitute the diff
ference between first and a second
division bah club
ann tell YOU declared the Midget
Nar.rcr
"liacee means the difference between
Tho Two divisions because Magee is
what cali q man who'll DO something
for you. in the stand. with a man
on first. o batter fails 20 hunt. and The
fans ride the manager for insisting
that an otherwise good hitter should
cface him SELF 20 the extent OF trying
20 bunt Wneu he can't