The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1930-01-28
BY ELI WHITNEY

The escapades of Arthur Shires
are too recent to deserve more
than passing mention.
He broke into the major leagues
in the summer Of 1923 and his
immense cud of chewing tobacco
Immediately became "ell known.
His wisecracks with himself as
lie chief topic were repeated and
printed to the delight OF the sport
reading public. He hit hard and
often and looked to be a great
baseball player.
In the spring of 1929 he imme-
diately launched himself and Lena
Blackburn into the public prints.
Blackburne was serving as man
ager for the White Sox, and
through the ensuing campaign
proved himself unable to cope
with the peculiar psychology OF
the rookie first baseman
Incidentally 1t might in
terest people to know, that
Arthur considers himself as
a rookie and believes that
in the next two years he
will develop into a great base
ball player.
Lena Blackburne experienced
plenty of trouble with Art. In
the first place Lena is one OF
those fellows who doesn't have
that all important and necessary
sense of humor. Consequently
when Art went on a Joy escapade
Lena Gidn't say, "Oh, well, one
of those now and then won't hurt
him. I'll see if he is o. K tonor
row." , 49,.
instead he would upbraid the
gay young fellow then and there
and the manager would be re
duced to the level with the ROOKIE
a thing that most successful man
ayers don't do. This sort OF tnlne
happened throughout the season
and probably precipitated the Two
smuggling matches between tne
two. which terminated in eacn III
stance in black eyes for Lena
and fines and suspensions 1ol
Arthur.
Now you can't touch on tn
subject of Shires very long with
out coming face to face with TIT
fact that occasionally he seek
"surcease from sorrow" Shlre'
enjoys going down the line ant
having a laugh here and Jok'
there.
His last embrogliO with
Blackburne ended his playing
for the season, and strange
as it might seem, when he
was suspended his salary also
stopped.
So Shires revised his bulge
considerably and cast around 10
ways and means. Some cleve
fellows familiar with the 5oxln
racket, who loved their joke nov
and then, seized upon Arthur an
cast him in the role Of a pugll1S1
Briefly, the following is a n
sumo of his boxing activities:
December 9-Knscked out MysterioI
Dan DAILY at White City in II second
Of first round. Received $1,000 >,.
December 10-Challenged Hack WI
had to accept and. in fact of stern re
buke from his bosses, had to dec!fn
What a lot of comedy Wilson'S cas-
provided and what hole he was in
player. shires received sass for thi
December 26-Knocked out Big Bi
Bailey at Buffalo in 1922.
January WAS to have boxed Ba'
thing Criss, an unknown, at Petrol
but the day before became III an
upon advice of the Michigan Boxin
Commissions own medical adviser, ws
ordered to abandon the tight sFt;.,,on .r,
pended shires. claiming he tried
force Criss to take a dive.
January Illinois Boxing COMMITS
sion and several other States also su
pended him. BY this time he was SUI
| pended from baseball and boxing
81 States.
January 7-Knocked out Tony Fact
minor league pitcher. at\ St. Pau!
| first round.
January Size was reinstated by II
Illinois Boxing Commission.
January 9-He was exonerated by =
Michigan Boxing Commission.
January 10-He knocked out AZ Spoil
rer, catcher. in four rounds, technic
kayo.
Shires announced at that tin
definitely that he was throug
with boxing, although few b
lieved him.
Judge Lands didn't believe hi
nor care, apparently, because, Q
January 10, he called Art to h
office and, in a four-minute NEE
ing, let Arthur in on his late!
bulletin, to the effect that an
ballplayer who engaged in boxin
was out of baseball.
Arthur appreciated the privilee
and kept his word. But what dl
,, it cost him?
THE next inStallment, appea
ing in The Times tomorrow, wi
answer the question, "Whs
caused ShireS to quit boxing an
, what it cost him.")
~ sAN NJ D--N-~An-