The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-03-12
ny JOE WILLIAMS

allure for the library shelf, is curl.
ously timid about the facts Of life
Between romance and realism, dra-
ma and dirt, his choice invariably
sends him prancing down the path
Of sweetness and light.
This thought struck US anew
when we were. moved to browse
through the racing works Of Mr.
Walter Vosburgh, late Of the Jockey
Club: We wanted to take Q refresheI
course on the life and manners Of
Man OWar, that grand old warrior
Of the turf which has Just been re-
tired as o sire ct the age Of 26
We wanted especially to absorb more
details on the only race Man O'War
ever lost: he was beaten In the San
ford Memorial OF Saratoga by O colt
called, with poetic fitness, Upset,
This was one Of those races which
caused the lifting Of eyebrows all
over the country. In retrospect the
race has taken on an intriguing
quality which Is not associated with
any Of Big Reds other races. After
all Il was not unusual for Big Red
to win; It was decidedly astonishing
for him to lose even once.
This being so the student Of the
turf justly feels he Is entitled to Q
full length picture Of the historic
episode; Q detailed presentation Of
all the known facts, together with
the contemporary Observers reac'
tons. Any thing less Is the mari
Of inadeQuacy.
No one was In better position. o.
more qualified to tell us the story
than was Mr.. Vosburgh who prac.
tically grew up with American rae
ing. But the gentleman Succumbs
to q SQueamishneSs characteristic Of
these bookish historians In such cir
cuInstanceS and briskly SHES away
from the more piquant phases Of
the race. He doesn't even mention
the Jockeys name.
He writes: Man O'War's only
defeat, by Upset, to whom he con-
ceded Is pounds, was due to q bae
ride. his jockey allowing him to be-
come pocketed close to the inside
rail and 1t was only In the last fur
long that he got through and wa
beaten by half length. That thu
form was untrue was shown In thu
race for the Grand Union, whert
he conceded Upset Ave pounds anC
beat him easily, and In both thu
Hopeful and the Futurity he beat
Upset."
This is all the esteemed historian
beQueaths to posterity on one Of the
most controversial races Of all time
The modern student Is privileged
only to know that Man O'War was
unfortunate In that he got a bad
ride from q nameleSs jockey.
The jockey. Of course, was Johnny
Lotus and in the following years
the young man dwelt embarrasingly
in Q swirling sphere Of innuendoes
and rumors which may or may not
have been unjust.
But Mr.. Vosburgh, true to the
tradition Of his guild. gives not
the slightest hint Of the controver-
sial overtones the result evoked. To
do 50 would inevitably suggest the
presence Of mischief and these on
cial historians vince at the sight
Of soiled linen, whether 1t should
be on the line or not.
The modern student Of baseball
can explore all the oficial tones
Of the sport and find no detailed
mention Of the Black Sox scandal
Of 1919. the world series which
Chicago threw to Cincinnati. And
this was not q matter OF suspicion.
Justly or unjustly directed; 1t was
an established action Of corruption,
admitted by the participants and
duly spread upon the court records.
All the uniformed will ever know
about that series. relying upon on
cial documents, Is that 1t was ser
les In which Cincinnati pitching
dominated. Even the who's who OF
baseball ignores the very existence
Of Joe Jackson. generally acclaimed
the greatest natural hitter the game
ever saw.
OF course this Is sheer nonsense
On second thought, sheer stpidity
In its ofIlcial literature baseball
should give the paid-for-and-de.
ivered saries wide publicity. You
don't improve sanitary conditions
Of O room by sweeping dirt under
q carpet. The very fact the rogue'
were banned for life stands out a.
Q grim warning to all others. To
conceal this warning is not II
strengthen the weak and vacillat-
ing. to say nothing Of the integrity
Of the sport itself.
Most Of baseball's oficial litera-
ture Is rs dull as dish water. An
authoritative account Of the quisline
series would make exciting. in
formative and purposeful reading
II would dTamatize the old hcmily
that crime never pays. But. no
baseball has elected to treat pos
teTity Is play.school children, they
must never know, 50 to speak, that
their grand dad used ct beat tir
his wire. 6aintliness. IT'S wonder
fuI.
Or. Nat Fleisher, the prize'Fine
historian. complains his eples al.
ways sell at Q loss. The good doc
tor follows the routine pattern,
The stock In trade he offers II
only sugar coated moRsels. Every
thing must taste sweet. nov, no.
body Is more informed on the prize
ring. OF writes more earnestly shout
lts Various yaInlfleationS than the
good doctor. He's like eli other ON
claI historians: he shuts his eyes
everything that threatens 10 cast q
and walks dreamiiy past any and
shadow, even briefly, over the
gilstening shield Of the sport 70
which he ls attached.
IN bis latest toms, the good doc
tor gives the nstic student inter.
e1tlng anfogmation he neEeg had