New-York tribune., 1922-10-16
This Counry-Sgns Contrac to Fight Beckett London Nov
Hot Stoue League IN Session.
Centers attention on Yankee,
Leaders of Winter Sport Are Busily Engaged
Getting Rid of Mays, Ward, Jones and Dew
mer and Otherwise BoIstering Huggns's Tas
BY John kieran

S~~
BY Johl
Even the widespread shortage Of
sessions of the Hot Stove League. T
As each member Of the select circle
fire he feels it his public duty TO i'm
to the world at large. The heating $.
useful purpose served by these gath
hearth fires burning until the boys
trenches.
Naturally enough, the local man
ayers Of the Hot Stove League are
busily engaged in selling, buying and
trading In Yankee livestock. The
Giants won the glorious gonfalcn. It
10 taken for granted that John J.
McGraw Is pretty we'll satisfied with
his hired men. But Immediately after
Ross Young made the catch that
branded the Hugmen with their fourth
straight defeat in the worlds series
all game laws were off. 1t is now the
open season in the Ruppert-Huston
game preserve. The howl of the
wolves ON the Higgins trail was loud
in the land.
In fact, the pursuing pack thought
sucy Hau tne Iuaky eaiiief HeipiSSs up
very small crabappie tree. The
esteemed land owner, Colonel Rupert,
waved some sort Of magic parchment
or signed contract in front of the
yelping pack and persuaded them that
they were barking up the wrong tree,
while Tillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston
plucked the hapless Mr.. Higgins from
the thorny branches and carried him
in safety within the castle walls.
Others Lucky to Survive
Hearing of the attack on their
leader, the other Yanks scurried to
cover. Last reports indicate that at
least four of them were being harried
by the wolves and are lucky if they
survive till spring. These unhappy
gentlemen are, in alphabetical order,
Al Devormer, Squire Jones, CARL Mays
and Aaron Ward. BY the time the
vernal equinox rolls around again their
bleaching bones may De lying in some
Boston or Chicago ball yard.
Oonce again taking them in alpha
betical order, it is alleged that wheh
Al Devormer jumped from the string
piece Of the Chicago lake shore bulk
head into Lake Michigan for the small
sum Of $25 on the first Western trip
he jumped right out Of the league.
Perhaps the magnates do not care to
gamble with hired men of such erratic
tendencies. Somebody might offer
them $50 to jump of and stay down
for good just about the time they were
needed to strike out in pinch. How
ever, Al is by no means the worst
catcher in the world; He may land
with some other big league team, but
1t Is more than whispered that the
next time he jumps off a dock it won't
be Yankee uniform that gets wet.
The case Of Squire Jones is different.
Soulful Sam was one Of the best
pitchers in the league with the lowly
Boston Red Sox. The Squire labored
long and earnestly with the Hugmen,
but time after time he was carried
from the mound in an unconscious and
horizontal position. It seemed as
though he had left his kit Of tools in
Hubtown. He flashed two or three
games Of the brilliant type and then
lapsed into what Ping Bodie would
never call "innocuous desuetude."
He was moldering away on the left
end of the Yankee dugout toward the
end of the season. Miller Higgins is
still convinced that the Squire is
great pitcher, but then the midget
manager has no vote in the Hot Stove
League. Sam may pitch the Yanks
| into worlds series pennant next
year, but in the mean while the boys
In the back room are offering him for
| sale around the country.
Mays Makes 1t Unanimous
Carl Mays often said he knew he was
not popular. When informed of this
dictum the chairman of the Hot Stove
League convention said: "That makes
it unanimous" The underslung slab
ster is good pitcher, and popularity
y,,1{ how
shortstops braided their whiskers
However, it is true that Mays has
been singing out Of tune with his little
playrates, and perhaps he would do
better in fresh fields and pastures new.
Kid Gleason is quoted as saying that
he would like to have the burly blond
on his team. If the Kid is good Santa
Claus may put submarine singer in
his Christmas stocking, provided that
Comiskey dresses little Dickie Kerr
up in left-handed sailor suit and
gives him q one-way ticket to the new
Yankee Park.
Aaron Ward was mentioned between
scuttles OF anthracite as the volunteer
managers were laying out the work
for the Ruppert-Huston forces in 1928
Carping critics of the "Man From
Arkansas" say that he went about his
work as though he had been $40 short
in his pay envelope. The truth is that
Wardie hit far below his 1921 mark.
and that always makes a player look
bad. The general opinion is that
Aaron is much better ballpIayer at
the third sack.
. The rumors of trade are partly
based on the fact that several other
teams could use a third-sacker of his
abllity, while the Yanks are well
fortified with Joey Dugan. Reason or
no reason, Wardie is on the pan. When
the starting bell rings he may still be
at the keystone bag for the Hugmen,
put IN the mean while he will be
traded several times to each club in
the league.
1t should be here stated that the
sessions OF the Hot Stove League are
serious conventions and that their
arguments are based on information
from q thoroughly unreliable source.
Those members of the inner ring who
were certain that Bill Carrigan or Ed
Gle Collins was going to manage the
Yankees are Just as sure that Babe
Ruth was fined a million dollars and
IL