davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1923-02-04
Christy MatheUson Be-
comes a Pitcher-His
Wonderful NJ e n, 0 ryI
and Other Phases Of
Personality That Made
Him Greatest Of Al
HurIers.
NHY astonishment at finding
I'VE Christy Mathewson on first

NHY astonishment at finding
JVl Christy Mathewson on first
= base for the Giants when |
took, charge of the team late in 1902
can well be imagined, Today it
would be shock, 10.
Of course, had seen Matty be-
fore l saw him playing on the bag.
To me he was pretty nearly the per-
feet type of a great pitching ma
chine. He had the stature and
strength and he had tremendous
speed. That speed was the thing
everybody talked about then.
Occasionally he had been able to use
it with great success. and by careless
management they had permitted him
to drift along as best he could. AS
yet he had not begun 10 study pitch
ing IS an art.
You must remember that Matty was
then but a gangling boy just out of
his teens. He simply fioundered
around in the box with little sense of
purpose. BY constant efforts at speed
exactly what to do about his case
some one thought he might make
great first basemah. That. inciden-
tally, was the last place he should
have played.
Mathewson Never Forgot.
After sizing him up for a little
while l put him in a game or two. He
had SO many faults that 1t would be
difficult TO enumerate them. He sim
ply knew nothing about pitching at
all. His wonderful equipment was
being wasted. Even as a boy. though.
he had an unusual store of common
eager TO be directed. Mathewson never
forgot anything in his life
The first big break in his career
came in game in which we had the
opposing club beaten by 2-to-1
score up TO the ninth inning. There
was runner oa base and the next
batter up was Jimmy SlagIe.
All of us who had studied batters
closely knew quite well that Slagle
dangerous type. On curve he was
weak.
Il was never more surprised in my
life when Bowerman, who was catch
ing. gave Matty the sign for a fast
high ball. Putting everything he had
on it the young fellow shot the ball
over like a bullet-right in Slagle's
groove.
Home Run Cost Gnme.
Bang
Jimmy caught the ball squarely on
the nose and slammed II for home
run. We had lost the game.
Didn't you know that Slagle al
ways hits high, fast ball? / asked
Hes notorious for that
mo, I didn't" admitted Matty.
Evening star., 1923-02-04

"Bowerman signed for it and burned
one through N.f.
well. don't ever do that again." I
said, little tartly. IF these fellows
here don't know what the different
batters usually hit ask me. I'll give
you the sign"
"You know most OF them, don't
you?" he asked.
IF don't I will before we go
through a season" l told him. "Now
low-why do we bring the infield in
when there is a man on base"'
Why. to make play al the plate.
We don't want the ball to get through
the infield."
"All right, then. what kind of ball
would you make them hit SO as to
prevent it going through"
Il see" he said. "A curve, of course.
They'll hit that in the dirt"
Matty Got the Idea. -.
Exactly Now don't ever pitch a
drawn in. It's just the thing he can
hit through II he gets hold OF it,
Matty looked at me hard for mo-
ment. nodded his head and smiled.
Il won't do 1t again. | get the idea.
he said. What does that fellow. hit
best?' he asked. pointing to an op-
posing player the next day.
l happened to know and told him.
That particular batter could hit a
curve ball around his knees. He never
got another from Matty.
never had to tell Mathewson any
thing a second time. 4. In addition TO
my instruction he watched McGinnity
closely. picking up other points. From
that first day. it seemed, Matty care
fully studied all opposing batters.
Once he learned what they could hit
and what they couldn't. he never for
got. In a few years he had in that
wonderful brain of his a chart Of
nearly every ball player in the Ma
tional League.
Realizing that pitching to weak :
nesses had to be eXacting. he started
in to perfect his control. He worked
Evening star., 1923-02-04

