The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-17
TALKING
1T OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Aug. 17.-Andy
IN Coakley was closing up his desk
for the day when I dropped in to
see him. Coakley appeared to be
happy. He was humming an old
song -. 1t amt gonna rain no
more"
This has been a swell day for
me" explained Coakley. L put over
my biggest deal-a 100000 policy"
Coakley is in the insurance bust
ness now, trim, athletic looking
figure despite his so years Of age
and his grazing hair.
I'm Just young fellow Coakley
protests. I think I could stlll 90 out
there and fool some OF those hitters.
Few Of the moderns remember Coakley
as big league ball player, yet be enjoyed
say he was one Of the greatest right
handlers ever TO come up from the colleges.
He came from Holy Cross and went with
Connie Macks Athletics.
Coakley had an interesting background
in baseball. He belonged 10 the, era OF
pitched IN the first official world series.
He discovered Eddie Collins. He was IN
the Chicago dugout the day Merkle failed
TO touch second He played a vital role
IN the development Of Lou Gehrig.
found so much in the background Of
Coakley that was surprising 10 me 1 con-
ciuocu nc customers ougnt 70 kHo" mort
about the man who spends his spring
days out on tne Columbia campus teach
ing the young men what baseball is all
about.
DACK in the early days Of the
ID present century Coakley was
the leading college pitcher of the
game. They couldn't score a run
OF him. In 1902 he BANKED Yale,
10, in eleven innings, and BANKED
Harvard, 20. Brown and Dart
mouth failed to get a run of him
that year, either You can imagine
what a furore that kind Of pitching
would create today
Harvard had a great pitcher that year
too--Walter GARRISON He was Coakleys
victim IN that 20 game. Later Clarkson
He Vas the hrst Harvard pitcher to turn
professional Just thirty years later
another Harvard pitcher, Charlie Deyens.
decided to cast his lot with the YANKEES.
And by an odd coincidence. It was Coax
lev who helped swing the deal
In the old days 1t appears that CONNIE
Mack was not above such innocent forms
OF duplcity as persuading college boys 10
join up as professionals under assumed
names. When coakleey, reported. to- Mack
der this name that he pitched his first
summer of major league ball;
Macks pitching stan. Clerical error in
the league office deprived him Of the
pitching leadership OF the year. Instead
OF being credited with twenty yictoriess. al, as
against six defeats the garbled statistics
gave him only seventeen victories and
eight defeats. later check with Mack
private records corrected the error
The ATHLETICS got into the world series
that year They met the Giants ana
were beaten in five games, each shut
out, a pitching record that has never
three Shutouts, one Of them against
Coakley The Giants scored nine runs.
but only one was earned.
yen can appreciate t the KIM Of w Rs5
Mack kept him in there while the Giants
were scoring nine runs-and this in a
world series game. The Athletics made
six errors. four Of them on double play
balls. In the eighth inning Mike Donlin
knocked Coakley's name off the score
board with a base hit and yelled: 49,
IF Connie won't take you out OF there
I'll have to knock you out