New-York tribune., 1919-05-20
"Mere Manu.
And Vaughn
Worry Robbie
Chicago Wins First Game
of Eastern Trip to Dis
may of F la t b u s h
By Charles A. Taylor

After five vain attempts to win
baseball game in the big town the
Cubs finally succeeded in vanquishing
the Dodgers yesterday by a score of 3
to 1. AS the Giants lost to the Reds,
the two greater New York teams are
still occupying the two leading posi-
tions in the National League pennant
race.
1t was the mastery pitching of
James Vaughn that was chiefly respon-
slble for the woe Flatbush suffered
Leslie "Mere Mann" was a big help to
Jim. Up until the ninth inning the big
Cub southpaw allowed his opponents
only three hits. He slipped trihe in
the ninth, when the battle between Ivan
Olson and Leslie Mann, the territory
about second base forming the ring, up
set Jim's nerves bit, and it was then
that the Dodgers scored their lone
tally.
Mann proved himself to be no "mere
man" throughout the entire engage
ment, and it was due to his aggressive
ness with the stick that Vaughn OBJ
tanned a sufficient number Of runs to
gain the victory. The climax to Mann's
aggressiveness was not very commend
able, but the fact remains that if Leslie
had occupied the bench along with his
old sidekick, Dode Paskert, there would
have been very little action in the en-
tire pastime for anybody save the Chi
cago pitcher.
Dropped in Batting Order
1t should be mentioned at the outset
hot II; L.
ment from the lineup after the disas-
trous series with the Giants, but as it
turned out the only penalty for weak
stick work inflicted on the scrappy
outfelder by Manager Fred Mitchell
was to denote Mann from the clean
up position in the batting order to the
post preceding the catcher. Baseball
history is full of instances where such
a shifting has restored a waning bat
ting eye with a rush. 1t restored Les
lies yesterday and no mistake.
The first chance Mann had to show
his resentment at the insult offered
him by his manager came in the sec
ond inning, when with two men out he
doubled to centre field. No particular
damage would have been done as far
as the Flatbush standpoint was con-
cerned had not Ivan Olson chosen this
particular time to make wild throw
on Killifer's grounder, permitting
Mere Mann" to cross the plate with
the first run of the game.
Leslie, on his next appearance at the
plate-this was in the fourth inning
again found two men out, but Fred
Merkle was resting on second base as
the result of a double, so Mann, realiz-
ing that old Fred would need all pos
sble help to get the rest of the way
around, hit so far over Zach Wheat's
head that Merkle came home on an
easy canter. SO far the score in favor
of Mann was . to 0. He Tailed the first
run himself, as noted, and drove in
the second, as also noted.
And now we come to "Mere Mann"
again in the seventh inning, when he
reached first after forcing Merkle at
second. This time Killifer helped along
The cause of Mann with double to
right on which Leslie pattered over the
rubber with the third and last run of
the encounter
The climax to the career of "Mere
Mann" yesterday came in the ninth
inning, when such things are to be ex-
pected Again there were two out
when Leslie dashed over the first BAG
as the result OF Olson's second bad
toss of the game What happened Will
probably never really be known.
Whether "Mere Mann" took the somer-
sault he did on his own initiative or
was pushed by Big Ed Konetchy is the
mooted Question. Anyhow Mere Mann"
took such a tumble that he had no
chance to grab another base as the
result of Olson's wild heave.
Mere Mann" Upset
Leslie was of verify upset when
the signal came for steal. "Mere
Mann went into second like race
hor7N on tho homes retch. lqan Olson
nabbed a perfect throw from Ernie
'Al~eso. ana tnen instead OF touching
out Mann on a regulation spot swung
for Leslie's ear and touched him there.
not gently but too we'll.
In no time a terrible hubbub had
started, but Lord Byron broke through
the circle of outtielders and infielders
and bench warmers and managers and
everybody and then made an NC-4 dive
between Mann and Olson before real
blow could be struck. Mann was out.
but thanks to Lord Byro nnobody was
knocked out.
The score:
CHICAGO tN - BROOKLYN g. L) |