The present crop Of girl swimming
stars is the finest that the United
States has seen. but out of that splen-
did group of pulchritude and ability
there isn't one who can equal the record
that Ethelda Bleibtrey built for herself
in the comparatively brief span OF her
amateur swimming career.
Her medals and cups she counts py
the scores and hundreds. She holds five
world records, three American, two
Olympic, and shares one Olympic team
record. In every distance from fifty
wards to three miles she stood out
among competitors who have never had
an equal in the history of swimming.
Miss Bleibtrey defeated Fanny Du-
rack, conceded until then the best mer-
maid of all time. She represented
America in Antwerp. She swan in Ha-
waii and New Zealand and Australia.
stunning lovers of swimming there with
her consummate art. The enormous
seating capacity of the Tepid Baths at
Auckland was strained with the mob
that turned out to do her honor.
Ethelda Bleibtrey is, the acme OF
swimming form. She uses an adapta-
ton of the six best double trudgeon
crawl. and with that stroke she as
founded the world with her perform
ances. L. de B. Handley coached her.
and he is not believer in sacrificing
Evening star., 1923-02-04

and studied all the time. BY watch
ing McGinnity he picked up the idea,
OF change of pace and perfected II.
Te this day Matty has one Of the most
remarkable memories ] ever have en-
countered. He could tell you right
now the strong and weak points of
every batter that faced him in the
world series of 1905. An evidence of
MS Tetentive meRory is his wonder
Iul success as a checker player.
nave seen MIN play eight checker ex-
perts simuItaneously-ye and beat
them all. That used to be 4 favorite
STUNT of his on the road He could
even blindfold himself and remember
the moves
There was never another pitcher
will be. For him to make a mistake
vas the rarest thing in the, world.
Always IT was a pleasure to work
WIN him. He accepted discipline
cneer1uiiy and did not have to be told
20 keep In practice. Base ball pitch
I'm as piaSing checkers He loved
he art Of 1t.
Was Inspiration to Others.
Another important factor in bis
greatness was his team spirit. AL
ways ne worked for the club and
with the club. whether in the game or
Eo.. & When he>became master of his
otha "no On inspiration to the
oher, pitchers. If in the box himself
ne Would instinctiveiy turn and .jndj-
.dte 10 tne outfield what position IN
pitch 'e "ouiu
Larry In his career he figured out
FOR or reserving his strength
lot a pinch. Matty figured thai a
pIlcher should be just one-ninth of a
teaIh ana not try to play the whole
game. cntil his reserve strength was
neeued ne would let the batter hit the
oait ana depend upon the rest of the
cfuD 10 take care OF the ball ONLY in
tight place would he deliberafeiv
try Tor strike out. In other words
Matty never exerted himself until n
became necessary. That's why he
mad such tremendous strength when
IL came to pinch. In a critical
situation watching Matty was iust a :
comfortable as sitting behind four
aces In poker game.
Practice Produced Fade.v,x }
Matty's famous fadeaway curve was
the result OF long study and prar
tice. He had observed the ability OF
batters to read a curve that broke
outward. so he tried to develop one
that would fall away to the other side
or the plate or as much in that direc-
ball perfected. 1t was 1augabie TO see
the way some Of the batters almost
broke their necks going after 1t.
Another thing that he figured out
was the saving Of strength by pitch
ing as few balls as possible That
meant a necessity of perfect control
In time he got it: Never did he waste
ball without purpose. If l remem-
Der Alright he went through one whole
season. giving but one base on balls
His quickness of perception was re-
markable. In the world series OF
1905. for instance, we knew that
Monte Cross while in the National
League, had been noteriously weak
on high, fast balls. All our pitchers
were so instructed.
The first ball Matty pitched to him
was a high fast one-and he cracked
it.
say" he said to me. you know.
these American League fellows have
been pitching to that weakness 50
long that high fast one is the only
thing Cross can hit now. Let's shift
on him.
We did. and he was never again
dangerous.
Copyright. 1923. United States and Canada
by the Christy Walsh Syndicate.)
Evening star., 1923-02-04
BY FREDERICK G. LIEB.

