The Washington times., 1924-10-21

Ralph first blossomed out as q
ball player with a team of indie
pendents around Fort Wayne.
Frank BIener, brother of the wide.
ly known George Of managerial
fame among the boxers, was man.
ager OF the team, then called the
Shamrocks, and had nothing but
young fellows working with him.
The team was designed to play
ball only, no part of the receipts
going to the players.
They didn't play much around
Fort Wayne, but visited all Of the
netghboring towns that had teams
OF like ability. sBlen1er had a novel
set Of rules for the department OF
his boys while away from their
firesides. No matter how warm
the weather they were not permit
ted to appear on the street without
coats and were always made to pro.
coed on the extreme outer curb Of
the sidewalks.
Jack Hendricks furnished us
with Q lot of discarded uniforms
and the boys made a fine appear.
ance on the field" BIemer said
the other day during a tanning
bee In Fort Wayne, while every.
body was watching the bulletin
boards for returns of the game.
we didn't make any money on
our trip, but that wasn't the OBJ
Jet. The boys played merely for
the fun Of the thing and 10 get
experience away from homo
':Miller ana Pinky Hargrave
started out. together as players.
They were farmer boys. Pink il Q
brother Of Bubbles who used to
catch for the Cubs and now is
with Cincinnati Pink landed in
Hartford, Conn, as q catcher. but
was put to playing third base. It
was he who became q hero In the
series between Hartford and Balti-
more at the close Of the season.
The series was tied up and Balti.
more was ahead in the last inning
of the last game Hartford got the
bases loaded and our hero then pro.
ceeded to put the ball over the
fence. winning the game md series.
Miller was rather unimpressive in
appearance, but when one got to
pleasing personality. This whole
town is sorry to see him placed
in the position Of being a goat.
They speak Of him as being a
rookie, but that is stretching it the
wrong way. He was with the
Phillies and not the Athletics, as
some have written. and Fletcher
let him go to the coast when
Wrightstone turned out to be so
good. Then he returned to- Read.
ing"
Miller may not be such a great
baseball player, but he is known
around the country as one of the
greatest basketball players ever
turned out in the West. He Is
a member of a knights of Column
bus team that is considered the
second best in the country. He is
almost as good on the football
field and is well.hnown for his
tremendous gameness.
They ten story in Fort Wayne
to show the nature of this athlete
and his willingness. to get into the
game at any time. His DaEkethall
team Had been shot to pieces by I'll.
juries and had on an important
game in a nearby town. They
could muster only five men, but
started the game Just the same.
One Of the men was ruled off for
something and that left only four.
"AN right" said Miller, wen play
'ern with four men," Soon after
another was ruled out. That's all
right" said Miller, I'VE can beat
'enn with three men" But at this
juncture the opposing side refused
to 60 on and the game was called
off. They didn't care to risk defeat
at the hands Of only three men.
Ralph once seriously considered
trying the fighting game. They
used to have smart little boxer
named Frankie Mason there ana he
won the American flyweiEht title