Evening star., 1925-02-08

Many fans come afar to praise us.
Anon G. Carter made the trip from
Fort Worth, Tex, bringing Clarence
Kraft in his party. The latter was
the player whose long distance hit
ting with Harrisburg. when I was
playing with Reading, showed me
what a job 1t was to reach the m ajors,
Kraft was knocking out "a home runs
in the Texas League while We were
winning the pennant. Bob Ames OF
Amarillo was another Texan who
made the trip to Washington. He
was one of our loudest-voiced root
ers in the series.
A good distant friend in Washing
toms first successful pennant fight
was e. F. Zumwalt of Tulsa, Okla
He is one of those whole -souled fell
lows from a minor league town who
supports his home team loyalty, but
who, when the major league race gets
warm, finds business conveniently
calling him, somewhere on the major
circuit.
So it came about during the 1924
season that this Tulsa business man
was often turning up in New York,
St. Louis or Washington TO root for
US. He thrilled at our achievements
and was disappointed in our setbacks
in the ebb and flow Of the season. /
don't believe any one was happier
at our success than this loyal west
erner.
Loses IA Pounds in IA Days.
When we finally cIinched the pen
nant in Boston. Nick Altrock was
about the most overjoyed member of
the club. The strain in the last stages
of the nip-and-tuck struggle with
the Yankees told heavily on Uncle
Ia 1 in a
two weeks of the season. He turned
In those days from a comedian into
a tragedian. He became so worked
up, in the st. Louis and Boston series
particularly, that his actions helped
lessen the strain on the rest Of US.
Nick was in fine fettle after we
won the opening game of the st.
Louis series. We gathered a flock of
runs in the first inning and were
never headed thereafter. Sisler used
six pitchers in a. vain effort to stop
our heavy artillery. After that the
comedian was sure we had laid the
st. Louis jinx for all time He fig
ured, as we all did, that If we took
the series from the Browns we were
almost sure pennant winners.
But the next day Nick's nerves
gave away when the Browns batted
in four runs in the first inning. He
ran from the dugout under the stands
and paced back and forth with his
head in his hands. I went back to
see IL he was sick before we took
our second turn at bat.
Sick? I'll say I'm sick. l need
all the doctors in st. Louis" he
moaned $50 do our pitchers. 1 can't
stand watching them throw balls up
against those big bats. Bucky, for
the love of Mike, get the boys to sock
a few
We gathered three runs in our half
of the second Nick emerged from
his retreat when he heard the crowd
cheer. But he went under the stands
again when the Browns continued
their bombardment in their portion
of the inning. They scored three
runs. I heard Nick and Al Schacht,
the veterans fellow coach and CO.
worker in diamond funny stunts, in
earnest argument back of the dugout
when we were starting our turn at
bat in the third AL was trying to
get Nick to return to his place on
the bench.
"I can't do it, 1 can't do. it," Nick
declared. You watch and bring me
the news"
You need radio" Schacht replied.
Don't take me for a crystal set"
A Laugh and -Four Runs.
That gave US all laugh. We scored
four more runs, and again Nick came
out of hiding He lasted while the
Browns came back with four tallies.
He was a detected figure. He perked
UP a bit when we scored two in the
fourth, but retired at the end Of the
sixth, when the, Browns had a two
run lead. We tied the score in the
seventh. Schacht relayed the news to
Altrock. The veteran, however, re-
fused to come out into the dugout.
The Browns came back in their half
with two runs. We deadlocked the
game again in the ninth with two
runs
Up to this time we had used John
son. Martina, Zahniser and Russell.
Marberry wis the finishing pitcher.
We counted a run in the tenth and
then the Browns bobbed up again.
They put three on. but one was out
when Schacht, learned later, called