The New York herald., 1920-12-03
"Can Hit EN- AH," Says
Jim Thorpe of Pitchers
Noted Indian Does Not Know
Why Big Leagues Didn't
Keep Him.
BY WILLIAM n. HANNA.

Never saw Jim Thorpe looking better
than he did yesterday. Jim looks as II
he were taking care of himself. A man
can't play hard football the way these
professionals play 1t and not take care of
himself The professionals. say those
who have seen him In action, play just
as hard and skilfully as the college men
and bit cleaner game ethically. An
excess of roughness charactertZes numer-
Gus college football games and doesn't
make the teams that indulge In It any
nnanler or any more proficient. Anna
teur sport could take several leaves out
Of the professional book and benefit
thereby in a sportsmenship way.
Thorpe and his Canton Bulldogs are
here for their game at the Polo Grounds
tomorrow. The noted Indian played the
outfield in the International League last
season The writer asked him yesterday
how much he hit. About .367," was the
answer.
'why didn't you hit that way in the
big league?"
IT hit over 800 in the big league the
last year l was in It." Thorpe replied.
land raped right handlers and left
handlers both / can hit 'em ALL.
"Why didn't they keep you IN the big
leagues, then?'
cant prove 1t by me. You'll have to
ask them that"
what do you think Of Percy Haugh-
toms suggestion to have forward
passed ball which has been blocked
anybody's ballg''
wouldn't be a bad idea. Let 'em
scramble for it,
There appears to be decided miscon-
ception in some quarters regarding the
Haughton suggestion. AS the writer un-
derstands 1t the Harvard man had no
thought of abolishing the pass. but does
think. with excellent rea son. that az
now played football rs drifting too much
toward baseball and basketball features.
He advises that the forward pass be
changed to make blocked pass a free
ball the same as a blocked kick The
forward fling has been changed In
various ways since II was introduced in
1906, and It isn't going to spoil the
game to tinker with it some more.
Football teams seen by the writer
this fall Were Harvard. Princeton, Yale,
Columbia. Cornell. Penn Williams. Gen.
tre. Carnegie Tech. Nebraska Rutgers.
Army and Navy. To his way Of thinking
the best Eastern team which could DE
picked from that array would be:
Ends-LeRendre, Princeton,
and Even, Navy.
Tackles Keck, Princeton,
and Dickens, Yale.
Guard. - Woods, Harvard,
and Willkie, Navy.
Quart Back - Lourie,
Princeton.
Half Backs-Garr;ty, Prince
ton, and Boynton, Williams.
Full Back. Straus, Penn.
Wen be content with a field limited
to our own observation and further re-
duce II by making it an Eastern affair.
However. the Princeton incomparables
Keck. Garrity and Lourie. would be on
the team whatever its geographical
range. The backheld named has rare
versatility. The quartette chosen can
do II all--kick. run. pass, catch the
pass. tear the line and back up line
AS for the line-offence and defence
enough said.
George w. Grant never denied h,
would sell Rabbit Maranville or any
other player If by so doing he could
strengthen his ball club. Now come:
the following from the pen of Bur
Whitman OF Boston:
DO not be bit surprised II one oi
the first official moves by the Grant
Mitchell management OF the Braves will
be to arrange some big deal whereby
Walter Maranville goes TO some othei
club. presumably the Pirates. II the
Rabbit wanted to stay with the Brave:
he could and would prove II by playing
flashing. brilliant ball, but 1t seems tc
be pretty well established that he does
not want to play ball with the Brave,
any longer. A change does some In
tense players like the Rabbit a world OF
good. Pittsburg has five great out
fielders In Nicholson. Whtted. Carey
Bigbee and Southworth. Dreyfuss could
give the Braves flock of these in re-
turn for the Rabbit. who would plug VI
the big Pittsburg hole at short.
''Of course the Giants are in the
market for the Rabbit, regardless OF
what may be said. he is prime
Gotham favorite. He could play third
short or second and there IS no TELLING