The sun., 1918-08-04
WAR BRINGS BACK
MANY OLD TIMERS
Familiar Faces Are Returning
to Big Leagues to Fill
Gaps in Teams.
PILGRIMAGE IS STILL ON
Collapse Of Minors Throws
Plenty of Players on the
Market.
Nv sHoRTsTOP.

Market.
by sHORTsToP.
Ware It not for the plight that pro-
s.sslonal baseball finds itself in the line
ups Of some OF the big league teams
would read like a comic sheet Even the
most hard hit maenate will admit that
rho nresert baseball lineups are ludicrous.
One may feel sad for Miller Huyeins,
"a, cannot help from breaking out with
= loud guffaw over Ham Hyatt playing
art base for the Yankees with Silent
.Tohn Hummel his first assistant.
when John McGraw Is compelled TO play
lay Kirk on first base II IL more anus
INF than sad, but still more funny'is the
Yankees and Chicago White Sox scrap
ping for the services of John Pecus,
alias Jack Quinn. But the leading
hun,orist OF all the season has developed
90 far has been Pitcher Sanders Of Pitts
turE, who purposely passed the verer-
able Mickey 'Doolan in a pinch. Pur-
posely passing Mickey. hitting around
$50. gives you pretty good tip on the
present calibre Of big league baseball.
Even before Gen. Crowder hrSt issued
his work or fight" order the big leagues
were bringing q choice parcel Of old
timers back TO the big league trail How
ever with the first Crowder order the big
pilgrimage back to the fast set started
Tho Southern Association broke up
week later. and when the Dixie league
busted" Ham Hyatt and Hank Robin
son catne to the Yankees, Tommy Leach
returned to tho Pirates, and with him
came Roy ELAN. the veteran manager
Of the Nashville club.
OLD Timers Answer Call.
When the Pacific Coast League and
American Association threw up the
sponge another batch OF old timers were
released for big league service. Espe-
cially did the old men come forth from
their Ravens in the American Associa-
ton and respond to the call OF big
league managers
Before the season 10 over We are likely
30 hear that Amos Rusie will be pitching
somewhere. Old Cy Seymour was resur-
rebted over In Newark. and playing with
HIM Is Germany Schaefer. Schaefer got
early in the season.
Some Of the old timers now back in
the majors are not as old as fans seem
20 think. A ball player who has been
out Of the big leagues FIVE or six years
usually Is classed with Noah relics,
whereas quite often he may be In the
draft age. When Bob Harmon tried
a comeback with the Pirates early In
the season fans talked OF him as though
he was old enough to have fought In the
brotherhood war, yet Bob was able to
show his registration card. As a matter
o. fact Harmon Is only 80 years old now.
He did not appear in the National
League until 1909.
g.
IL half a dozen years older than Babe
Adams. who also returned to the Pirates
altar several years In minor league
exile. yet Babe Is IS years old, Ave
years older than Harmon. He FIRST
broke In with the Pirates in 1908.
Cases of Kirke and Compton.
Both Of tho new Giants sprung on the
New York fans last weekday Kirke.
the first baseman. and Pete Compton
are regarded as old timers. but both are
we'll within the draft age. Kirke
started of as an outflelder with the
Boston Nationals in 1911 and always
could hit, though he 10 not the most
graceful fielder In the world. Later he
landed with tho Cleveland Indians and
stuck with that club of and on for
several seasons as q nryt baseman and
outnelder before he returned to the
minors,
Compton is one Of those fellows Of
the Elmer Miller type who can go like
blaIes in a minor league but always
fall shy in big company. Perhaps
with the National League weakened to
only a few degrees above American
Association strength Compton can keep
going He had big league tryouts at
various times with the Braves and
Pirates in the National League and the
Browns In tho American League. and
also had a whirl around tho Federal
League
Perhaps the Yankees have gone in
further for old timers than any other
team. The club was we'll UP in the race
when the first Baker order was given.
and in trying to plug UP the gaps In the
team Higgins took minor leaguers who
had tho best records. In that way he
happened 10 pick up Ham Hyatt. who
was one OF the leading batsmen and the
leading home run hitter in tho Southern
League Having had Ham in ST. Louis
Hugsins knew as much about his speed
as did any one else, but he formerly
could hit and looked to be the best man
IN sight to I'LL Pipp's place '.'
Fournier . Hard Hitter.
jacques Fourier. who was brought
on from the Pacific coast to help out
Hyatt at first base, ts a younger man
than is supposed. He Will not be twenty
ak until next September, yet Is classed
as an old time, He got his first tryout
win Boston IN 1919 at the age Of nine
teen. He hits q ball hard. At one
lime he was considered quite a player
on the White Sox Frank Chance had
his choice between Fourier and Borton
n the Chase trade of 1913 and selected
Borton.
John Hummel. recently hired as utii-
ity man for the Yankees. Is supposed to
oe old enough TO wear sideboards. yet
ne ID one year younger than Dode Pas
kert OF the GIBBS who still Is playing
80 years old. He broke in with the
Dodgers in 1905 while Ned Hanlon still
conducted the destinies OF the Superbas.
Despite the fact that Jim Dunn, the
owner OF the Cleveland club, was almost
ready to close up his ball shop a few
weeks ago he has taken q parcel of
these old birds on his hands He started
In by bringing Doc Johnston back to
Cleveland after the doctor had gone to
the minors via Pittsburg. Johnston Is
only 80 and originally Joined the Cleve-
land club In 1912.
However Dunn's more recent acaui-
stions-Bob Bescher and George Nc
Qcillan--are older men. At that Bes-
cher Is only 80 and just missed coming
within the present draft regulations by a
rev months, Bob first appeared in a
Cincinnati uniform In 1908.
McQuiIIan' "a Years Old.