Evening star., 1939-05-22
Figured He d Take Up
Where Jeffries Left
Off as lis Idol
Far Westerners Feel
Nova Will End Mux's
Comeback Attempt
BY GRANTLAND RICE,
cnoriaI CorraSnondop+ of Tho Cto,

(N.A.N.A0.- Out here IN his native
State of California, from San Fran
cisco to Los Angeles, they still rate
Max Baer as the great could-have-
been of the fight game. Six feet
three-lean at 2l0 pounds-two big,
hard-hitting fists and still harder
jaw, he was the one to pick up
where Jim Jeffries left off along the
Pacific.
In the earlier stages frankie
Campbell, good heavyweight, died
from one of his punches. Il saw
that fight" an old-timer told me.
How Max could hit. Later saw
him drop both hands, stick out his
chin and take full wallop on the
jaw from another 200-pounder who
could hit-and only laughed when
it landed. What fighter he should
have been. What a fighter
For Max Baer never has been
any dumb cluck. He simply liked the
bright lights-the old primrose path
better than anything else He
wasn't willing to pay the price
needed to give all he could have
given to a game he never liked any
too we'll. And at heart he always
was a clown And I mean clown"
Baer Close to Top as Oddly.
I've known most of the odd, fan
tastic figures of sport for the last
40 years-Rube Waddell, who rather
would 60 fishing or act as bartender
than win World Series-Bugs Ray
mond who came to Atlanta in 1904,
took three drinks, threw rocks at
telephone posts on his way to the
park and shut out the world cham
pion Boston AmericanS-on through
by Shuff1in' Phil Douglas, Harry
Greb, Dizzy Dean-too many to men,
ton.
The first time I ever heard of Bugs
Raymond was in the Cotton States
League, when he made bet he could
drink two quarts of whisky eat a
whole turkey and win a double
header. He did.
But I think in many ways Max
Baer has come close to the climax
He was good enough to knock out
Max Schmeling in the Black Uhlan's
prime.
They told me-" Max said, "I
couldn't hit him on the chin. Just
to stick to his body. I'm a stubborn
guy SO I nailed him on the chin"
1t was Baer--not Carnera-who
wrecked Ernie Schaaf, who started
Ernie on his way to dust, to daisies
and to dreams"
Max Speeds on Down Trail.
1t was not until Baer whipped big,
helpless Camera and became heavy
weight champion that he hit the
soapy chute and started down hill,
after the manner of steel girder
dropped from the top of a sky
scraper.
He was at the top where there was
no higher place to go in his philoso-
phy-not from the defensive side
so he went out to have all the fun
that life could bring him.
In the winter before the Braddock
fight he asked me how long
thought he would be champion
11OW lIldlly yCdiS.
AT the pace you are going now"
I told him, until your next fight
even if it is against Baby Leroy"
Max laughed I'm tougher than
you think I am" was all he said.
After that it was Jim Braddock-
and then Joe Louis. In both fights
he had about 80 per cent left
maybe not that much. His legs were
god for about three rounds-even
ir his workouts. And not very good
at that distance.
After the Braddock fight he dis
covered that the primrose path has
more pitfalls, hurdles, cuppy lies,
heelprints, barricades and raw trou-
BILE than any track in the world.
1t was something even his mag
nif1cent physique, his natural phys
ical qualities, couldn't handle. Not
with his off-side, temperamental
makeup. He knew, before the Joe
Louis fight, that he was facing the
beating of his life.
He knew he was up against an
opponent who was younger, strong
er, faster, better boxer, a harder
hitter with both hands-who was
ready when he wasn't. He had
squandered every asset he once had
and he was smart enough to
know it.
Nova Bars Way to Big Cash.
Beaten in turn by Braddock, Louis
and Tommy Farr Gin England i,
years after he was shifted to the
ash heap and the gravel road, Max
Baer is back again shooting for an
other shot at Joe Louis and the
heavyweight championship.
He has to get by Lou Nova, a
young, big, fast, living ath-
lete who was in short pants when
Baer came into his first fame. If
he can beat Nova he will be on hand
again for another crack at the big
money.
Louis always draws-even against
dummies, or punching bags.
Out here they think Nova can
take him. They still are sore about
that Louis fight. And they still are
sore about what Max Baer might
have been-about all the physical
assets he has thrown away because
the bright lights, to him, were much
more important than the arc lights
that blazed above the ring with its
resin, sweat and blood.
They don't think that Nova has
chance with Joe Louis. They know
he hasn't-any time soon.
But they have lost their faith in
Max Baer-the fighter who could
have been-and wouldn't pay the
price.
1t will be interesting to see wheth-
er Baer can recover some of that
lost Western faith in the fellow who
should have been.