San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-11
Veteran Who Takes Hold of
Boston Has Necessary
Fighting Spirit.
CAREER A STORMY ONE
Has Had Unfortunate Ex-
periences With Other
Clubs He's Led.
By ROBERT EDGREN.

France Chance will try 10 make
championship ball team of the Red Sox
remnants. He'll do it if any man can.
Chance is a remarkable fellow in
many ways. He was a great ball play
err on one Of the strongest champion
ship teams that ever won a pennant.
AS manager Of the Chicago Cubs he
won four National League and two
world championships. He had the
knack Of making nine men work to-
gether like nine geared wheels in a ma
chino. He was the absolute driver of
the machine at all times. He was the
boss.
And Chance could enforce his ideas
, because every ball player on his team
knew that Frank was master of every
play himself, a keen, positive general,
and as game man as ever cracked out
winning hit in the last inning.
They tell a story about Chance that
illustrates his chief characteristic, the
characteristic that made all ball players
respect him.
1t was in a game at the Polo
Grounds in New York when Chance
was playing first base for the Chicago
Cubs. A batter popped up a foul ball
that dropped close TO the grandstand.
Chance went after it at top speed and,
diving at the ball, made a One-hand
catch Unable TO stop, he went head
long against the stand and was knocked
senseless. When they picked Chance
up he still had the ball gripped in his
hand, and the batter was out.
Has a Fighting Spirit.
Another time. when the breaks were
going against the Cubs in the world
( series of 1910 and the Athletics had
won three straight, Chance came to bat
in the ninth inning of the fourth game
with two out, runner on second, and
one run needed to tie the score. The
Chicago fans were jeering Chance and
the team. Chance stuck out his fight
ing jaw, gripped his bat. and slammed
out a three-bagger, scoring the needed
run. The Cubs won the game in the
next inning. Chances fighting spirit
pulled the team together.
Frank Chance was born in Fresno,
Cal. he began playing ball as soon as
he went to school, and was catcher on
his grammar school and high school
teams, and at Washington University
in 1894 and 1895. After that he start
ed practicing dentistry but played ball
with Fresno semi-prO team. One day
Frank was catching in game against
the San Francisco club when a tall.
good-looking guy came up to him and
asked if he'd like to play with the Chi
cago National League club.
The tall gentleman was Bill Lange
Nothing doing said Chance. "Iyel
spent years learning dentistry and |
can't afford to drop my practice. Come
around some day and I'll pull a couple
Of teeth for you"
How much can you make as den
. tist?'' asked Lange.
Chance named a generous amount.
Oh. That's Different.
.Lange pulled a blank contract from
his pocket. wrote in bunch of figures
and handed it over 10 Chance.
How'll that dO!' he asked.
Chance took one look. rushed over
TO where his clothes were hanging, found
fountain pen, and signed without wait
Ing TO put on his shirt. He was afraid
g.ange would change his mind. Next
season Frank was in Chicago, playing
under the famous Capt Adrian c. An
son. He started as a catcher, but be-
cause Of breaking fingers on several &C.
casions was shifted to first base. Here
he became part Of the famous "Evers
10 Tinker to Chance" combination.
Frank has few ball player super
stitions. He doesn't like to change his
ball shirt as long as the team is win
ming, for fear of changing the luck"
Once when he outfitted the Cubs in
new suits for the world SERIES" and
lost the first game. he had the players
nut away the new suits and bring out
their old outfits for the next game.
Frank coppers the old superstition about
the number is. He regards Is as his
lucky number, and is sure of winning
next day whenever he bets out of berth
IL in the morning while travelling.
Outside of baseball, Chance is live
Iy. wide-awake business man. Even
when he was with the Cubs years ago
he bought a couple of orange orchards
at. Glendale, Cal, and spent his time
on them between seasons. As pilot of
the Cubs for seven seasons, Frank won