Evening journal., 1918-11-20
UNCLE Sam IS
fine TRAINER
Ball Players On Furlough
Showed Great
Condition
BENNY KAUFF is
HARD TO BREEZE

Barring Benjamin Michael KaufI.
every ball player in the service land
there are a whole raft OF them in I'D
has shown, on his temporary return 10
the diamond. that Uncle Sam Is a great
conditioner whose views on the train
Ing OF pastimers should command
great respect from magnates and man
ayers when the present famous non
essential comes back into its own and
into place in the sun.
Bashful Benny, before he entered the
army, was assaultlng the sphere at a
1929 clip. In the i3 games he played
with the Giants while he was on his
furlough Benjamin Michael only was
able 10 hit for 259, his final average
for the year being .3i6.
One thing Kauff learned at Camp
Sherman, however. even II he failed
while there 10 absorb information that
would boost HIS stick credit-that was,
how TO avoid making pitchers famous
for their strikeouts Kauff, in the game
OF May % In ST. Louis, a game that
went "a innings, was famed five out
OF seven times he batted by Jake May
and Bill Sherdell, southpaws. and Bill
Doak, northpaw. In the i3 games
Benny played with the McGrawltes sub
sequent TO his induction into the serv-
ice he whitfield only twice.
Two men who came back with bells
on after training under Uncle Sam
were Leon ]. Cadore, OF the army, and
Edward Joseph Pfeifer, OF the navy,
both pitchers and both members OF the
Brooklyn club. Cadols spent fis fur
Tough from Camp Gordon at Ebbets
Field and was showed into action twice
by Wilbert Robinson, commander OF
the Flatbush Fuslliers. Told, on June
5, 10 go out and get the Cardinals, Ca
dore, like a good soldier, did so, win
ming his game. 3 10 0. permitting only
four blows and not counterslgning a
pass.
Three days later Cadore operated on
the mound for eight innings against the
Pirates, limiting Hugo Bezdek's ambi-
tiOus young men to two hits and disap-
pearlng from the fray, which the Robins
finally won in the twelfth, only be-
cause the Brooklyn leader called on
some reserve strength In an offensive
that yielded a much-needed run. In
this combat Cadore again hung out the
sign Free List Positively Suspended"
Jefferson Xavier's young brother
Edward Joseph Pfeffer-spent only one
afternoon with the Superbas, donning
/ HIS old uniform on July 40 az the homo
OF the Cubs, In Chicago. After the re-
turns were all in 10 was discovered that
the Mitchells had succeeded in acquir-
ing two hits and three passes, but no
runs. Pfeffer winning over Shun1ng
Phil Douglas, 2 to 0.
Harold Carlson, OF the Pirates, who
prepared for the world war at Camp
Grant. went 70 that camp from Weesh-
man Park on May 4 and visited again
on August 10. Then ne pitched seven
innings against the Cubs, giving them
lye hits and one run and quitting In
favor Of a pinch hitter with the score
l2 10 4. Carlson is a sergeant IN the
2l3d Infantry. Eighty-sixth Division,
"over there"
Queer things about Carlson-he went
through 81 games in 1917 and wasn't
hoped for home run, yet in the first
and only game he started for the Buc-
cancers this year. on May 4. Fred Mer-
kle touched him for a four-bagger and
Il broke up the old ball game.
American League players who spent
part Of their furloughs with their old
ball clubs were Bob Shawkey, with the
Yankees, and sam Rice, with the Sem
ators. both being in the navy. Shaw
key won and lost a game for Miller
Huggins, his victory being 20 o.
shutout affair over Washington. while
Rice did some timely clubbing for the
Griff men, batting in the winning run
for them in their game Of June "a with
Philadelphia.
Benny Kaufrs West Virginia friends
wonder what he does with his spare
change now. Bashful Benny, graduate
OF a coal mine, started on his career
as an able athlete In Keystone, Ohio,
with a semi-pro team in 1909 and the
next year was with the Virginia Valley
Leabue club at Parkersburg, w. Va.
There was a lsrge-sized mystery,
eight years ago, as 10 what Kauff was,
but none at all as 10 what he did with
his surplus earnings. The frst day
Kauff played professionally his team
was carded 10 play q double-header.
Benny pitched the curtain-raiser and
caught the night-csp session. Later
he played in the out-feld.
All the money Kauff did not spend on
The necessities OF life he blew in on
bats. Benny purchased war clubs that
enabled him 10 hit better than he did
FOR tSe Giants this year while he was
on his furlough. for his average was
AT. He stole 81 bases and pitched Is
games. OF which "a were victories.
Arthur Irwin discovered Kauff, but
like many other good players dug up
by the Peerless Sleuth, Kauff made
his reputation under manager for
whom he was not originally obtained.
Kauff flzzled with the Yankees Of 1912
before making good with the Giants of
1916.
Pfeffer, like Ksuff, failed TO deliver
the goods for the first major league
club for which he worked. He was
with the St. Louis Browns in 1911.
pitched part Of game for them and
was sent back to the minors, Brooklyn |
resculng him from Grand Rapids 10
1919.
And the tale is that when Henry
Medicus. then treasurer OF the Super
bas. appeared at Ebbets Field with
pfeffer. whom ne had bought more or
less on his own hook, Charles Hercu-
Porter --.-.........iI5 i46 no 3ss
Totals .6i5 col 569-ie4o