Evening star., 1918-02-17
BY BILLY EVANS.


The sale of stufYy McInnis to Bostor
marked the passing of the last member
Of enc of tie greatest base ball teams
in the history of the game. OF the
team that won the pennant for Phila-
delphfa in 1914 not single player re-
mains to start the 1918 season. That is
sure some scene shifting.
The pitching staff OF Bender. Coombs.
Plank, Bush and several other youngsters
has been shot to pieces. Bender and
Coosnbs are In the National League. Plank
is now the property of the New York club;
Bush was recently traded to Boston.
while Pennock. Wyckoff and other
young recruits have been shifted to
other clubs. OF the famous so-called
ene-hundred-thou nd-dollar infield Col
Inns is with Chicago, Baker with New
York and Barry and McInnis with Bos-
ton. OF the outielders. Strunk and
Walsh are with Boston. Murphy with
Chicago, while oldring has retired.
It sure was some ball club. 1t was
team that boasted of wonderful abiiity
In every department OF the game. Any
time a club faced Bender, Plank.
Coombs or Bush, said club was almost
certain to look over some mighty good
pitching. When an opposing pitcher
faced any member of the Athletic team
he couldn't for a minute get careless, or
he was in trouble. From the top to
the bottom of the batting order it was
a team that could hit. Jack Coombs,
Chief Bender and Joe Bush broke up
many a ball game with timely hit
while Eddie Plank was far from being
. rank outsider with the bat
OutcIassed American League Clubs.
II ever a club outclassed the field
the Athletics for several years did so
in the American League. Mack'S ag-
grsgation seemed to be able to go out
and win any time it so desired. No
game was over with that aggregation
Frank Baker who broke Washington's s
1S2. winning streak with home run
In the ninth inning. With the score 1
to q against the Athletics. two down
and two strikes on Baker, Tom Hughes
served one to Bakers liking and the
bali sailed over the right field fence
for q home run. That tied the score:
the Athletics won out in the tenth.
It was Frank Baker who cast so
much gloom in the camp of the Giants
home run that spelled defeat for Mar
guard in the second game. 1t was his
home run off Mathewson that tied up
the third game in the ninth. with New
X0fk ledQInSs 10 ". Inc ACactlSS nOA
tA3s game in the eleventh
While ! have cited cases in which
Baker played the role of hero, it would
be an easy matter to recall scores OF
situations in which other members OF
the club starred at the bat The Ath-
letiS in their palmy days were liable
to step out at any stage of the game
and make a half dozen runs and decide
the old ball game. / recall one game in
particular in which Walter johnson ap-
olxy
beaten to 1 when Mack's club started
the last half of the ninth. With two
down Oldring singled. Collins doubled,
Baker doubled and McInnis and Barry
hit safely and the ball game was over.
Up to that time the Athletics had been
unable to connect with Johnson's ter
riflc speed. At a time when half the
crowd had left and the rest were slow
IL hling out of the park the Mackmen
6farted an onslaught that netted six
hits, resulted in four runs and settled
the gall game. 1t was one Of the most
sssage batting rallies l have ever
seen. All the hits were clean. None OF
them came as a result of loss of stun
on the part Of Johnson. His speed was
as terrific as ever. his curve as sharp
breaking, and he never worked harder
The Athletics were simply swinging
their bats in the right place.
Opposition Ever Suspicious
No ball club was ever regarded with
more suspicion by its opponents than
the Athletics. Connie Mack's clubs
have always had a reputation for sig
nal stealing. 1 might say right here
that the reputation was deserved. I
should also say in justice to the Ath-
latics that no member of the club ever
TeSorted to unsportsmanlike methods to
attain results. The Athletics wised
themselves to their opponents signals
by careful study and strict attention to
business. In host cases the coachers
at first and third base conducted the
school of research or investigation. II
you will recall some of the games you
saw the Athletics play when they were
the sensation of the American League
you will remember that Chief Bender,
Jack Coombs or Harry Davis in
varfably did the coaching, il the game
was at all close. You will also recall
that these players seldom went through
tho actions indulged in by most coach
era As the pitcher started his deliv-
cry there would be q yell from the
oeaehers, such az Take a crack. old
boy" or Look this one over" In all
probability the yell Take q crack" ad-
vfsed the batsman that the pitcher was
about to deliver a fast ball. The cry
Look this one over was the signal
that curve was to be the pitchers
next offering.
Big Aid to the Batter.
You may possibly wonder what is the