The Washington herald., 1917-02-07
WILL JOHNNY EVERS
PLAY TWENTY YEARS?
Bat Nelson Still Chnss to the Hope
That He Can Come Back.

That He Can Come Back.
Johnny Evers. the Boston Braves pep
perry little second baseman. Is cherish
Ing . desire to round out twenty years
service IN the major leagues
Strange as IT may seem, only four uen
In the history of the game have sue
ceeded In sticking over span Of two
decades, they being Cy Young, Larry La
joie. Pop Anson and Hans Wagner. Eyers
entered the majors with the famous old
Cubs, Of 1909. and has therefore now
seen fifteen years service, and a glance
over the roster Of both big leagues shows
that there are few men now In the game
who have any chance Of pulling up with
twenty years as their record.
From a physical standpoint 1t would
seem that Evers would last long enough
to realize his ambition, but 1t Is more
than likely that the old soup bone, which
has been causing him so much trouble
during the past two campaigns, Is liable
to force him from the game During the
present winter Johnny has been giving
the elbow plenty of rest and the best of
care. and hopes when the bell rings to
have It Il great shape.
There seems to be much speculation as
to whether Maurice Mclaughlin, the IA
nous California Comet" Of the tennis
world, Is contemplating entering the next
national tournament Report comes from
Los Angeles that the former champion Is
diligently training and his many admirers
believe il is with no other view than to
again enter the championship events.
But before being eligible to participate
he must give up his sporting business.
Not only would he have to give up his
business, but he would have to appear
before the U. 8. l.. T. A. which would
have to say in regard to his applica-
ton for reinstatement. A majority vote
would be necessary for the regalnlnS
OF his amateur status.
Whether he would be willing to give up
his business. that no doubt is worth per-
haps thousands to him, in order that he
could participate in the last national
tournament he will ever be able to
play in. is a matter Of conjecture. But,
should he decide to take this step. there
is no doubt that there are hundreds
of followers of tennis throughout the
country that would be pulling for him TO
come through with flying colors.
Looking over the official averages of
the American League for the 1916 season
discloses the fact that the eight leading
hitters of the league were port-stde
swingers. Here Is little food for thought
for the dopesters. The records for 1915
show that seven out Of the first eight
were left-handed stickers. In 1914 the
records reveal that the first eight were
also left-handed; in 1913 seven OF the first
eight were portsiders; in 1872 again seven
out of eight that hit from the wrong side
were in the honor octette. and in 1911 the
southpaw clubbers were again In the lime
light. Now then, what does II all prove?
Are the boys that lay against them from
the near side better hitters than those
Al vi
lectively they must be, il the records are
to be taken into consideration. Look this
dope up. and then remember that Larry
Lajoie, Hans Wagner. Ed Delehanty and
numerous others who had a habit of
busting them safe ever so often, swung
from the far side. What's your deduc-
tons?
The increasing cost of raw material
and labor in this country is likely to
make itself felt in various lines OF sport
during the next few months. Almost
without exception the cost of all forms
Of sport toggery and paraphernalia Is in
creasing, and golf, tennis, baseball,
raequets, clubs. shoes and other supplies
are expected to follow in the wake OF
foodstuffs. In a recent discussion Of the
subject a large manufacturer of these
supplies stated that while additional
charges were being made for but few of
the articles used in the more popular
sports at this time, general increase
was inevitable IL conditions continued on
the upward trend.
He cites the case of baseballs as an ex-
ample, stating that there was a fair
profit to be made in this line few years
ago. while at the present the margin had
been reduced to a point where 1t would
not pay to manufacture baseballs as an
Independent product.
From the reports that are drifting in
from Hegewisch, Ill. the fight fans of
St Louis will hardly know Oscar Battling
Matthew Nelson when he steps into the
ring for his match with Pierce Matthews
on st. Patricks Day.
Skilled surgeons and facial specialists
have been working Oh the former light
weight champion, with the result that
the battle-scarred visage OF the Daunt-
less Dane" has undergone such a change
as will force Gentleman Jim" Corbett to
look to his laurels when the new Adonis
OF the squared ring saunters forth to en-
tertain the boxing public
Nelson still clings to that hone which
seems to spring eternal in the breasts
OF all defeated champions, that he can
pull comeback stunt Bat has been
entertaining that same old hope ever
since that eventful day in 1903 when ar
Milwaukee. Ad woIgast started him
down the road that generally leads to
pugilisttc oblivion. 1t has now been
almost ten years since the Dane was
handed this, his first setback and 1t
certainly would seem that with the hard
row he has been going through, barely
holding his own with a lot of selling
platers, that he would surely realize by
this time that his days as an attraction
in the ring are over.
Bat, pound for pound. was one of the
greatest battiers that ever graced the
ring. but that ever willingness to mix
II up with an opponent gradually told on
him and when he met Wolgast he met his
master, as they all eventually do.