~ HAPTERS could be written
4 ofthe smuggling -feats of Sam
~ Thompson, star Detroit and
Philadelphia walloper, but our most
pleasing recollection of Danville,
Indianas, most famous son was
Sans gallant effort to come back
at the age of forty-seven, after he
had been out of big league harness
for eight years.
The Detroit Americans were badly
obliged TO play a pitcher in the out
field. Sam. a resident of the automo-
bile city. volunteered his services and
they were accepted. In his first time
at bat after the long lay-off, he was
obliged to hit against Harry Howell's
splitter. Thompson looked rather
foolish in his first attempt to hit 1t.
but when he faced Harry again with
the bases full in the fifth inning, he
smacked out a hot single, driving in
two runs. Detroit won the game by
a score of 4 to l.
Was On Team With Cobb.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing
about Thompson's comeback at the
age of forty-seven was that it brought
Sam on the same team with Ty Cobb,
son in the American League.
Those eight games played by
Thompson in 1906 linked the middle
ages of American professional base
ball with the present era.
Sam Thompson, who died in Detroit
Evening star., 1923-02-04
TIA JUANA RESULTS.


FIRST RACE five and one-haf furlonys--
Harry Burgoyne won; Thrills. second; Baochus,
third. Time. lbs I-6. scratched-Anita Z,
American Maid. Pokey B. and Camanao.
SECOND RACE, Ave and ne-hah furlongs-
Bag Doll won; onwa. second; Tempy Dugan.
THIRD RACE. one mi mii.~TSe VENGEANCE
won; Disselute. second; Tag Day, third Time.
l.50 40. Scratched-Southern Gentleman and
Tours.
FOURTH RACE, one mile and seventy
yards-N; X. Bean won: Plow Steel. second;
Tawasentha, third. Time. 1.H. Scratched
FIFTH RACE, one mile and seventy yards
-Horaoc Lerch won: Little Florence, second
Sixth RACE. fve and one.half furlongs-
ssrapi. won; hsap. second; Layina, third.
Tine; ssvraIa III a,S: So .sSSTatshsd-5udse rIyos
Joe Tag won; Jack Ledi. second; Ollie Wood,
third. Time. 1.13 IS, Soratched-Count Boris.
EIGHTH RACE, one mile-Sen Hendron won
Miss Emma 9. second; Charley Boy, third.
Time, 1.6o. All started.
Evening star., 1923-02-04
New Orleans Results

! FIRST RACE, thres-auartsrs Of 4 mile
Green Gold won; Nom. second. Walebone,
third. Time, LA. ecratched-Child's Play,
Wireless and Delhi Maid
: SECOND RACE. six furiongs-Jehn Q. Kslly
won; Anonymous, second: Major Chiffon, third.
Time. LA 1S.> ecfatchsd-vanderburg.
Hidden Jewell second; Sentimeter, third. Time,
1.18 rs. 6cratohed-High Cost. Harry B.
FOURTH RACE. one mile and seventy yards
Irish Kiss wen; rarader, second; Sir Thomas
Ksas. third: Time, La. scratched--Royoe
fifth RACE. one mile and 9 sixteenth
i.4S a-6. Scrtched--American Boy.
SIXTH RACE. one mile and 4eventy yards
ssrv1ter won; seAesys. second; Rankin: third
Kemble. Tulalip Nay Blonde. Archie Aiexan.
der. BIZ Bank. Tody. 80
SEVENTH RACE. one mils and thrse:si1.
land, third. TINE. 2.oQ 3-5 scratched-Hick.
'ory, Radical, Kebo, lAustral. - +.
Evening star., 1923-02-04

