The Washington herald., 1919-02-21
M0XIE HARPER
FALLS IN Line
Lanky Hackensack South
paw Expects to Have
Great Season.

OF the american League yesterday
turned in his signed contract to
Boss Griffth. This is the reason the
Old Fox is carrying around the
Sunny Jim" tonic today as with
out "Moxie," as Harper is better
known to his teammates, the Ma
tionals left-handed department
would be as sad a looking sight to
Griff, as the new European bound
airy lines are to Kaiser William.
This lanky Hackensack southpaw
developed into one of the best left
handed hurlers in Gear Bans king
dom last season, and it is O sure
thing that the great expectations
of his ability this year will not go
for nauEht. In his letter to Grifr,
MOxie claims to be in great shape
and anxious to answer the call for
training, as he expects to have the
greatest season of his career in
1919.
with the signing of Harper comes
to memory an interesting happen
ing during the training season at
Augusta last spring. This one reel
scenario. only brings out the facts
that the Goddess of Fortune, or
pure bull luck, follows the FOXey
Pilot.
At a morning practice about ten days
after the regulars had been facing
the hurIing of Grif's rookie twirl-
crs, MoXie was ordered to the pitch
ing hill Harry was feeling just
right, and ready to cut loose. The
big left handler was right, and what
he had on that fast one, that day,
has never been thoroughly solved
by the Nationals batting order to
this day. But the real story is the
Old Fox solved this zip by showing
the boys his batting ability.
The batting order this morning
ran: Cass. Shotton. Milan, Rice,
Judge, Foster. Lavan. Morgan,
Shanks. Ainsmith and so on down
the line. Hit two fair and get away,
was the order. Everything worked
all right until young June Cass took
his second turn at MOXie's assort-
ment of hops. The Des MoineS
youngster started the trouble by foul
ing off a half dozen before getting
away. Then Bert ShOtton delayed
the practice for another six minutes
before he managed to get his two
into safe territory.
Milan sure looked like rank
rookie before MOXic, while no big
league scout watching Sammy Rice
in action would have figured him
800 hitter in the big show. This
first quartet of batters consumed
something like twenty minutes of
time and then Joe Judge. another
ICft-handed swatter, started in to
proIong the agony. Griff began to
got pink behind his ills. What the
Old BOX said about his star south
l2w being the rOttcncst pitcher in
the big show, a false alarm and so
on. would not stand up well in print,
hut he proved the fact that day by
ordering Joe Judge away from the
bat and proceeding 10 do the pinch
hitting act himself.
Why. yes; crack smacked out two
Of the huest-lookinE blnglcs that
could be called for; nor was it all
luck, as Moxie never let up min
ute. although he was accused of do
Ing so by his team mates. Anyway.
Griff proved Harry was the poorest
southpaw in the big show. and soon
had the wrecking crew smashing the
horsehidc safely.
Chick GandiI, the former Griffiman,
who is alternating in California, Will
be back with the White SOX in the
coming campaign. according to Kid
Gleason. who should know all about
it. \ report from the Pacific coast
had it that Chick had asked perms-
sion to place himself with one of the
clubs in the Pacific Coast League
and that the permission had been
granted. Gleason says there is moth
ing to this report and adds that he is
counting upon Gandil as his regular
first baseman during the 1919 race.
GandiI has played fine ball since join
ing the White SoX and has been par
ticularly good at hitting the ball
when hits meant runs.
What is the advantage of being a
worlds series hero if it doesn't guar
antee you a job the next year?
This. undoubtedly, is the question
that George Whiteman is asking him
self. as he pOnders over the news just
sent out from Boston that the Red
sSoX are asking for waivers on his serv-
ices And as Whiteman gets deeper
into the story and learns that all
other American League clubs had
failed to claim him he probably will
ask:
What does a fellow have to do in
that league to hold job. anyway"
The transition from the hero role TO
the scene where the owner asks the
player not to slam the door going out
has been speedy in the experience of
many ball players, but few have been
tied to the skids as quickly as has
Whiteman. He starred throughout the
worlds series, even in the final game,
and now, before his club has assem-
bled for spring training, he finds that
he has been tossed into the player
market.
Whiteman was resurrected from the
minors last spring by Ed Barrow, who
needed an outf1elder to take the place
OF Duffy Lewis, then in the navy,