Evening star., 1924-12-26
"VETS" LEAD MINORS
AS WELL AS MAJORS

The veterans still reign in base
ball. At the top of the American
League pitching averages are the
names of Walter Johnson and Herb
Pennock. Hugh McQuillan. Grover
Alexander and Carl Mays are among
the leaders in the National.
Now comes the Eastern League
figures with the story that Gary
Fortune and Fleet Mayberry of the
Springfield team outdid the young
sters In their department. Both have
been pitching for years and Fortune
has been with the Boston Red Sox
and International League teams.
Left-handers carried off the bat
ting honors in the Eastern with such
performers as Lou Gehrig of the
Yankees, then playing with Hart
ford, and Jack Roser and Wade
Letter of the Worcester Club hitting
high up in the 800 circle. Lefler
reached the Washington Senator'S in
time to insert some welcome hits in
Stanley Harris chase for the pen
nant.
Paavo Nurmi's figure will always
be remembered by first prize win
ners in the annual track and field
competition of the Finnish Amer
lean A. G., in Madison Square Garden,
January for the officials OF the club
have arranged to award medals
showing the noted running marvel
from Finland in action. The back
ground has the shields of Finland and
the United States surrounded by
laurels. Anticipating exceptional
performances. the committee also
has arranged for a special world
record medal.
The indoor mile running record of
Ala 35, made by Joie Ray at Chi
cago in 1919. will be under heavy at
tack when Nurmi makes his Amerl
can debut in a special mile race
against a picked field at the
Finnish American games. Ray HIM
self will be on hand to uphold
his indoor laurels, while Willie
Ritola, F'innish-American star, and
Lloyd Hahn are other outstanding
entrants. Nurmi holds the outdoor
record of 4:10 2-5.
Mickey Wilker. world welterweight
title holder has one of the ring S
most unusual opportunities when he
fights Mike McTigue, light heavy
weight king. in Newark on January
I. Should Walker knock out Nc
Tigue or win on foul. thus taking
the 175-pound title, he would be the
III 81 pOAtl " ilOlo l"O tIO" lis sep
arated by another division-in this
case the middleweight class.
Few welterweights in history have
gone so far out of their class for
opponents, although in this case
there is not SO wide division as
appears on the surface, since Nc
Tigue is closer to being a middle
weight than a light heavyweight.
Joe Walcott, the famous Barbados
Demon" and welterweight champion
a score of years ago, once went out
of his class TO fight Joe Choynski,
the heavyweight who fought Jim
Jefferies to a 20-round draw.
Steve O'Nefll. veteran catcher, who
has become assistant to Wallie Schang
of the Yankees after service with
Cleveland and Boston, was at the
height of his career in 1920 when
Cleveland conquered Brooklyn in
the world series.
In a discussion Of catchers re-
Gently a former major league mana
ger who handled an eastern team
during the 1920 season, declared that
ONeill was what is known in in
side base ball as a Photographer"
Anybody could tell what was go
ing to happen In a game by watching
ONeill's right foot" said this man.
Nevertheless, Cleveland won the
American League pennant and the
world title and O'Neilll caught the
bulk of the contests.