Evening journal., 1919-04-15
THE 18TH NOT
UNLUCKYFOR THESE
Host of Diamond Stars
Broke Into Game of Life
on That Date
HAL CHASE AMONG
THEM, FOR INSTANCE


iger 20 assemble a ball club that would
Win a pennant would be to go after
able athletes who were born on this
iate-the thirteenth. Lucky would be
The leader OF a team OF players born
on the alleged unlucky date, for some
,Of the great stars OF the past had their
latal days on the thirteenth 0f certain
months and many OF the great stars OF
he present would qualify for mem
0ership on a club made up exclusive
~ OF men who arrived on this earth
On the dreaded day.
There are few outaelders in the
thirteen brigade. most OF the men in
his division being pitchers The skid
doc date-the 23rd-has brought a lot
Of suburbanites into life and quite
'ew narrowing things have happened
m the date George Michael Cohan
made famous, Fred Merkle falling to
ouch second on September %, 1908,
and Harry Stovey and Lou Bierbauer
signfng with National League clubs on
January %, 1891. and thus starting an
lther baseball war.
Nean Gregg, who pitched more shut
puts against the Red Sox last year than
he ever pitched for them and who has
not yet reported to Connie Mack, cele-
DRAFTED his thirty-fourth birthday yes
,erday and Claude Hendrix, OF the Cubs
5 turning his thirtieth milestone.
Frfank Lee Miller Of the Pirates who
played in the Influenza League, this
spring. and who was late in reporting
10 Hugo Bezdek in Birmingham. was
oorn on Marfh 50, 1888; OTIS Lambeth,
Of the Indians, who still is overseas, on
May 80, 1892: Gene Packard Of the
Phillies. on July i3, 1887; Jim Shaw, Of
The Nationals. on August i3, 1898; Lefty
GeOrge OF the Braves on August t3,
1889; George DuMOnt. OF the Red SOX
on November i3, 1895, and Fred
Coumbe, Of the Indians, on December
g. 1892
These artilleritles have never hsd
much misfortune, Jim Shaw being the
most luckless one Of the lot, since he
shot himself while out hunting one
day. and would have won a raft Of ball
games that he lost II he had had a
better batting club than Washington
behind him. Lefty George. on one Of
his birthdays, pitched a nO-hit game
and so did Gene Packard, while
COumbe. for pitching the game against
the White SOx that put that combina-
tion out OF the running in 1916, was
presented with a cheek for $500 10y
an enthusiastic Boston fan.
Coumbe's lone complaint is that peO-
pie Will insist on prOnOuncing his
name COumbee when 10 ought to be
be pronounced Comb, and DuMonts one
kick is that cOmpOsitors insist on using
a small m in his name instead Of cap
ital ".
Ed. Charity. Of Washington. born
on March a., 1892, could be the catcher
OF a Thirteen Club II it were organ
lied Those famous maskmen-JOhnny
king and Jimmy Archer-both were
born on the thirteenth Johnny in No
vember, 1873, and Jimmy in May, 1888.
First basemen who have birthdays
on the thirteenth are Hal Chase. Of the
Giants. who was born on February i3,
1883 and Ed Konelchy, retired, who
was born on September i3, 1888. No
question about Chase being lucky, as
ne Jumped the Yankees 10 play with
the California outlaws and jumped ile
White SoX TO play with the Feds-and
got taken back into o. B. afler each
leap.
John Franklin Baker, The Home Run
King; Larry Gardner, who poled The
sacrifice fly that gave the Red Sox the
winning run Of the last game OF The
worlds series OF 1912 land the big end
OF the purse), and Eddie Foster are
third basemen born on the thirteenth,
the Yankee in March, 1886; the Indian
in May Of the same year and the Ma
tional in February OF 1888.
Mlnooka Mike McNally Of the Red
Sox. born on September i3. 1898; Ben
Dyer OF the Tigers. horn on February /
i3. 1893: Fred McNiullin, Of the White /
Sox, born on October 50. 1891, and
Claude Davidson, Of the Reds, born on
October i3. 1896, all sub infelders,
complete the list Of major leaguers
who have birthdays on the thirteenth.
1t is a fairly long list
Some Of the noted thirteen boys OF /
the past were Ruhe Waddell, the great |
est left-hander OF modern times, born |
on October 80. 1876; Wild Bill Dono- /
van, who is managing Jersey CITY this |
year. born on the same date; Buck |
Freeman. who made y home runs for
Washington in 1899, born on October
i3. 1871. and Josh Devore, born on No
vember 49, 1887.
Josh certainly was a lucky ball
having the happy faculty Of al
ways coming 10 time with needed MT
or a needed catch at the psychological
moment. He is going TO try his luck
with Kansas City this year-and MS
luck has been good.
Outnelders who were born on the
skiddoo date include Gabby Cravam'
Jack Smith and Zach Wheat.
Connie Mack was born on the twen-
ty-third. so was Joe Lannin and so
was Barney Dreyfuss.
The twenty-third has heen the birth
date OF magnates, just as the thir-