The Washington herald., 1917-07-22
What AILS MAGEE?
DONOVAN DON'T KNOW
Yankee Jinx Is Waivered When
Former Fed Fails to Hit in
American League.

New York. July 2.-sherlock
Holmes was some ferret in his prime.
There was nothing too mysterious to
baffle him, and he tossed more moths
on the Hindoo stun than anybody
who ever played headliner in the dime
novels.
But for the good Of sherlock's rep
it is lucky thing he was never call
ed on to solve the sort OF mystery
that Is pestering Bill Donovan.
There are several things pestering
Ell. one of which Ia the well-known
Jinx that has been parking itself on
the trail of the Yankees ever since
Wild Willyum agreed to manage the
club. But the Yankee Jinx has moth
ing on the weighty question that has
wrestled Bill around for two years
the question Of what ails Lee Ma
gee?"
The old brain-cracker about AIMS
age Is a mere trife compared to the
Magee mystery, in Donovan's estima-
tion. because Magee has all the ear
marks and the native characteristics
Of a great ball player, enjoys the best
VI hNdilH anu OIt VI hhC ihOSe "AA-
ing workers who ever wore a YAM
kee uniform, yet has failed miserably
as a hitter in the big leasues since
he became a member OF the New
York club.
Rupert and Huston paid s22,5oo for
the title to Magee when they pur-
chased his release from the Brooklyn
Federals. His record in the big show
- ataA Ia
the Federal League with Brooklyn in
dicated that he was bear OF a
sticker. and he looked well worth the
price. considering the fact that sew
| eral other major league owners were
breaking their necks to bid for him.
But just as soon as Magee was made
a member OF the, Yanks his hitting
| began to dwindle and he seldom de-
| livered a hit in the pinches He nm
| ished the 1915 season with a batting
average Of .257. a very poor average
for a player rated as one of the great
est outflelders in the game; a player
who had hit close to the 300 mark In
other years.
Some of the baseball scribes who
were taken back by Magee's poor
showing tried to figure out the why's
7
/ finally decided that II was caused by
overanx;ousness to make good. But
when the Yanks started the season OF
| 1871 and Magee showed no signs ol
| improving the mystery regarding his
poor hitting deepened. and no one has
been able to solve IL to date.
! Magoe has been benched no less
! than four times already this season
/ because he was not hitting the ball.
/ The first time nc was relegated to the
! long timber Donovan placed him
| there at his own request Lee is a
| conscientious player and he knew he
wasn't of much use in the lineup, SO
he asked Bill to plant him on the
bench for while and see II he
couldn't start hitting the pill after a
| short rest.
After a vacation of several weeks
Magee felt as though he could come
! back with bat, for he began 10
sting the ball in batting practice and
! wanted to see what he could do play
/ ing regularly. So Wild Willyum in
jected him into the lineup a second
| time, with the same disappointing re,
! suit. The third trial given Maget
| came shortly after the Yanks returned
from their Western road trip and
for four or five days Lee smashed out
his hits regularly, only to fall back
| into the same old rut. Recently, at st.
Louis, Donovan placed Lee on the
| bench for the fourth time and traded
| him to the Browns for Marsans.
What ails Lee Magee? Go ask Bill
! Donovan. He doesn't know.