The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-27
TALKING
IT OVER
: By JOE WILLIAMS

~ Nv NSAAAAs D0il. @N.-(Al IAlE
4 y same day the Yankees shipped
Ed Walsh's son back to the minors
was talking with an old timer
1rom the coast who had a fiattering
speech to make about Billy Papke's
son.
AS everybody in sport knows
walsh was a great spitball pitcher
IN his day and Papke was a smash
ing middleweight champion. It Is
seldom that an offspring is able to
duplicate the success of an athletic
father. The ancient theme song
Of genealogy, Like Father Like
Son" just doesn't seem to go for
sports.
The young Fords RockefeIlers and
MorEans are able to step into their
fathers shoes and carry on brilliantly in
she commercial world where mental
astuteness is a prime essential. but the
answer usually is something else again
when the sport champions son tries 10
keen the family tradition alive.
n
This might seem to indicate that any
Bob Fttzsimmons must be born. You NAV
recall that Bob's son courted fame in the
p phoN. ring; Nature had endowed him with
nave. plus a quick mind. Indeed II may
even have been that young Bob failed be-
news and corbets are EXCEPTIONS sui in this
A I any rate young Bob, on
"A spring of one of the greatest
hitters and craftiest fighters the
ring ever knew, didn't get past the
tirst round. None of the fine in
stinctive ability that had been his
lather's genius was handed down
10 him. Perhaps the most curious
deflciency in his make up was that
ne couldn't hit lick-and It's still
q moot question whether old Bob
or Dempsey was the hardest hitter
Of all time.
From time TO time you hear that Connie
Mack may step down as manager of the
Athletics. Connie has a son, Earl, with
baseball experience. Where his father
starred as a big league catcher Earl never
got beyond minor league mediocrity as a
first baseman.
4 n
=. believe he is identified currently with
tne Athletics as a coach or scout but
wn gay,1s ,,o his position he is with the
wants him around. On his own he would
nsrdly. qualify as q big Lacquer in any
Earl never will succeed the picturesque
cornelius as manager Of the American
league champions; Instead, that distinc-
ZION VIII go to Eddie Collins. Mack senior
mas said so himself.
n n
DACK in the gay nineties Bernie
- Wefers was one of those fastest
humans-a star sprinter with many
excellent marks to his credit in the
century and the 900.
Bernie Wefers Jr., sought to per-
petuate the family fame on the Gin
der tracks, specializing also in the
century and the 200 and though he
had the benefit of his fathers in
struction he was never able to de-
velop sufficient speed to get close to
record.
Family lines are no positive guaran-
tee Of super excellence either in humans
or animals. some or the greatest thOr-
oughbreds have failed to produce win
ming foals. Many horsemen believe Man
o. War TO be the greatest thoroughbred
Of all time. Big Red has sent many
sons and daughters to the racing wars.
hut only scattered few have flashed un-
usual ability.
CURIOUSLY the Cobb passion
~ for baseball failed to assert it
self in the Georgian's children.
None of his boys plays the game
The Oldest of the youngsters took
up tennis and is tournament COM
petitor of some distinction in COL
lege.
I'm just as glad they don't care
for baseball" says Cobb. 1T is no
game for ordinary players. Only
the stars find it worth while"