The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-09
Ar7ny Macy Seek to Fill Open Grid Date Caused by Breach
TALKING
u IL OVER
JOE WILLIAMS

w H OOL w
NEW YORK, Jan. 9.-Bobby
IN Jones is the greatest amateur
golf ever has developed. Walter
Hagen is at least one of the great
est professionals the game ever has
known Atlanta, Ga. is the home
town of Jones. Rochester, N. Y, is
the home town Of Hagen.
Jones was born in Atlanta and
has never lived anywhere else.
Hagen lived in Rochester until he
was 81. Jones is the most gifted
athlete Atlanta has produced SO far,
and Hagen is Rochester's most
illustrious contribution to sport.
A month ago the sportsmen of
Atlanta sponsored a testimonial
banquet for Jones. Somewhere be-
tween the consomme and the demi
tasse, the chairman of the banquet
committee got to his feet and in
slow measured voice touched with
q Dixie drawl said:
1--WE are gathered here tonight,
gentlemen, to pay homage to At
Ianta's most famous citizen, a
Young man whose fame has
Travelled to the far corners of the
earth"
A ND some forty or fifty minutes
IN later, after the Grafton had
been deemed formally ended, Jones
was handed check for $4,000 and
invited to buy himself a modest
little bungalow with southern eX-
posure, modern plumbing and an
indoor putting green.
That was what Atlanta thought,
and still thinks, one may assume,
OF Bobby Jones.
It wasn't much longer than
month ago that the franchise OF
the Rochester club in the Inter
national League was thrown on the
market.
Hagen was approached. you're
a Rochester product. You are
known to the sport world. You
are popular with the people. Why
cont you buy the franchise and
make it a read home town propO-
sition?"
TNHIS sounded reasonable enough.
Il So Hagen decided to forget
golf for spell and take up base
ball. The initial payment required
$4,000 in cash. This left Hagen
with nothing more valuable than
an extra suit of golf clothes,
slightly shopworn niblick and three
silver kings. In other words, 1t TOOK
the bank roll.
BY the terms of the agreement
Hagen was to pay an additional
$4,000 within thirty days and was
to assume all the clubs outstanding
debts, not wholly insignificant
item which approximated $4,000.
"You won't have any trouble get
ting the home town boys to back
you" Hagen was assured. when
it becomes known that you have
actually taken over the club you
will have to fight them off. Every
body will want to buy into the club"
Sunday Hagen formally re-
signed as president of the ROches-
ter club, leaving behind the short
est baseball career on record and
a load Of greenbackS that, left
to his own inclinationS, he would
have much preferred to put to
other and more piquant purposes.
n
FITHER HAGEN as a home town
L character is a different leg OF
lamb than Jones or Rochester is
not Atlanta. At any rate, Hagen did
not 20 over with his fellow citizens;
at least not to the extent that they
were willing to help him float what
must have struck them as risky
baseball venture.
Hagen may get his 100000 back
and he may not. I understand he
could make good use OF it. He, is
not exactly Rockefeller. The fact
is his earning capacity and financial
power have enjoyed rather fan
tastical public presentation. When
he put $4,000 in the Rochester Club
he came close to shooting the works.
The upshot Of this experience will
probably be that Hagen will come
back to golf next summer with re-
newed earnestness, determined to
re-eStablish himself both as a ma
tional golfng figure and a banking
risk. From now on his disposition
will be to leave the business of base
ball to the Rupperts and the Nc
Cs,.nrrrc