The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-15

have much to do these days without
becoming adding machines.
IF you do that" this fan said,
"you1l find big majority voting for
Milan"
Mebbe he's right. Wen never know
the result of that voting, but IL we
wait long enough we may be informed
by Mr.. Griffith what his choice will
be. Meanwhile. until Mr.. Griffith does
speak words of consummate wisdom,
we might write a bit about Zeb Milan.
whom we delight &c know.
Came Hero i'm 1907.
Jesse Clyde Milan, of Linden. Tenn.
was bought by the Washington club
on August %. 1907 from Wichita, in
the Western Association. He had be-
gun playing profes sional baseball In
1906 with Clarksviue, in the North
Texas League. finishing the season
with McAllister, in the Oklahoma State
League.
Beginning the 1906 season, the flu
ture candidate for managerial honors
in the Capital was with Shawnee in
the Oklahoma State League. going to
Wichita in midseaso He played
sixty-two games in the outfield that
year with Wichita.
Zeb broke into the game as a short.
stop. He was a thin, spindly lad in
those days. How do we know all this?
zeb told US himself. He likes to bark
back those days wi Ell he was trying
to make a living on the prairies. In
deed, late years have found him win
tering in GAINESVILLE, Tex, the town
which saw his debut in professional
baseball. sass .>-
Too Light to Hit.
Zeb was so small and light that his
greatest weakness was his hitting.
Yes. and baserunners used to bump
him off the midway cushion. That
was the reason fo~ his going to the
garden, where he was destined to do
his finest work as . major Lacquer.
A batting avera &c of .356 with
Shawnee advanced him to Wichita and
1t was his batting average of .304 in
ia games with Wichita that had
much to do with his coming TO Wash
ington. Playing with Cantillon and
McAleer, Zeb flashed to the front as a
fielder. 1t was not till Clark Griffith
PIT a winning team on the field in
1912 that Milan reilly came into his
own as an all-around big league star.
In 1912 Zeb was a baserunning fool
He stole lightweight bases and forced
Ty Cobb's mark of eighty-three in 1911
into the shadows. That record sur
vived until 1915. when Cobb ran wild
and swiped ninety-eight cushions. So
far as records go, that is probably the
only big league mark Zeb has ever
attained.
Some Personal Stuff
Milan is happily married and has
couple Of youngsters. He has his fam
lily with him in Washington during
the season and has a wide circle of
friends
Among the players Milan. is uni
versally esteemed. He is quiet. thinks
lot before saying anything, unless it
happens to be about hunting or fish.
Ing. Then he wakes most voluble. He
lie considerable of kidder, especially
toward windbags, of which the Wash
tnRton club has always had it's share
Toward youngsters Milan is most
considerate. We might say a lot along
this line. We may say 1t tomorrow
or the next day, giving an insight into
the man better thany anything else.
We have known Zeb Milan for ten
years. In all that time he has rung
true in big and little things. He IL q
friend of the quiet kind. lie rGiun,,
no banners makes no idle promises,
but his word is good for all he has.
- ~ g.,