The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-08-14
THEY PLAYED THE GAME - Trouble Followed Storm Center Mays; Sore Arm Made Him Underhand Pitcher
Figtieth of a series By HARRY CRIMSON NEA Shorts Editor


 Like Iron Man Joe McGinnity, Carl William Mays developed an un- derhand delivery to remain in base bal land be a star.
 Carl Mays had sore arm with the Portland club of the old North west League in 1912, lost 10 straight. He could no longer throw over- hand. Seeing Iron Man McGinnity pitch for the Tacoma club gave him the submarine idea. It worked from the start. He won his next 10. pitch ed in the majors for IS years.
 Mays was a human storm center Trouble followed him around. His passing from the Red Sox threat ened to disrupt the American League. He asked to be traded. The owners refused. He gave them 10 days, and, when they failed, he dis appeared.
 When he was swapped to the Yankees in the middle of the cam- paign of 1919, Byron Bancroft John- son, president of the American League, suspended him indefinitely.
 Mays was the first pitcher to per- form under a restraining order-in every city in the circuit.
 The incident was the first of the chain of circumstances which even- tually brought about the busting of Ban Johnson and the elevation of Commissioner Landis.
 MAYS DIDN'T WANT FRIENDS
 Despite his remarkable ability, Miller Huggins used Mays sparing- iy toward the close of his period of service with the Yankees, and he was waived out of the circuit fol- lowing the season of 1924. finished up with the Reds and Giants.
 Speaking of a pitcher he admired Mays once said: That fellow has no friends and doesn't want any. That's why he's great pitcher"
 Mays might well have been speaking of himself.
 It was the irony of fate that the only fatal accident in big league ball was the result of high, fast ball thrown by Mays crushing the skull of Ray Chapman, brilliant Cleveland shortstop.
 "Whatever criticism you may make about Mays" Shortstop Ev- erett Scott, his roommate in Boston and New York, once remarked, "he has more guts than any other pitcher I ever saw"
 Mays was the son of a poor Meth odist preacher in the Missouri Ozarks he loved. AS boy he did a mans work on farms to provide for his mother and three sisters. His early educat ton neglected, he studied for many winters under private tutor. He was far above the average in intelligence, but utterly devoid of tact. He said exactly what he thought. There were no secrets. He had no bad habits.
 VERSATILE, GOOD HITTER
 Mays was a strapping fellow 5-11, 195 pounds. He had 8 full oval face, a rather prominent nose, light-brown hair and blue eyes.
 Highly versatile and a corking hitter, Mays played the infield and outfield as we'll as taking his reg ular turn in the box for the Port land club of the Northwest League in '13. He led the circuit in batting with 1865.
 With Harry Heilmann of the same club, he was recommended to De- troit by Fielder Jones. manager of the old Hitler Wonders who was in the timber business in Portland. Jones said Mays would not make good as a pitcher. He didn't like Heilmann as first baseman, spoke for both as outfielders. He was wrong about Mays, correct on the Heilmann count.
 Detroit sent Mays to Providence and he became Red Sox property when the Boston owners purchased that franchise.
 Mays won 2O3 major league games, lost 128 He reached his peak with the Yankees when he bagged 27 while dropping no more than g for a percentage of .750.
 He finished every game he start ed for the Red Sox in IS. They beat the Phillies in the World Series.
 Mays pitched his first World &c., ries game for the Red Sox in '16, re- lieving Ernie Shore after Brooklyn had scored five runs to cut his sides lead to one. The bases were loaded and there was one out. He got rid of Zach Wheat and Jake Daubert, who finished one-two in the Ma tional League batting averages. FORCED IN JUST ONE RUN
 Mays won IA and lost only 2 for the Yankees while toiling under the rights of the restraining order. and the two he dropped were no-hit. mo- run games by Eddie Plank, then Of the Browns. and Slim Caldwell of the Indians.
 Mays believes he pitched his best game against the Giants in the first World Series between the New York outfits in '2l. He yielded five hits. Frank Frisch obtaining four of them.
 Eddie Plank told him it was the finest exhibition of control he had ever seen. He did not have two balls on any batter in nine innings. and used nothing but fast ball.
 Mays bowed out of baseball Tn 1929 after attempting a comeback following a protracted iay-on caus- cd by illness.
 Tn IS years In the big show. Mays forced in just one run by walking a hattar Ulth the haseR fiIll