The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-01-31

of.Sport
by N~& S:9Ah&w

This is the story Of how Jim sinnott.
sporting writer for The Mail, made
Stranger Ed Lewis champion wrestler
Of the world.
Very often. athletes, when criticised,
! charge that writer's have hurt their
chances or prevented them from adj
vanc:ng, ard it is seldom that any ono
ever gives a critic credit for aiding
them. Lewis after his triumph over
Caddock showed that lie possessed the
brains Of a champion when he and his
manager. Billy Sandow, declared that
Sinnntt made Lewis champion.
The accusation stunned Sinnott, who
had forgotten what he wrote. but neith-
or the wrestler nor his manage had.
! According to Sandow. after Lewis de-
feat at hands of Stcchcr, Mr.. Sinnott
wrote a criticism in reviewing the fight.
In It he stated that Lewis had all the
qualifications necessary to have won the
| match. but that either he was not in
: condition or had usclcssly expended his
strength early IN the bout and lacked
the final punch necessary to decide the
! match, Will Stccher, superbly condi-
toned, had enough reserve power TO
finish.
When Lewis first read tho criticism
he was irritated. He was on a train
leaving town and bitter over defeat. He
read II again. and remarked to Sandow:
Billy. that fellow IS right. They'll
never catch mo that way again"
Then he went to work. In his next
match with Stccher he won, because he
conserved enough energy TO win whcn
both were near exhaustion.
I In his match with Caddock he had
enough loft to escape from \ seeming
~ fatal grip and turn the tables on his
exhausted opponent. After it was all
over he told the story.
Baseball Has Lost Banny.
The best known veteran Of the sport
Frank Bancroft. for years business man
ager Of the Cincinnati club, has been
retired from active du-y on 4 pension.
Baseball began with Banny. He was
player. manager. business manager.
owner. almost everything before he
Joined the fortunes of the Reds, and
for n quarter Of a century he has gu!d-
cd their busineS fortuncs and selected
the weather for them. Just how the
weather can go on without Banny is
hard to tell. His first act every morn
ing was to spit twice, then glanc" nj
the sky and tell exactly what SORT OF m
afternoon il would be.
There may b. some town in America
where Danny is not known, but 1t IS
doubtful. He booked more exhibition
games for major league clubs than any
man ercr attempted to do. ard the Reds
have been exhibited in more different
tank towns than any major club in the
, country. There have been years when
his skill in combing the deep grass for
dimes kept the Red from near bank
rUptcy.
lie promoted bicycle races before
present day promoters were born. ard
during part Of his career was a thcatri-
! cal manager. with it I'll, h" was on"
OF the best story ~tcllcrs in tho world
and his memory never failed him.
There was one yarn which concerned
the pass gate. Banny usually was
watching that gate. and one day an IL
dividual appeared and asked:
"R"cognize the p"rfcsh?"
Sure said Banny. What do you
do
For answer the man seized his checks
between thumbs and fingers and pulled
than out to arms length and let them
snap back.
rubber skinned man." he remarked.
Come in" said Banny. Crowded.
and guttappcrcha in the back Of the
stands"
Vets Vanish From Major Leagues.
The old-timcrs are disappearing from
BASEBALL rapidly. There IS little room
for sentiment in the game when com
p~etition grows ~iicrcer. In one day the
major clubs dropped Charlie Hcrzos.
Fred Merklc. Tragressor. and creased
the skids for Dodc Paskcrt and Hank
yGowdy.
Beyond doubt many OF the veterans
Of tho major leagues arc wearing out.
1 and the clubs are anxious to rush in the