shermans; Friday, the Regulars visit
the King Pins.
The Masonic League's schedule for
the week calls for the following
matches: Monday, St Johns VS. Ar
minus. National VS.. W. r. Singleton,
Joseph H. Milans VS.. La Fayette; Tues
day, King Solomon VS.. Naval, George
c. Whiting VS.. Lebanon; Wednesday,
Hiram VS.. Dawson. King David VS..
day, Pentalpha VS.. Stansbury. Mount
Pleasant VS.. Takoma, NJ. NJ. Parker
VS.. Hope: Friday. Washington Cen
tennial VS.. Albert Pike, New Jeru-
salem VS.. Potomac, B. B. French VS..
Harmony.
The Odd Fellows, League schedule
for the week is as follows: Monday,
Central VS.. Harmony: Tuesday,
Brightwood VS.. Mount Pleasant; We'd
Thursday, Fred D. Stuart vs. Eastern;
Friday, Washington VS.. Amity: Satur-
day, Covenant VS.. Salem.
Typothetne Leagues dates for the
week. call for the following matches:
Monday, Doing Printing Company VS..
Gibson Brothers; Tuesday, j. D..
Milans VS.. National Printing Com
pany; Wednesday. Judd & Detweiler
VS.. Maurice, Joyce Company, Thurs
;; day double -header), Columbian
Printing Company vs. Standard En-
craving Company, Ransdell VS.. Ma
tional Capital Press; Friday, Andrews
Paper Company VS.. Washington Mono
type Company.
Several interesting matches are
carded for the week in the Knights
of Pythias League. as follows: Mon
day, Capital VS.. Webster; Tuesday,
Calanthe VS.. Hermione: Wednesday,
Amaranth VS.. Syracusians. Thursday,
Columbia VS.. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.; Fri
DAY, Excelsior VS.. Century Decatur.
The National Capital LeAEue's sched-
ule for the week is as follows: Mon
day, Curb Cafe VS.. Post Office; Tues
day, Corby Bakery VS.. Potomac Bank
Wednesday. Nationals VS.. District
Motor Company; Thursday. Columbia
VS.. Georgetown A. c.; Friday, Rath-
skeller VS.. Washington Gas Company.
Only three games are scheduled for
the week in the Bureau. of Standards
Association. as follows: Tuesday the
Unions and Gumps get together, We'd
nesday the Sharpshooters take on the
Aeros and on Thursday, the Midgets
and Industrials clash.
Much interest in being taken in the
elimination tourney at the King Pin
alleys. Comley was the first man to
reach 1900 in ten games and pulled
down so. The standing of the next
three men is as follows: V. OFT, 1886;
r, Barnes, 1,2bz.i and Fred Moore,
1,252. Moore has high game Of 154.
Evening star., 1923-02-04

Capt. Schott of the Manhattans
came within one maple of Arthur
Urban's high game record of 1S4.
missing the No. 10 pin in the last
frame for a spare
Pop" Halley's Royals meet the
Terminal Ice quint in the last game
of the second series, which should
prove one of the best of the week
along with the Colonial -Rathskeller
setto. %..
AL Works. anchor man Of the
Terminal Ice team, maintains his lead
in individual averages with 1924,
losing fourteen pins from last weeks
standing, while Richard Mccarthy
and Wolstenholme made slight gains.
Joe Toomey's debut with>the Termi-
nal Ice quint last Wednesday night
against the King Pins was big sue
cess. The speedy bowler was just
one pin behind Wolstenholme for the
high set of the evening, getting
games of 106. lis and 127. Toomey
practically pulled the first game out
of the fire with a strike in the last
box and a good count thereon
Maxey Rosenberg nnaIIy got out of
his slump Wednesday night, when he
slammed the NAPLES for a set of 32S.
Maxey had been having trouble get
ting in the 500 class. -.
What has become of Reds. Nor
gan? The fact that he rolled one
poor game with the Icemen against
the = Rathskellers should not dis
courage him. There are several teams
iE the District League that could use
Reds" to their advantage.
The overwhelming victory of the
Western Union girls over the Chesa-
peake and Potomac Telephone team
was something of a surprise. There
are several good bowlers among the
Hello girls, but they failed to shoot
up to their standard.
Route Agents of The Evening Star,
having trimmed their assistants last
week In rathereasy fashion. have be-
Come somewhat optimistic as. to their
bowling ability and will next. take on
a team from the Business Of1ce Wed
nesday night at the King Pin alleys.
Arthur Bauer has signed up Williams,
Little, E. Elicit and Rheinohl.-
The bowling game Is extensively
popular this season and there Is no
discerning just where it will end. In
Mount Pleasant all the alleys are
crowded nightly. A new one was
opened last week on Georgia avenue,
and when Crandall "opens HIS forty
drives, across from the. kingpin there
will be merry old time.
Although the duckpin game has be-
come somewhat old to the Krauss
boys, both Harry and Lon are smash
ing the pins this season as consis-
tently as ever. Both, are members of
the District and Masonic leagues, and
the. teamsso son which they roll appre-
Evening star., 1923-02-04

