Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-10
Ralph Admits Three Sea-
sons With As Is Long
Time, but Objects to DID,
Age Inference
MACK PLAYERS YOUNG
BY ROBERT w. MAXWELL
sports Editor Evening Public Ledger

BY ROBERT W. MAXWELL
spcrts Editor EveninS Public Ledger
copvriohL 1920. by Public Ledger Co.
Lake Charles, La. March 10.
" SEE by the papers. said Ralph
Perkins. the sterling catcher Of the
AS, last night that Connie Mack and
his veteran backstop are working hard
every day down here and are getting
good results. Now I don't mind little
thing like that, but where do they get
that veteran stuff? Some of those guys
must imagine I am 100 years old and
~ out to the ball park in an invalid s
chair. 1t is true I have been on the
Athletic ball club for a long time-this
makes the third scason--and although
Z might be a veteran in point of service.
! seriously object TO be regarded as a
feeble old man.
''Now get at the real reason for this
pration,' continued Perkins as he
shifted to the othcr foot aud leaned
more comfortably against tho wooden
pillar in front of the hotel. - m not
m old guy--honest, ! nin't. have
reached the ripe old age Of twenty three.
and tell me. as a friend, is that old?
or course, three years with the As
might not appear as short as three years
ZONE place else: but a year is year.
and the fact remains ! am twenty three
years old. Now. why am ! called n
veteran
Perkins stumbled upon an interesting
feature concerning the ball club now
being developed by Connie Mack. The
\ 1920 edition Of the local American
League club is likely to be one OF the
youngest under the big tent. according
TO the present outlook.
ZOE example,. take Joe DHgGn.
I Joe has been seen in Shibc PGrk
a so often aud for so many gears that
mary of the fans dlrCGdU hare
ciassed him as an old tiRc bnN
player. He Joined the club in The
fail Of 1916. This makes his
fou-H season as regular. BW
koU many tcOald bciicrc he is oHig
fDenty ttro years oid'
Witt Another Veteran
JIJHITEY WITT is another ''vct-
wv eran." Whitley played shortstoO as
a regular in 1916. when Mclnnis was on
first. Lajoie second and J.arlCy Pick
Third Therefore Witt is starting his
fifth season with the club. and his age is
twentE three. He did fairly we'll as an
infielder, but shows more promise in the
outfeld. and there he will stay unless
some one gets hurt
~ Griffin Is almost certain to play hrSt
base. and he. too, is twenty three years
of age. Galloway. at short. is twenty.
two. Therefore at first, second and
Rhortstop Connie has three players who
a for
Z, The usefulness of ball player in the
big league generally comes to an end
when he hits the thirty five year mark.
of course. there have been exceptions.
like Cy Young. Hans Wagner. Gavvy
Cravath and Larry Lajoie. but a ball
player usually casheS in when he vir-
tually is in the prime of life.
We have seen Amos Strunk playing
ball for more than ten years and he is
.ccnsidered veteran. Yet he is only
thirty years old and seems as good as
ever George Burns has been before the
public many years and is twenty six.
-Tilly Walker is the Oldest man on the
club, with thirty two winters and sum
-mers behind him.
So it can be seen that Connie has a
very youthful gang on the payroll, and
all they have to do is make good.
THE Kid Of the cro~d is Robert
1 E. Mccain. the Philadelphia
: schoelbop. Who played lcth Rube
OIdring in Suffolk. Va. last year.
Robert r1S eighteen years old on
Thursday, March !. but he is too
poung for the team a. this Writ
;ng. He probably wiH be tdrmcd
!. out for couple Of seasons and
: then giren another trial.
Chance for Kid Pitchers
-yTNHE kid pitchers, however. will lnger
l. long time in the fast set If they
-show anything this spring. Harris. one
-of the most likely looking youngsters,
-is only twenty two. Pierson is twenty,
-Hasty twenty three. Gibson twenty
two, Rommei twenty-five and Bigbcc
twenty FIVE. Scott Perry is twenty
-eight aud Naylor twenty SovNn.
OF the new CatChers. Bill Styles
will be able to vote for the first time
this year. and Walker and Myatt are
twenty two. In the outfCld. none Of
-the new men is over twenty three years
sof age.
Baseball critics say Connie Mack has
.the right idea in getting youngsters
,around him. lie can teach them his
smethods from the ground up. and the
youngsters absorb knowledge more rap
Idly than the older birds,
THE kids have less 10 unIcGrn
aud hare not pet developed
ideas Of their OtCM. Connie has
X been trying TO get together
youthful ball club, and it HOC
looks as if he had his irish.
( Hoilocher SpIinters Bone in Hand
Pasadena, CaIIf.. March lO.-The Cubs
roster was complete Yesterday with Turner
Barber and Dave Robertson, oulhelders, re
porting to Manager Mitchell Charley Hol-
ioeher, shortstOp is now on the inactive
list. He had operation performed yes
terday for bone splinter In his left hand
Three White sox Still HoIdouts
Chicago, March 10. Eddie Cicottp. Chick
Gandil and Swede Risbrrs WIll be the only
: players not leaving on thC framing trp
: for Waco, Tex. Friday wiih the White
SoX unless they rush IN their signed con-
tracts to-day or tomorrow. All the other
Sox are ready. Eddie Collins has been
granted an extension OF time until March 10