San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-09-06
E@agz4l
"Bill" Phelon's Death.
Was Rare Character.
He Loved His Game.
Dryden and Sam Crane.
Old School Is Passing.
: BY Damon Runyon

BY Damon Kunyon
The big event of the coming week
In point of value to baseball,
would say that Sam Crane, Charley
Dryden and William A. Phelon were
greater than all the players and mag
mates of the past 80 years put to-
gether. They were baseball writers.
1 will 20 farther than that. / will
say that Sam Crane, Charley Dryden
and "Bilr' Phelon, and their con
temporaries, MADE baseball for thi
magnates and the players, as, well as
for the fans. Without them the game
could never have approached Its pres
eht Importance.
Charley Dryden retired from base
ball writing few years ago, an IN
valid. Sam Crane died recently, ant
bill" Phelon has just followed hin
across the Big Divide. The Old Guard
is thinning out.
Dryden. in my opinion, was. tn
great baseball writer that ever nVed
Someone once aptly styled him THE
Mark Twain of baseball" i think II
some respects he was n greater hum
orist even than Twain. He had rea
literary style, and he wrote OF tn
game with a kindly humor that still
makes good reading, though the mel
and events he wrote Of have long since
been forgotten. -,
Crane. a former big league base
ball player, was more of what we now
call an expert than Dryden. He wrote
of the technical phases of the game
Phelon did not possesses Dryden
high literary attachments, yet he na'
m. CHI of Dryden's humor, and nj
own style of writing. :
And the three had one thing IL
common. and it was the thing under
living ali their writing-LOVE VI
THE GAME. In their different style
their writings always reflected VIVA
was in their hearts. They inevitabll!
transmitted their OWL sentiment u
their readers. They created basebai
fans. and they KEEP: them baseoai
fans.
That is why / say they had greate
valne IN bascball than all the player'
and magnates. That is why l say the!
MADE baseball.
The great players lived their brlei
day and passed on into oblivion. Mag
mates appeared and disappeared IKE
the seasons. But Dryden, Crane and
IIhelon wrote on year after year, max
ing each baseball game seem new, anu
entertaining and important.
You could not buy, and you couio
NOT create the spirit they put into
their work, Dryden, toward the ciost
az a season, would feel little blast
toward baseball, and would dream o.
his winter fishing down south, Du,
Crane and Phelon lived and preatneo
baseball every moment OF their ua's
They felt every game they. wit
messed, though they had witnessed
Thousands of games. Crane was Ter,
rife Giant fan, Phelon devoted TO tns
Cincinnati Reds, the team with wnlcl
he was associated for the past IL
wears as baseball writer OF the LII
cinnati Times-Star. 4, u Al,
Zane the more tranquil OF I'M
two. would shoulder internally wnel
he fortunes of the diamond wars
were rolling against the Giants
pbeIon would rage and fume; L douo
That DRYDEN ever felt any deep per
sonal concern over the issue OF an!
hoII game. though / have heard mn
wax gently sardonic when the Cnlcas'
clnb he happened to be following wa
playing bad baseball.
pbelon was one Of the creates
characters the game has ever known W,
nr over will know. l doubt that ",
will ever again see a basepal "ri'e'
of his exact type. ,IoLou Oh,
visit of the Cincinnati keds 10 u,
polo Grounds was big event 10 ~
because of Phelon. 1t was all the nloi
If an event if the Reds were goini,
badIy. for then Phelon would DC
rare form in his observations "n'
criticisms. ..;-o ,,orv Z
4Ril,p paying scant Afternoon 10 "
cate, He generally brought SON ~,
Strange pet with him, sometimes ~
orJ or q snake. One season he ma
son;rrel that he carried around i
he rocket. and he always had an az
sortment of new stories that ne ma
picked up around the league 90.
He was one of the most prom
vriters l have ever seen. He though
nothing of sitting down and pattin
nff four or five columns in te'
bnurs Moreover, he was an ente'
tanning and an authoritative writer.
He knew sport in general; thoug
no snecialized in baseball. He was.
boxipg expert, and was familiar, Wit
foothalI. He was extremely well ed'
rated, and one of the most interestil
con versationalists have ever met
He loved a practical joke, ana n
bumor in that line occasionally TOOK
bizarre turn. They will be tenn
stories of Phelon's jokes among bas
hall people for many year TO come'
Phelon was comparatively your
,man-54. Crane was II wnen
died. DRYDEN, still living very qulet
in Florida, is in his late sixties. =
has been in very poor health for SOL
baseball can always replace i
tnloyers and magnates, but 1t cann'
renIace baseball writer's like Drydej
Crane and Phelon. Their school seen
to be rapidly disappearing as the gan
grows and expands, and gets tartn'
away from the intimate, person.
touch that they were able to give II.
d. ,,o,,, .phnOl iS in III