distinction of never having finished
last in its forty-seven- years in the
league. The Cubs have, two eighths
and one ninth. but they finished in
these positions in the old days of the
twelve-club. league New York has
finished first or second twenty times
This record is largely due to Nc
Graw's masterful work as manager
OF the Giants. for In his twenty years
in New York he has won eight pen
I other occasions
Ine national League was organized
In New York city on February 2, 1876,
the grand old circuit having ceIebrat-
ea It's forty-seventh anniversary last
FRIDAY. The New York session was
the result of an earlier conciave in
Louisville, the original getlogether
meeting. .- -
Bulkeley First President.
Morgan G. Bulkeley, who later won
distinction as governor and United
states senator from Connecticut. was
elected the first president of the
leagnc at the New York meeting. and
,ae Nationai League took the field in
1876 with the following clubs: Chi
cago. Boston. st. Louis. Louisville
Cincinnati. Hartford. the Mutuals Of
brooklyn and the Athletics of Phila-
delphia.
The National League has had only
year career. After Mr.. Bulkeley's
regime In 1876, there came the cour-
ageous William A. Hubert. who re-
mained in Office from 1877 until the
time OF his death in 1882. Col. A. c.
Mills OF New York was the presIdent
In 1883 and 1884. and on his resigna-
tion was succeeded by the late =. e.
Young of Washington. who held the
once for the next eighteen years In
Is92 Harry Puliiam of Louisville was
selected president and he held the
reins until his tragic death In 1909.
John A., Heydler. the present exeeu-
i've: served out the balance of Pull
ans terms In 1909. but was succeeded
the following winter by Col. Thomas
j.. Lynch of New Britain. Conn, the
former National League. umpire.
Lynch gave way in 1913 to John Kin
ley Tener, at that time Governor OF
Pennsylvar1ia and a former congress-
man from that state. Gov. Tener also
had been a pitcher In the. National
League In the days of Anson's Chi
from office on August 6, 1918, when
John, Heydler became chief executive
or the veteran circuit for the second
| time On December IA, 1920. the mem
i'bers of the National League extended
Heydler's term for four additional
years. - ~
Only Two Charter Members.
sonlyatwo cities Chicago and Boston,
have retained their franchises in the
National League since It's inception
In addition to the eight cities now
represented in the National League.
the following cities have held mem-
beTship in the circuit (the length of
their membership also is inciude6: ::
Cleveland. II years; Washington, II
years. Louisville, 8 years: Baltimore.
Detroit and Providence. s years each:
Buffalo. Z years; Indianapolis and
Troy. years eacn: Worcestery 3
years: Hartford. years; Syracuse.
Milwaukee and Kansas City, one year
each. Hr
Evening star., 1923-02-04
ee Leaders League:Sam Thompson Famed Sgger
JOCKEY J0HNS0N'S 1922
PURSES TOTAL $288,97O

The biggest money winner
among the jockeys of 1872 was A.
johnson, who gathered I'm $685.
$40. The greatest rider was X.
Sande. who won 122 victories I'm
$50 starts.
pfonship as regards the riding Of
the most winners, plotting 1S7
winners In S5S trips to the post.
Fator just nosed cut G. Lange,
who had 1S8 triumphs In 057
starts.
Evening star., 1923-02-04

