Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1925-01-10
RIXEY ONE OF MOST
UNIQUE CHARACTERS
Tall Virginian Pitches His
Twelfth Year in Majors.

Eppa Rixey closed his twelfth year
as a pitcher IN major league company
with a record of 10 games won for
the season, Not SO grand, you say?
No, and yet not so bad The veteran
won Is out Of 20 games, a pretty good
record for anybody's pitcher espe-
clally with a club that did not finish
one, two, three in the pennant stand
ing. When one considers that the
average major league life of a pitcher
is less than ten years and his full
bloom Of effectiveness is five years or
less, the 1924 record OF the tain Gin
cinnati pitcher is rather impressive.
And especially is this record impress
siye when one considers what Rixey
did for his team in 1923
Pitching his eleventh bigleague
year, the Yirginian won q and
lost Is games This feat was some
what oyers6adowed by the marvellous
record OF Luque, who pitched on the
same team that year with Rixey and
led all pitchers IN the world by his
performance Of q Victories and only
defeats
RiXey really had one Of his great
years in 1923. and considering the
strain on his ancient arm while com
plling that record. his 1924 showing of
Is victories is an impressive one. II
is shown here that Rixey. with his 20
victories In 1923 was six years past his
full pitching bloom The percentage of
blg-league pitchers who win 20 games
after their tenth year on the big time
is mighty small POSSIBLY not more
than dozen such pitching giants APP
pear in ue majors during decade.
Rixey himself Is just as impressive
as his pitching averages. lie IS the
talIest man in baseball standing six
feet five inches ia height uud he is
also The slenderest man tn baseball.
An impressive figure Is Rixey when
he bends forward from the hips 10
deliver his curpes. Id spite of bis
height Dc Fields Dis position with pre-.
cisian and s6ll Bixey ls also one of
the snarfest of the baI players He
Is a graduate If the University Of Vir-
giuia. coming straight 10 Philadelphia
in the National league hftcr three
years on tie mound for his college
Bat when II comes 10 disposition.
Rixey leads them an, either IL. base
ban or ANY other WlAk Of llfe. lie
has the best= disposition on record
Anyone who has spent "a DAY with the
tail pitcher around the clubhouse on
the bench, on tie practice field 3r IN
the hotel lobby under any kind Of
weather conditions, playing conditions
or state Of the peunant race, or har-
assment that falls 10 the Dot De the
children Of imam. Rixey Is alvuys sinu-
ing pleasant cheerful iesung not
only refusing 70 let his own troublees
worry him hut driving away the
troubles II those with whom he comes
Ia contact.
a remarkable type. this man Rney.
His value 70 his club IN the matter "
disposition would Sem 10 be worth
about as much as bis pitching ability.
Il eis.= simply impossible 10 Withstand
his pleasant smile. his sense Of hmuor
and his happy boyish WAYS Twelve
years If campaigning in clubhouse
snd on field have left no visible mass
upon Rats veterans character ae Is
just as light hearted ana as CAV and
as ruiz of enthusiasm as the last i0iHeI
recruit Bot let as understand luxey
Under thls smiling exterior ANA this
prankishness. this apparent unsarhis
tication af the rookie. lleth strong
manly and dependable character
Rlxey IS Il man Of superior inteui-
genee. a man Of thought and sjady,
who besides having mastered Tie pro-
fessiou n baseball, has also mastered
the profession ~ dentistry But he
elects to look on the gay side Of ufe
and 70 get every speck Of Joy and
brightness and bumor that he ran ont
% any situation thar arises IN his
most interesting AND colerfuI exist
ence