New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-26
OLD CURVE BALL
AGAIN UNDOING
OF JIM THORPE
Olympic Hero Seems Stat
ed to Take Another Trip
TO Uncut Bushes.

"Outheld Burns, Kauf and Rousch.
Substitutes. Robertson and Kelly.
Now that this appears 10 be the
scheme which John j. McGraw has de
cidcd uDon ior tho decoration Of MS
outer garden this summer. the CUES
tiou more or less naturally arises:
What is 70 become Of James Sac-and-
Fox Thorpe. Tor whom McGraw - be
ieved 10 have paid in the neighborhood
Of $4,000 70 say nothing of three
year contract at $4,000 per annum IN
February, 1918?
10. the poor Indian! All the dope
points TO another expulsion and an
other pilgrimage into the tall and I'M
cut uushe, IN search of some herb or
balsam which will cure "psrabolltls,'
the mysterious disease which has
clung 81 Thorpe ever since his entry
into major lcague baseball.
Failing 70 find remedy for tins dis
temper the most pronounced symptom
Of which is an almost total inability to
hit curved balls the man who was de
clared TO be the worlds greatest all
around athlete only four years ago,
and VINO has proved his ability TO shine
At practically any outdoor game when
man could devise. will be compelled TO
doff his war bonnet to the national
pastime and whisper you VIM.
Try nc he willard no human could
try harder-Jim Thorpe cannot solve
the problem OF curved-ball pitching;
cannot solve il. that is, sufficiently
we'll to Justify his being appointed TO
a regular berth in the Giant outneld.
TO be sure. he does not fail to mt
every concentrated spheroid that the
pitchers hurl at him, but his proper
ton Of fair hits is so Insignificant
that McGraw could not think Of giving
him place on the team-and the
chance is slight that Jim will ever
overcome the obstacle.
Il is 50 hard to believe that so YER
satile and persevering an athlete az
Thorpe man to whom the mastering
Of sport formulas is commonly mere
chid's play should be so helpless
before puzzle that even the dullest-
witted rookie that ever wore a. uni
form has beer able TO work out, in
time.
Before his baseball days began all
the Indian had to do was 10 learn the
rules governing certain sport or
exercise. watch il Few times. get him
self the necessary clothes or appli-
ances and. 10, in less time than 1t
takes 20 tell T., ne had bestcd the bes.
at their own games. The following IS
a partial list or the sports at which
jim eXcelled:
Running. Jumping. swimming. s.at-
ing rowing. shooting. football. pas
kctbali. lacrosse, tennis, hockey. hand
bail. shot-put. javclin-throw. discus.
hammer. hurdles and eve-y form Of
cymnsstic endeayor.
But ne can't hit curved baseball,
McGraw has done everything he
could 10 make q batter and bali play
er on. Of Thorpe. a. have several other
managers 70 whom jim has been
leaned" OF various occasion. \. Hrst
ihc Giant manager had hopes especial
Is when, on March II. 1913. Thorpe
noled d home run Of Mathewson down
in Marlin. which was declared 20 be
the Longest hit ever made in the his
tory Of the game but since the pitch
ers have learned Jim's secret weakness,
sitC have fed him on carved balls eN-
clusirely. his hitting has become so
sn@mic that he could not even mold A
berth In the minors.
Thorpe came to the Giants in Febru-
airy. 1913. following the declaration Of
,he Amateur Athletic Union that he
lad professionalism himself by play
ml baseball Tor money Jon the East
Carolina League the year before. and
that. in cons queuce. he was not en-
titled 20 the dozen or so OF cups. media! g
and other prizes which he had won
while a member Of the American team
iu the Olympic games at Stockholm The
previous summer.
The indian admitted the charges.
maintaining chat he did rot know the
law iu the matter. and returned the
Trophies which were rewarded 90 the
ucu next below him IN the various
events. A the height Of the discussion
McGraw had a guIet conference with
Glenn Warner then coach ~ Carlisle
Indian School and Thorpc's mentor and
fl end. as result of VIII 'ch J im signed
three-year contract 20 play ba eball
with the Giants. at $4,000 year.
Many experts argued at the time
;hat McGraw was making = huge mis-
take in thus purchasing a. pig I'm a
poke FOR a sum. in the aggregate. ap-
proyimatinS s20,0O0 but they we're
viewing the matter from the wrong
anglo. The Giant manager was not
paying $4,000 for man who might
become a valuable player. He was buy
ing the worldwide publicity which vas
! nOrpe'c by reason Of the Olympic
games scandal. ard he undoubtedly
figures to-day that he has had hi,
moneys worth out OF the Indian lad.
despite The fact that the !attc~ ha,
never played a fun game for the
Giants.
Thorpe IS no longer young attn
letically -pea ling having been born in
Oklahoma in 1888; hence 10 is hardly
likely that ne can begin al over" and
come 20 bc the bright particulsr stag
Ia baseball that he has been I'm Other
outdoor and indoor sports.
lie may last ont the term OF his con
tract IN one o. the minor league clubs
TO- which NcGraw viii almost surely
send him 20 hc is still $50 feet %
loot on The bases AID IN tho odt.icld
that nc has value bui il is vere
doubtful if be Will be able 20 aecur,
another thrcc-ycar. or oven onc-year.
agreement. when this ono has expired.
Which Is unfortunate. since. OF all ,hc
sports he knows baseball Is his favor
ito. The one thing he wants most of
all to DO is the ono thing which fate
has dccrced hall be denied him.