New-York tribune., 1918-06-02
Weaver 'sWorth
Realized Since
jackson S Gone
Fighting Qualities of White
Sox Shortstop Lend Color,
Spur Others On
By w. ]. Macbeth

george ID. (Buck( Weaver, of the
worlds champion Chicago White Sox,
has not received just due for his in
fiuence toward the uplift of that club.
Weaver is one of the very finest of
shortstops of league that runs par
ticularly strong toward short felders.
He is extremely capable on defence
and particularly dangerous on offence,
especially in the pinches. Yet his
greatest worth lies in an entirely diff
fercnt direction.
For Weaver is the soul and anima-
tion of a club which, powerful in every
essential, nevertheless fails to reach
the crest of possible effectiveness be-
cause of the peculiar temperament of
great majority of it's component
parts. In a word, the White Sox by
natural instinct are not colorful lot,
and to Weaver belongs much of the
credit for instilling that fight and ag-
gressiveness so necessary to victory in
worlds championships, if not in major
league pennant races.
Like master, they say, like slave.
Clarence Rowland, manager of the
his spurs. He qualities to pass with
the great. Clarence Rowland is stra-
tegical. He is firm, too. But he is
neither tightly nor flighty on the field
of play. He is not spectacular as is
McGraw. He is always particular to
maintain the dignity of his post.
Great Aid to Rowland
Rowland. therefore, is most fortu
nate to have associated with him GER
tain natural born firebrands, not the
least of whom is Buck Weaver. The
old Roman, Charles A. Comiskey, was
prohigate in supplying Rowland with
the very best pennant material on the
market Comiskey actually bought a
pennant.
He paid record breaking price to
Cleveland for Shoeless Joe Jackson,
who over a stretch of years made the
mighty Ty Cobb hustle his very hard
est to guard his batting crown. This
record he broke again to acquire the
great Eddie Collins from Connie Mack.
He spent lavishly for the best of the
crop in the sticks years before he went
out to get hand picked stars already
developed.
1t was away back in 1912 that Comis-
key landed one of the main cogs of his
championship machine and probably got
the notion of buying a pennant. This
was when he purchased Catcher Ray
Schalk from Milwaukee, of the Ameri
can Association, for a price estimated
at $1,000. Schalk, perhaps the best
catcher in the game to-day, proved such
wonderful investment that Commy in
stitutcd policy of apparently wanton
lavishness.
Two years later the Sox bought Oscar
iHap) Felsch from Milwaukee for ST.
600. In him the second best outfielder
of the game went to the Windy City.
Felsch and Weaver arrived in Chicago
about the same time and grew up to-
gether in major league experience.
Asked finland which of the two were
the more valuable to the team, nine out
of ten fans doubtless would give the
preference to Felsch. Felsch is not
only grand player, but an aggressive
one also. He is popular, both because
of his ability and his spirit. Yet he
has nowhere near the influence, gen.
orally, on his team mates that has
Weaver, because of the nature of their
respective Offices. Felsch is an out
fielder, and, as such, naturally isolated
to degree where his enthusiasm and
pepper cannot make their presence
largely felt. Weaver, the shortstop, is
right in the midst of the battleline. His
spirit is contagious.
Buck and Kid Got Goats
Coach Kid Gleason, than whom there
is no scrappler son of swat in all the
land, has been given due credit for his
work with the worlds champions
through 1917. Kid certainly put life
into a bunch of colorless players who
year before failed principally because
of lack of aggressiveness. Gleason had
an apt pupil and willing helper in
Bucky Weaver.
Weaver last season was to the
worlds champion White sox just what
Charlie Herzog was to the champion
Giants. He was the sign and symbol
of scrappiness, aggressiveness and fight
while the team was on the field. And
that is just when his side needed the
encouragement IF such leader. Col
Inns, the captain, great ball player
though he is, is of the passive type.
Gleason could get in his oar while the
White Sox were at bat
Not only is Buck Weaver valuable
because of his dash and spirit in ex-
capable of all the brilliant performers
at this we'll guarded position. Weaver
mas hit above the average for present
day shortstops. And he is one of the
most versatile performers in the big
show: He can play and play we'll any
position OF either the infield or out
field Indeed. he has played by far
HAS uooN SENSATIONAL Dall Tor Chicago
as third baseman.
Now that the mighty Joe Jackson
has left the club Weaver doubtless
will take q higher place, in the esti-
nation of the fans, among the great
celebrities of worlds champion no.
gregation. Weaver, whose major
league experience has been confined
to the White Sox, is playing his sixth
consecutive season with the Windv
City club, though he will not be TWEEN.
ty-seven years old until August IA.
next. He broke into the profession
extremely young, for as far back IA
lsoS, when he was but eighteen wears
OF age, he had q trial with the Gleve-
land Americans
Weaver was born at Stowe, Penn. and
educated at st. Marys College. whence
he graduated in 1908. That wear he
played his first professional engage.
ment with q semi-pro aggregation Of
Pottstown, Penn. Cleveland tried him
out the following spring, but he was
too green. He drifted through the
South Michigan, Connecticut and Tri-
State leagues within the next year un-
til he returned to the American League
as the property Of the White Sox. in
the draft of 1910. Chicago farmed
Weaver out to San Francisco in 1911
He made such hit IN tho Co..< ~ -.