Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-05

~ f ALL the native Americans
who have essayed the ma.
tional game, none has had
so distinguished a career as
Charles Albert Bender.
For twelve seasons the Chief was
Connie Mack S anchor man" though
during all those years there always
were at hand at least two other hurl.
ers of great ability. Connie built his
pennant winning machine around Ben
der. Waddell, Plank and Coombs,
while Coakley. Dygert, Henley Bush
and Carroll Brown also wore the
spangles of the Athletics during the
period of Bender's service with the
Macllmen.
rate Bender among the first five
American League hurlers, and he gets
this place because he made pitching a
fine art He mastered every natural
form of delivery, but never bothered
with spitterS or other trick styles
Both Wood and Johnson had far more
speed, Coombs and Scott better curves
and Joss and White more deceptive
slow balls. but | never saw any one
who could toss all styles with the
skill that Chief" exhibited.
Possessed Great Courage.
But his mechanical efficiency was
only a part of Bender's stock in trade.
lie knew the strength and weakness
of every batter, his control was superb
and he possessed such a wealth of
courage that facing the strongest
teams afforded him his greatest pleas
ure. Connie Mack said repeatedly
that with a single all-important game
to play. Bender could go for him in
preference to any pitcher he knew.
That he meant what he said is shown
Ca, hi of 81
opening game for Mack in four world
series.
In 1905 Albert beat the Giants in the
only game won by Philadelphia, shut
ting them out. In 1910 he opened
against the Cubs and allowed three
hits and one run. the A s winning. In
1911 he hurled the first game for us
against Mathewson and famed II OF
the Giants. though they beat US, Il,
and in 1914 he pitched his only bad
world series game. when the Braves
hatted him off the slab. Everything
went wrong for us in that series, any
way. Bender also has one no-hit
game to his credit, that against
Cleveland May 10. 1910.
After the close of our season in the
fall of 1909 we made an exhibition
tour to the Coast. On the way we
stopped to play the famous Cubs in
Chicago Reaching there, we found
that this game had assumed more i'm
portance than attaches to an ordinary
exhibition. Chicago always had been
good AMERICAN League territory, but
Chance had a great team and the
White Sox had not done well that sea-
son. and the American League sup
porters were very anxiou that we win.
Chief Delivers the Goods. y
Connie called us together and ex-
planned the situation, then he said to
Bender: Albert, you know you are
to pitch. Now, Albert, | have asked
YOU to win some important games
for me and you never failed. / want
you to bring me this game He did
The Cubs got two hits but no runs.
What was, perhaps, the Chiefs"
only fault. grew out of his attitude
toward opposing batters. He was not
as strong as Walsh. Chesbro, Coombs
and other great pitchers, and for that
reason, and also because any time
any batter, however great, made
hit off his delivery he thought the
batter was lucky; he never wanted
TO waste a ball. His system was to
throw all strikes, If possible. OF
course, he gave the usual quota of
passes because he was trying to get
the ball over the corner, or high, or
low, or somewhere else that the bat
ter did not like, but he always was
trying to pitch strikes. Occasionally
after having the batter 20 he would
throw one in the groove and get away
with ii. Then he would return to the
bench and grin with great satisfac-
tion,
Through this trait, however, we