Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-19
Chase Probably Through With Major Ball
But Denies That He Gambled on Game

that time were badly in need of a
second baseman. and the Peerless
Leader conceived the notion of play
ing Chase at the keystone sack. The
experts protested that a lefthander
just naturally could not play the po-
sition, but Chance thought otherwise,
and at Bermuda made a determined
effort to convert the greatest first
baseman in the world into a second
baseman of parts.
Chase seemed to be in fair way
of succeeding when some young
busher crashed into one of Halls
ankles while sliding into second base
one day and put it out of commits
sion. The injury was not of itself es-
pecially serious, but that night, in
defiance of Chances orders to re-
main quiet for a few days, Chase
took advantage of his managers alb
sence from the training quarters to
go bicycle riding. He had covered
only two or three blocks when his
wheel slid from under him and he
came a cropper which laid him up
for several weeks.
Theseason was under way before
he could play again, and he soon
made il clear to all the world that he
took no especial interest in playing
second base. He was shifted back to
IlISs Dul Ills pay lCll u W ouSlA u w
gree that Chance soon became dis
gusted with him, and in midseason
traded him to the Chicago WoitesoX,
receiving Babe" Borton and Rollie
Zeider in exchange. He was only
moderately successful with the Com
iskey ombination, but fingered with
them until June, 1914, when he
jumped to the Federal League.
The dissolution of the outlaw cir
cult left him stranded. No club in
the American League would have
any part of him, and it seemed as
though the National League would
also pass him up. Just as the season
! opened, however, the Cincinns;l
Reds, in desperate straits for first
baseman, offered him another chance
Chase played 142 games for the
Reds that season, 1915, and led the
National League at bat with an aver
age of .339. He batted in more runs
than any other member of the Red
ensemble, and was the wizard of old
on defense. He was the backbone and
inspiration of the club and stood out
above ali rivals as the ranking first
baseman of his league.
Chase started out last season as
though he intended to equal or sur
pass his 1916 record. Along about
midseason, however, he blew and
wound up with a batting average of
only .277. He has. done better than
that this year-the latest averages
show him flirting with the .290 mark
but his hits have not been timely
and have had but little value in a
scoring sense. Early in the sea-
son he developed a most aggravating
habit of hitting freely with two out
and the bases empty, and popping to
the infield whenever safe blow
could drive one or more runners over
the plate.
Chase did this so often that Matty
finally came to the conclusion that he
wasn't trying. The lackadaisical fash
ion in which Chase has lately been
fielding his position was another Sc
rious count against him. When Chase
wants to he can be the most sensa-
tional first baseman that ever pulled
a high one out of the clouds or dug
a low one from under the bag. He
has the most wonderful hands in
baseball, the shiftiest pair of legs and
feet that ever graced a diamond, and
does by instinct the things that no
other first baseman of the present
generation has ever dreamed of do
ing, But he either couldn't or
wouldn't play that sort of ball for
Matty, and so Big Six sent him
home in disgrace.