The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-08-23

TUE passing Of "shufflin' Phil''
l. Douglas OF the New York Giants
from organized baseball marks the
passing 81 ona Of tho greatest pitch.
ers In tho history OF the game.
Douglas has been barred for all
time by Manager Meuraw Of tho
Giants because. NcGraw claims. he
offered. for a money consideration. e.
leave the team at this critical time
In IN. race when the Giants needed
him most
Douglas never reached the lofty
position In baseball that hia remark
able ability justified. simply because
he was hir own worst enemy.
Physically Douglas was n perfect
specimen Of manhood. when In con
dltion. there was no moro effective
pitcher in either league. Mentally.
Douglas had the brain Of a child.
II was an easy matter 20 lead him
astrny.
In baseball II Is a tradition that all
iefthanded pitchers are cratic. BAH
players had habit OF calling shut
film phii' the "righthanded south.
paw"
Douglas has been pulling eccentric
stunts over since he got into the
majors. His career. while no, as col
orfui az that Of Rubs waddeil. was
IN many ways similar.
IL was not unusual for Phil 20
desert his team just at tho time II
needed him most. often his where.
abouts for sometimes an much es
two weeks at a time. would be mat.
ter Of mystery.
Then he would return. always re-
psntnnt. and would invariably pitch
30 sensasionaily that his cscapads
soon would be forgotten.
Manager McGraw ha. suspended
Douglas q dozen times during his
career with tho Giants. But Mo
Graw. knowing IN. pitchers weak.
ness. has been lenienf with him. and
IL Is said that he returned later every
fine he ever assessed against Doug
las. His salary had been trcbled
since he Joined the Giants. and no
salary grievance IN believed TO have
been harbossd BY him
shuffIn' Pills pitching unauen.
tionabiy made u possible for tho
Giants to win tho world series from
the New York Yankees In 1891.
Douglas three tines opposed Carl
Mays. the American League ace. lie
lost tho opening clash TO 0. In
hls next two starts he won against
tho Yankees and Mays TO :. and
. TO 1.
Ito kept the Giants IN the series
after most Of tho experts had fig.
ured them out Of the running.
Tho most remarkable feature
about the work Of Douglas In the
1871 series was tho way he crossed
up the Yanks turnout. Resardcd an
spl'baii pitcher almost exclusively.
Douglas used tho splitter only &C.
csslonaiiy. feeding the yanks instead
sweeping curve over which he had
absolute control.
Tho passing Of Douglas may cost
thu Giants the fss. pcnnant. Man.
ager McGraw often has been accused
OF buying a pcnnant for New York
In paying huge sums for players he
needed. but In the ous;ing OF Doug.
las he proved that he IL Just IA viii.
Ing 20 throw out star who dis.
credits the game. even tho II kills
hin chances. an he IN anxious to build
w a pennant winning team, what.
ever the financial cost.
Douglas has not pitched a game
for the Giants since July 81. when
he was beaten by the Pirates. lie
had just returned to tho club after
one OF his mysterious dlsappearasccs
when McGraw called him In and the
explosion occurred.
Tho letter that Douglas II charged
with having written making the Of
fer TO quit tho team for considera.
ton. IN now In the hands OF the New
York club.
Douglas was born In Rome. Ga.
In 1890. and first played with his
home town In the Southwestern
League in 1910. He pitched for