Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-01-09
SPORTS SECTION
FOSTER WILL QUIT
BOSTON RED SOX
HERO OF LAST WORLD SERIES
SAYS He TWiRlsD GAMES WITH
BUM" PITCHING ARM.

New York. Jan. Am innocent bit
OF leather strap coupled With the 10y
atty of a pitcher to his club, and an
iron viii which would not succumb to
pain.
Here is one OF the factors which
helped the Boston Red Sox capl
The American League pennant last
summer and eventually ride on to a
worlds championship.
Ii may be difficult to appreciate this
tatemeEt until We mention the fact
hat the pitcher in question was none
)ther than the diminutiye George Fos-
er, the little giant" OF The Boston
hurting corps, and that rival teams
II the American league have always
held the most profound respect Tor
him
Had the rivals of the Red SoX
SHOWN that Fosters arm had gone
back on him the Red Sox would have
.ost much of their prestige, and we
rave Hughie Jennings word for it,
During the latter part OF the season
Foster pitched under great difficult
ties, After a hard game he would
ihuffle to the club house suffering
he fortunes OF Overstrained muscles,
and would throw himself on a rub
Ding table while the Red Sox trainer
tried all he knew to rub the anguish
from his pitching wing,
The bit of strap was used to hold
he deltoid muscles of his salary wing
lrmly in place II is the detoid that
takes the burden OF pitching. and
when Fosters detoid went back or
him he ielt that he was thru.
But rather than let rival clubs and
players know Of it, and hoping that
Ms presence in the bull pen, and on
the mound at intervals, would uphold
he esteem in which other clubs held
Boston, he struck it out like TIE game
title Southerner he is
And row Foster says he is thru
and said so last fall, when he cut up
he world series pie with his team.
mates, and he has written friends in
Boston during the winter that he has
no plans for returning to the diamond
Down in the OzarKs. among the roll
ng hills and the whispering pines.
Foster intends to enjoy life in his
country home. A letter written just
before the Christmas holidays to a
'Iiend in Boston once more confirmed
his decision to retire He says there
lie other things in life to be consid-
red, and he has often remarked that
he would never consent to be a bench
warmer.
So, unless the lure Of the diamond
which comes with the first signs of
prine, proves too strong for the lit
tie slabster, Foster will be among the
missing at Fenway Park next sum
mer If he doesn OF come back base
ball VIII lose one OF the stoutest-
hearted and most conscientious play
ars who has graced major league d a
ucnds curing the past few years
Foster has cmblazoned his name in
he mo hit hail Of fame and he has
been the hero of a worlds series. In
three years with the Red Sox he has
accomplished what other pitchers fail
20 gain in a lifetime in baseball
He joined the Boston club in 1913
md became the first one OF the teams
winning hurlers, hut an injury to his
knee put him cut of the campaign
The following year he won ! out of
% games, and in 1915 he captured 20
out OF 20 full games in which he
worked. During the first part of 1916
he was Il manstay of the Red SoX,
and altho his arm failed him toward
the close of the season, he is credited
with IA victories and defeats
He pitched in two worlds series,
winning two games against the
Quakers in 1915, and he finished a
game in the series last fall which had
been lost before he went to the
mound,
With Bill Carrigan catching, Foster
| pitched his great nohit game against
the New York Yankees last June.
If he stays in retirement he has
certainly earned his leisure. He will
always be missed by Boston fans.