San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-11

four remnants, finished second twice
! and third once.
In spite of this wonderful record he
| had a falling out with Charlie Murphy,
| the pudgy owner, who was noted for his
fancy hand-decOrated vests and loud
silk ties and nothing else in particular.
Chance had made Murphy fortune.
Murphy returned the favor by knock
ing" Chance TO such an extent that
when he left Chicago the other club
owners in the National League didn't
bid for his services and he had no
trouble securing a release.
He's SCrappy Person.
Frank made n contract to go TO New
York as manager of the Yankees, then
owned by Frank Farrell and Big Bill
DeVery, former chief of police. Chance
didn't stay with the Yanks. Farrell
was better acquainted with a roulette
wheel or a race track book than with
baseball, and he hampered Franks work
| by secretly RENTING fines Frank had
| imposed on unruly ball players, and in
other ways. Chance sent in his resgna-
ton, and when Big Bill Devery came
| clustering around to argue about it
Chance took a swing at the former po-
lice chiefs chin.
One thing about Frankie never
Eesitates to fight when he thinks it's up
TO him. You might say he is cOmbative.
Walking out of the Polo Grounds once,
| years ago, with two or three of his Chi
cagO players after n game, Chance was
| followed by crowd of infatuated base
| ball nuts.
New York fans hated the Chicago
bunch in those days, and there had been
an argument on the field. From the
| O. of Of fhn y,,,h hnl,inI (Nhonao n
one threw n pop bottle that hit the
Peerless Leader" on the head. cutting
cash at the base of his skull and
seveTing 4 tendon in his neck. Chance
was knocked groggy, but he turned just
in time to identify the man who had
thrown the bottle, and, diving headlOng
| into the crowd, caught him before he
could get away and gave him a good
thrashing, at the same time daring the
mob to mix in. After one look at
| Chance in action the crowd stayed clear,
and there was no more trouble as he
started again for the dressing room.
That was Franks way. He didn't look
for trouble. but when it came he struck
the last punch.
Sold Orange Groves.
Chance left the Yanks and retired
| to California and his orange groves,
which were prospecting greatly and max
| ing him a fortune. He thought he was
through with big league baseball for
life. He never got full credit for his
| success with the Cubs, and was blamed
| for the entire lack of interest in base
ball displayed by the Yanks.
When Chance went East to take the
Boston Red Sox in hand he sold his
orange groves. Like Caesar, he burned
his bridges. The Boston club starts
training late in February at Hot
Springs, Ark At the start there will
| be a heavy lack of playing material
owing to Harry Frazee's bargain count.
err Of last season. The Sox have been
skidding, anyway, since Babe Ruth was
| transferred to the Yankees at temper.
airy profit.
But if one of the greatest baseball
traditions in the big leagues, and one
of the best managers who ever ran a
club can do il the Red Sox are going
| to be mighty near the top in a few
months from now. 1t will take time
and too much should not be expected
even of Chance, but if he is given a
free hand he'll produce the results.
| Chance knows the game. He played
his first big league game April %, 1898
for the Cubs against. Louisville. dc
caught for five years, then became one
of the greatest first basemen the game
ever knew From 1898 10 1913 Chance
was a star player. He took part in
1872 games and made 1913 hits. For
sixteen years his batting average was
! .297. When he manager the Cubs he
built the greatest baseball machine yet
known. 49,. .-.. 49,.
Now he's making new start, and as
Jim Jeffries says: When Frank starts
anything he always finishes in the
money EE
Copyright, 1928, by the Bell Syn
dictate, lnc.l