The Washington times., 1923-01-09


First Baseman Paulette, Phillies
Infielder Gedeon, Browns.
In the cases of several of these
Cor their dismissal. =
When you add to this the Sox
outfit, consisting Of Joe Jackson,
George Weaver, Hap Felsch,. Swede
Risberg. Ed Cicotte. Lefty wiz.
lian1s, Chick Gandil, and McMul
lin, the list looms only too large
and justifies the drastic measures
Of Judge Lands and Presidents
johnson and Heydler to prevent
baseball being ruined by eviidoers,
The worst OF the lot named Is
Hal Chase. who was the pioneer
in following questionable tactics.
Chase was ''whitewashed" sew
eral times by spineless chiefs for
the good of the game, q worn
This writer went to Cincinnati in
the spring Of 1918 and looked up
IN old friend, veteran ball player,
who was playing on the Cincinnati
team.
The player was very angry,
ind / asked him the reason. He
klurted out: It's pretty tough
20 60 out on the ball field and
try to do your best and know
That one Of your own men Is SELL
Ing out"
Then he alleged that Chase was
working with a clique of sure-thina
gamblers. even to the extent OF
having set of signals with them.
When gambler made a good.
sized bet that q certain opposing
player would reach base. he sig.
nailed TO Chase. and IL the batsman
didn't reach base by legitimate
means, Chase would drop a thrown
ball or muff q fly so that he would
reach base.
The only way the gambler could
lose would be for the bafsman 10
nan or hit fly ball to any player
but Chase. The percentage was all
in favor of the gambler.
The PLAYER who told me about
this was q substitute first baseman
as well as an outfielder. Chase was
out OF the game ten days with in
luries, and during his absence the
Reds lost only one game. When he
returned. the Reds started losing.
half doubted. half believed the
story. but didn't print it. knowing
the withdrawing tao. les of leagues.
The player also related an Incl
dent that took place in the club
house. Chase had done his stuff,
and his mates were wise. Cincin-
natl at that time had a giant
pitcher OF enormous strength. He
was almost illiterate and scarcely
9aid a word to anybody.
While the players were dressing
this yolxel from Tennessee noun
tains went over to Chase and in a
drawl said:
"1istah Chase, / watched you
considerably today, and lust
wants say II you ever do that
stuff when I'm pitching, you're
goln' back to CalifOrny IN . pine
box
All the Reds knew that this giant
meant what he said. Chase, poker
faced, never replied; bat 1t turned
out that when this Tennessee man
was pitching that Chase was the
most sure first baseman in America
After the White Sox scandal was
exposed the same informant told
me things about Chase.
The players notified the Cincin.
natl owners that they would not
play II Chase were on the team the
next season; so he was sent to the
Giants In 1919.
The Giants and Reds had a hot
fight right down to the wire that
year for the pennant The schedule
0vN4o H.
ished the majority OF their games
at home. while the Reds had to
make their fight on the road. More.
over, Cincinnati had to play six
games in three days with the Giants
at the Polo Grounds.
Pat Moran's men went to New
York only a game or two ahead,
and their chance for the pennant
depended on their showing against
the Giants.
In the first inning q Cincinnati
player hunted toward first. As
he started to run to first he slip
ped and fell on the base line.
Chase all the time was slowly
running in for the tap.
When he saw the Red player
faH he fell down himself, and the
ball rolled past him. The Cincin
natl player jumped to his feet and
reached first base safely.
AS soon as the Cincinnati players
on the bench saw this they threW
their bats in the air as if the bats
man had smashed a homer with the
bases full. That wasn't why they
exulted so boisterousIy. They
turned to each other and said, 1--WE
will win the pennant surely, foI
Halls betting on u.s."
AS a matter of fact, the Reds
won four out of the six games, and
thereby won the championship
Chase was not with the Giants II
1920. Mr.. McGraw finally realized
what he had done.
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