Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-08
GREAT BASEBALL TEAMS
SELDOM HOLD TOGET Their
Red SoN Met Same Fate as
Cubs and Ath-
lctics.
MtHfmY D,sMANrLEp nnuIN
Federal LcnEuc Was Direct Cnusc for
Smashing or Connie alrck'S Great
orSan zatio n--Ch:cago Players
friitrd 20 Iau! '.cnn,s.


champions OF 1915. i9f6~and 1918, is
no different than that OF the other
two outstanding teams OF This CEN
fury. Chances great Cuts anil Con
ME Mack's. triumphant Athletics.
Once the job OF dismantliug started.
every bolt. nat ana cog Was wrenched
apart.
1t is seldom that high grade star
plays continually in one uniform.
cobb and Johnson are the exception.
Ruth. Collins. Coombs. Barry. Evcrs,
Speaker. Bancroft. Groh and Mays are
among the numerous top-notchers
who have been seen IN more than
one big league uniform. Even Nath-
cwson tw!rled his last game in the
crimson stockings or the Cincinnati
Reds, and Ed Walsh'a last big league
appearance was in the regalia Of tho
Hoaton braves.
Champion tcnms frequently disinte-
CRATE faster than ordinary teams.
The whiins and idiosyncracies OF
Charley Murphy helped to break UP
the Cubs while they still were
powerful nggregation. Once Chance
left the club the old warriors OF his
famous campaigns on Chlcago's West
Side soon parted company with the
Cub pay roll. Jack Pricfcr and tho
orvice overall were about the only
members of Chances great club who
got out OF the game while they still
were In Chicago harness. But both
wore out their arms in Murphy's
service; there was no market fol
them.
Federal Init Tempted Old Athletics.
The Federal League was largely
responsible for the dismantlng O.,
the Athletics. uuuucstionabiy the
greatest club baseball has yet de-
veloped. Mack couiI not meet tho
ngurcs of some OF his big stars.
Rather than lose them 10 tho Fed
erai League he SOLD them to clubs
which could afford to meet their fig
ures.
Mack at the start never intended
to tear down his Athletics to the
extent that he did. What stars were
left on his club after the going OF
Collins. Baker. Barry, Bender, Coonbs
and Plank refused To work harmon
iously with the youngsters Mack
picked up. He then made the blundcr
OF getting rid OF all he had left
the mistake OF his career. 1t left
him with nothing to build on, and
he has been last ever since.
Frazcc unnucstionably sold Ruth
two winters ago because he needed
cash to pay off some obligations on
the club. Finding that the loss of
Ruths big bat had no appreciable
effect on the Red SoX percentage.
Frazec continued to dispose of his
stars, always getting enough players
In exchange to keep fairly good
ball club In the Held.
Started to Break Ip in City Series.
Tho disintcgration of the Cubs
came shortly after the 1912 city Sc
ries of Chicago, one OF the most re-
~, ain ~.
played. During the 1872 season the
Cubs made their last great fight and
succeeded in cutting down sixteen
game lead enjoyed by the Giants on
July to three games In mid -Septem-
her. I;ut the cubs collapsed In the
last stage OF the race, and Pittsburgh
beat them out for second place.
Tho city series of 1912 in Chicago
saw the White SoN win the greatest
uphill fight in baseball. The White
Sox did not win u game until 1hc
sixth contest: the first two games
were Ties and the next three Cub vie
tories. The Sox won the next four.
winding UP tile series with n lT-to-0
victory, in which Walsh opposed the
entire Cub pitching staff.
Chance Quit the game in disgust In
the second inning turning over first
base To utility man. aud Murphy
fired Chance in the clubhouse after
the game. Tho following season
Chance followed his Inflated career
as manager OF the Yankees.
Johnny WAS Chpnce's Successor.
i!ve-s was appointed Chances sue
ccSSor. and Tinker was traded to the
Reds so he might manage the Gin
cinuat! club. During the middle OF
III" 1912 season Johnny King the
great club catcher. was traded 10
Boston for Peaches Graham, while
Fat Moran was released to the Phil
lies. Harry Steinfeidt, third base
mun Gu Chances four-timc cham
pions. also wound UP his career with
the Braves.
Shcckard went to the Reds. and
after Murphy's effort to send Morde-
cal Brown To the Louisville club was
blocked. Brownie" went Ia Cincln-
natl. lie enlisted with the 81. Louis
Feds as manager. and got hack on
the Cubs under Thinkers manage
mert, after the cab Chicago FED NOR
ger.
After one year as manager OF the
Chicago team. Evcrs was released to
the Braves in 1914. The Indignation
aroused by this deal was so intense
that Murphy was dropped from the
league. Evers got back To the Cubs
SciSbN Wy Way VI lne tniilicS.
Red SoN and Giants, but his second
effort ms n Chicago manager was not
as successful rs his irsi.
Ruclbnck Wound Up With Braves.
Ruelbach journcyed TO Brooklyn.
the Newark Feds and then finished
with the Eraves. Artie IioGmann
was traded 10 the Pirates for Tommy
Leach. ana Franl. Schultz. the last
or the Mohicaus, also was released
10 Pittsburgh. He finished his ca
rcer with the Washington Ameri-
cans.
Mack began breaking up his great
club just seven winters ago. when he
cold Eddie Collins to the White Sox
for $4,000 and asked for waivers on
Plank, Bender and Coomhs, Plank
and Bender already had signed Fed
eral League contracts. the lcfthander
with ST. Louis sId Bender with Bal
timorc. Coombs attached himself to
The Brooklyn Dodgers. After peace
was declared Bender went with tho
rhillics and Plank with the merged
Brown-St. Louis Fed aggregation.
Plank later was traded 10 the Yanks
With Pratt. but never reported to
Huggins.
T}olscr efoye1 ,nt In. - al. nnI In