The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-15
HOT STOVE LEAGUE
Continued from Page Nine)

as lacking what is politely known
as intestinal fortitude. And they all
called him Willie. To his face and
in their stories.
For about 10 rounds Stribling
fought as courageous a fight as
those boys ever had seen. Always
behind. Jolted every second by that
sledge-hammering right of Schmel-
ing's. Still he came back.
In those last four rounds Schmel-
ing hit him with everything but
lHitler's book, "Mein Kampf." I'm
der blows that would have toppled
many tougher man, Stribling kept
boring in. He was bleeding about
the body. His eyes were closed. His
lips were a mass of bloody pulp.
His nose was flattened against an
uncommonly. handsome face.
STRIBLING COMES BACK
But Stribling kept coming back.
Even those boys in the press box,
veterans of hundreds of big-time
llghts, rose to their feet and cheer
ca themselves hoarse as Stribling
tried to poke through knockout
blow to the sto1id German. He
knew he'd been licked on points
Tor rounds. He fought until actually
SO weak he couldn't lift his arms to
ward off those powerful blows of
Schmeling. But he kept wading in.
When the fight was over and
Strlbllng was slumped in his
corner, as much of beaten human
as ever I saw, Eddie Neill-the
same Eddie Neill who was killed
while covering the Spanish Civil
War and whose name and life were
the inspiration for the Eddie Neill
Boxing Trophy = Eddie climbed
through and over excited sports
writer's to get to Stribling.
The greatest tribute I ever heard
paid to a fighter by anybody, es-
pecially sports writer, Eddie paid
to Stribling.
"Willie," Eddie said, you've
| earned the right to be called Bill"
And there was lots of other ex-
element. The time the Athletics
Old Man Comics Athletics-scored
10 runs in the eighth inning to beat
the Cubs in a World Series game
that really meant the World Series.
And the first time I saw Babe
Ruth. That was in his bad boy
days. And when I chauffeured
Walter Johnson and AL Schacht
around Cleveland. johnson was
manager of the Senators then. And
my various heart to heart talks
with Rabbit Meanwhile and Johnny
Evers and Wilbert Robinson and
Burleigh Grimes. And the first time
I interviewed John McGraw.
They were interesting, very. And
please don't get the notion I'm
doing any boasting about talking
with those famous names of sports.
Far from it. 1t was a part Of the
days work. And, anyway, in retro
spect, feel very humble about the
whole business.
It'll be hard to forget walking
around Inverness with Bobby Jones
and o. B. Keller as we watched
George Won Elm and Billie Burke
battle out the longest playoff in U.
IS. National Open golf history. 1t
went for Y holes, beyond the regu-
lar playing schedule, before Billie
finally won, one up.
And I was proud that Judge
Lands, at a banquet of the Base
ball Writer'S association in. Pitts
burgh, remembered me by my first
name from a remote meeting back
in Durham where I first met the
really grand old man Of baseball.
But there have been too many
such memory builders. And it
probably fits right into what my
ancient friend--ancient in years
Dutch Dietrich thinks about myt
true age. To go on would just pro-
woke my own tears.
So, back to Virginia.
Before Miss Van VIE won the
Woman's National Golfing cham
PAOi1oAllP, L SCVCl GU d 1lLt1C
ment in which she was playing in
Cleveland.
There were not enough hearts
and flowers and orchids and roses
on my typewriter to cover the
event. I had her winning any golf
tournament there was, right then
and there.
Each morning as I went out to
the Kirkland Country Club, a very
swanky place, really! clad myself
IN what I believed to be the latest
raiment for the young man about to
cover tournament at a fancy
country club.
My last try, and the one that sent
Virginia back to her Chicago home
happy, was comprised Of: brown
tweed sports coat, canary yellow
sweater, Oxford blue shirt, dubon-
net bow tie, grey flannel Stacks,
cerise socks, and brown suede
shoes. Not to mention a fetching
pompadour.