The sun., 1919-02-09
Enthusiastic Veterans of Cycling Runs With the At

some pretty hard knocks during the war
| some OF 1t deserved. but much more OF II
, undeserved. Statistics issued by both
the National and American leagues dur
ing the winter showed that when the
armistice was signed more than half OF
| the major league players were In the
| armed service OF the republic and the
| rest were engaged In essential employ
ment.
J 1t is questionable II any other bust
ness could have shown as high a per-
centage Of men In the army and navy
| as baseball. 1t ie true. however, that
| many of these men did not get into the
war until the last few months: also that
| the great majority OF soldiers In the
army were drafted men. In view of the
| fact that Gen. March recently issued sta
tistcs showing that two-thirds Of the
| men In the army at the end of hostili-
ties were drafted men, this was not an
unusual condition.
Had baseball been able TO point to
| more players like Hank Gowdy. who
Jumped Into the fray from the drop Of
the hat It would have made baseball's
part In the war stand out more conspic-
, uously. and would have neutralized the
stigma placed on the game by a hand
| ful OF players who Joined shipyards last
, spring to avoid military service. Yet
subsequent statistics show that even
these shipyard jumpers. who did not
have legitimate claims OF exemption. all
! were mustered into service.
AS for players with families, like Tes-
reau, Holke. High. Miller and others,
| who left their teams last summer to Join
shtpyards or steel plants. they merely
forestalled the work or fight" order
Hank, n Hero.
Hank Gowdy unquestionably will be
the big hero among baseballs returning
! war heroes. and there are more Of them
| than the general public Is aware of
There already is discussion in baseball
! circles as to who will be the greatest
| asset when baseball resumes next season,
the good natured Sergeant Hank or the
dashng Capt. Ty Cobb. who did not en-
ter the service until the expiration of
the 1918 season.
Gowdy's work in the 1914 worlds
series was a revelation Of how this
easy going lad rises to big occasions
His terrific batting in that series, when
he compiled the highest worlds series
batting average ever recorded en-
abled tho Braves to beat the hitherto
invincble Athletics in four straight
games.
When war came Hank again rose to
the big emergency. He quickly enlisted
with a field artillery regiment of the
old Ohio National Guard. which later
became part OF the spectacular Rain
bow Division. AS color sergeant in his
| battery Hank went through all the CAM
| paigns of the Ra!nbows and got through
unscratched
Gowdy got into Germany with the
Army Of Occupation. where he soon had
! quite a complaint to register. At the
castle where his company was quar-
| HIA
Wandered all the fancy bedspreads
from the sergeants bed OF carved oak,
which Hank deemed "a darn shame"
The fact that the Ohio artillerymen
| composing Hanks regiment were
! brothers In arms Of the old S!Xty-n,nth
always will assure him OF great well
come TO New York, though Giant fans
always have considered they have as
| good claim TO Hank as Boston, as the
rawboned lad started his big league
career with the Giants.
| AS Gowdy was famous player Il
was no more than natural that his
| exploits should be sung more than those
OF some lesser lights. Among the men
who distinguished themselves mos. In
| actual combat the most conspicuous
were youngsters just breaking into the
| big leagues or minor leagues.
Brnve Jack Bentley.
| Take the case Of Jack Bentley. a
| young first baseman purchased by the
| Boston Red Sox from the Baltimore
club. late In 1917. Bentley has returned
! TO the States with two medals on his
chest won in the Argoune forest. Then
there Is Hugh Miller. the former St
! Louis Federal ard International League
! first oaseman. lie Ought with the ma
rtnes at Chateau rhierry and BeIleau
! Wood. Miller returned from France
! in the same vessel with Leut-Co!.
Huston. The first baseman sported
DISTINGUISHED Service Medal. and a limp
! that permanently will end his usefulness
as n baseball player.
Then there was Mark Mlliigan a
| young Pirate pitcher who was killed
In an air battle with a German fier
| A story recently was told OF a young
| minor Lacquer who was severely
wounded FIVE minutes before the time
| limit OF the armistice went into effect.
Jim Scott former pitcher of the White
| SoN, was right on Gowdy's heels in
getting into service. but as far as -
| known Jim never got over to the other
side. Death Valley Jim left the White
Sox during the hard pennant fight Of
| 1917 TO enter an officers training school,
and won a commits sOn OF Captain Jim
| proved so proficient at drilling recruits
that he was retained In California
| throughout the war. Capt. Jim will be
/ the leading war veteran among the
White SoN players, and should get
| great reception when he puts on Chi
cago uniform next season.
MnrRnviIIe Cob.
Next TO Gowdy perhaps the most
popular player IN the National League
on his war record will be Rabbit Naran-
vile. Maranvi!le threw In his lot with
the navy a few months after Hank
| Joined the army. and Is as famous
among the sailors as Hank is in the
army. There was nothing that the Rab-
| ball, football boxing. and despite his
! size he was willing 10 tackle any one
on his ship In rough and tumble.
Meanwhile is a member Of the crew
! OF the Pennsylvania and was on that
vessel when II escorted President Wilson
To France The boston club hopes TO
! SEQ Maranville DISCHARGED from the navy
! in time for him to take part in the 1919
! training trip. The Rabbit recently left
with his ship for Cuban waters The
| little fellow. however expects his dis
charge in time 10 start the season
/ Quite a number OF big lcaguprs were
, in the thick OF the fighting in France
when the end came. the brooklyn club
being especially well represented Leon
Galore, Sherrod Smith CLARENCE
Mitchell Chuck Ward and Tark NlIus
/ all saw r'onty OF action Cadoro is a