The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-27

love my profession and am proud
of it. Baseball. to my way of think
ing, means much more to America
than a mere game for making
money. 1t has a big influence. In
cidentally, l have just learned from
statistician in Washington that
crime showed a decided decrease
during the Worlds Series between
the Giants and the Yanks-showed a
falling off all over the country.
/ didn't quite see the connection
until he told me that the interest of
series had diverted the minds of
everybody in the outcome of the
young and old from thoughts of
crime. Anyway, it fell off during
that week remarkably.
When l was a young fellow play
ing on the orioles Jennings, Kelley.
myself and others made a trip to the
other side just to see things. We
did not go to play ball-just observe.
1 was so impressed with what / saw
that ever since / have had a desire
to take a ball club around the world
and show people of the other coun-
tries just what our great national
sport means.
Only Stage Appearance.
After the Worlds Series in 1912
when l was appearing on the stage
for the first, last and only time, !
met Garry Hermann, John Bruce
and Charles Comiskey in Smiley
Corbett's place in Chicago, I had just
finished a performance at the Palace
theatre.
After a few moments of converse
ton Comiskey called me over to a
table where we could talk alone.
Say. John" he said, what do you
think of taking our teams on a trip
around the world?"
This took me back for q moment
but only for moment
when would you want to start?'
I asked.
Right after the close of the 1918
season?
"All right, I'll co.
That's all there was to It, Mr.
| Comiskey and l began making ar
rangements shortly afterwards. Be
| tween us we financed the entire
proposition. And we never had one
scrap of paper between us in the
way of an agreement. What's more
we made a complete tour of the
world. starting for the Orient from
San Francisco and returning to New
York from London. Neither of us
| lost or made a cent. The receipts al
| the games just about paid the ex.
penses.
To describe that trip would make
whole book in itself. When we fl
nally arrived in New York on tn,
Inflated Lusitania / felt, though
that my one big ambition in life had
been realized. We had shown al
the other nations baseball They hat
witnessed the games in such num-
bers as to pay our expenses.
To make sure of our finances
meeting the cost of travel, we played
81 exhibition games on the way tt
the coast, in the United States. Or
that part of the tour / discovered
what a hold baseball really had or
the people of America. In some
places that did not even boast of 6
ball park we drew as many as 4,00(
people.
Getting together two teams fol
this long jaunt was a difficult job
Some could not get away from theil
business-their winter business. 9th,
ers could not afford to take theil
families or to leave them. BY per
severance we finally succeeded and
made the start.
White SOx Travellers.
The Whlte ooX team was MADE VI
of Jimmy Callahan. manager; Tom
my DAILY, first base: Germany
Schaefer, second base Buck Weaver
shortstop Dick Egan third base
Steve Evans, left field: Iris Speaker
center field; Sam Crawford, right
field; Jack Bliss and Andy Slight
catchers; Zoe Benz. Jim Scott ant
Lefty Loverenz, pitchers.
The Giants were: Fred Merkle
first base; Larry Doyle. second base
Mike Doolin, shortstop; John Lobert
third base: Lee Magee. left field