Local fanciers We're particularly
. gratified to see that their charges
placed well in the hot competition.
which was offered by these dogs from
the big kennels. and despite some
FAULTY placing by the judges, some
real fiiers were introduced by local
exhibitors.
Another local champion was Gre
ated when H. H. Child's bull terrier.
Lacy Lavender. went to her title. This
little bitch has been shown at the
Bronx, Englewood, Atlantic City, and
Harrisburg shows. and annexed the
remaining five points for her title
here. She has by this show perform
ance equalled the record set by Cham
pion District Boss, the Boston terrier.
Which started his show career at
Madison Square Garden and finished
at the Westchester show at Rye, N.
T.. in August of last year.
Mrs. P. E. Smiths airedale bitch.
Nance O'Neill. was placed reserve
winners. after. going through her
almost Immediately admitted that he
should have placed her winners. Mrs.
Smith later had the satisfaction Of
seeing Nance placed best of any breed
owned in Washington. There was
good competition in the airedale
Is quite triumph for local dogs.
since Nance comes from three genera
tions of Washington-bred dogs.
The German system OF judging
shepherds. which has been abolished
by the American Kennel Club. was
naturally not used at this show. and
Schatz ". Hohentann. the most re-
cent importation Of Mrs. Geraldine
Rockefeller Dodge went to best In the
show after being declared winners.
putting up a most pathetic appear
ance With his tail tucked tight be.
tween his legs. AS foreign as the
German system of judging appears to
the American public there Is little ex-
cuse for putting up dog. manifestly
man-shy, when the standard OF his
breed requires that he be bold. This
Evening star., 1923-02-04
r HOUGH Chicago still leads
New York as National League

THOUGH Chicago still. leads
i New York as National League
pennant winners. eleven to
zen, the New York Giants. world
Champions for the past two years,
arc. the lifetime champions of the
parent major circuit. which has been
continuously i'll the field since the
centennial year of 1876.
The Chicago Cubs, with their many
championships behind them. led the
National League in lifetime percent
age for more than third of CEN
fury, until New York took away the
lead in 1921. About the same time
that the Giants took first place from
Pittsburgh in the 1921 pennant race
IcGraws S famous team also achieved
the lifetime leadership Of the league.
At the start Of the 1921 season Chi
cago's lifetime percentage was 561.
one point better than that of New
York. BY the time the season was
over the Giants, pennant winners had
advanced their lifetime percentage to
562. while that Of Chicago slumped
to .5o1. A seventh place Cub team
helped bring about this marked
shrinkage in percentage. Last year
New York won another pennant. while
Chicago finished fifth. with the result
that New York's lifetime margin over
the Cubs is now s points The Giants
lead with .56S over forty years; Chi
cigo is second with $50 In forty
seven years and the Pittsburgh club
IS third with $50 in thirty-six years.
These are the only National League
clubs which have won more games
= than they have lost.
Giants Excel All Rivals.
Not only do the Giants lead the Ma
tional League In lifetime percentage.
but they also enjoy a margin over
every other club in the veteran cir
cult 1t also is interesting to note
that Chicago had held a continuous
edge on the Giants until 1921. BY
1920 Chicago's margin over New York
had dwindled TO three victories, and
by winning fourteen out of twenty
two games from the Guns in 1921 the
Giants took the. lead for the first time
year the Giants again defeated Chi
E-ago in fourteen out of twenty-five
Sames. and they now enjoy a fifteen
ge-ne advantage over Chicago.
The Giants hold a decided edge over
al OF their other; rivals. having won
e,ver 400 games both from, Philadeiphi
and Boston and, 396 from ct. Louis
lew York has lost hess games than
3 ny city now in the league, and only
one club-Chica go-has won more con-
sixty more games. despite the ia ct
that it has been represented In seven
more championship races than New
York. ...e-' -
Boston Has Lost Most finmes.
The Boston club. despite nine pen
nart winners. lost the most games.
9 CO., and ST Louis won the least
1889. The Cardinals are the only
club in the league which has failed
to register 1000 victories.
ST. Louis also is the only club in the
league which never has won a cham
pionship. The highest point the Car
dinals ever have reached is the third
position. Chicago has the enviable