Evening star., 1924-06-04

His records made with Philadelphia
last year when he proved the sensa- :
ton of the league as the Mackmen
were breezinS along on the heels of
inc u Yankees KEGS during May and June
are far from impressive. When the
Athletics Skidded Matthews slumped
with them. The fielding avera ges
show that Spark Plug was fifth from
last in field of thirty-seven out
fielders with an average of 947
eighteen errors being charged agains,
his 316 put-outS and three assists
the unusually small number of the
latter being an Indication of his weak
throwing arm.
on attack Matty compiled a per-
ceBtage of PA. the official statistics
showing that in the 129 games he
played he was at bat 4j5 times.
scored fifty-two runs and made lS3
hits, including eleven doubles, triple
s.%:3 a home run, while he stole six
tsrn bases and was credited with six
ascrifice hits.
Wild Is Hard TO Handle.
Matthews is temperamental-" rd
to handle He has plenty of base
ball ability il his energies are di-
rected along the proper lines. That's
where Stanley Harris will figure ii
the youthful pilot can keep Il tight
rein on the explosive midget and Yet
keep him from kicking over the
traces, he should prove a valuable
facIor for the Griffs. but if the latest
acquisition breeds diSSention and dis
rHps harmony, he wont last long,
for Bucky can be hard guy when
occasion demands.
AS James &. ISaminger. one of the
hs,St base ball writers of Philadelphia
puts it, Matthews is one of the few
minor leaguerS who found ii his
fate to make good in the fast set
only to be sent back To the circuit
from whence he came.
lot n h. ,1.g..
out in the American Association sea
son Of 1922 He batted .333 in 123
games that year and at the end of
the season number of big lea que
teams sought his services. BY large
payment of cash. InfieIder Frank Cal
laway and Pitcher Dave keefe. Con
ME Mack acquired him
Wild was a human pepper box on
the training trip at Montgomery. Ala,
in the spring of 1928 He declared
himself the day he arrived. He said:
I'm not looking for any utility Job
If / can't make the team regularly,
I'm not going back home 7 told my
father that
Quickly Won Regular Berth.
That was Matthews spirit and he
lrmedlately won the esteem of every
body "A the camp He so impressed
Osnnie Mack that he WAS made d
regular before the team was traininE
week.
The new outfielder opened the season
with flying colors and il was mainly
the result of his timely hitting. fast
base running and demonical playin 2
that the Athletics won so many games
in the first half of 1923.
The Athletics had live player at
last, and Matthews had the whole
town at his feet. While he had been
making sensational plays all year
Matthews pulled one boner late in
the season in base running. 1t
might have been the coacherS.
Anyway he had a verbal clash with
Connie Mack after the incident
Mack made some sizzling comment.
and Matthews answered back in kind.
As result he was benched. and
played in II very few games after
that
Although he was regarded a. the
find of 1923. Mack never forgave
Matthews. and the fans were wonder
struck when il was announced thai
nc had been waived out Of the
American League and sent back to
Milwaukee. They were wonder
struck both because Mack would
sacrifice him and also because no
other clubs claimed him.
Athletics Have Missed Him.
There is little doubt but that the Ath-
letics have missed Matthews timely hit
ting. wonderful defense and peppery
play this year. Instead of getting off to
a flying start, as in 1928, the Macks had
a losing streak this spring in which they
lost sixteen out of eighteen games.
There was strong belief in Philadel-
phia, never officially verified. of course.
that Matthews had been railroa ded out
of the league. Macks explanation was
that he wanted huskier-built outfielders
because of the lively ball.
Matthews is a left handed hitter, five
feet eight and half inches high and
weighing 154 pounds. He throws left
handed. His throwing arm is not strong,
and that is the only argument that can
be used against him. but he makes up
for that defect in many ways
Wild will be twentysix years old Oc-
tooer 30 next. and ought to last for years
with Washington. He is a k-witt ed,
intelligent chap whose conduet is
above reproach, as he is married and
lives Il clean life. ~.
"Sassed" Boss of Brewers. -