Evening star., 1954-05-24
Connie Mock's Great Tribute
Recalled by Death Of Bender
By he Assoeiaied Press


by the Assoeiaied Press
PHILADELPHIA, May "a
Baseball fans today mourned the
passing Of Chief Bender, one Of
the games truly outstanding
figures, who died late Saturday
night Of heart disease and can
Ger at the age Of II.
Bender, a full-blooded Chip
pewa Indian who pitched his
way TO the big leagues with the
Athletics early in the century.
had been associated with the
sport ever since.
Bender first became critically
i'll two years ago. but rallied
after an operation. His last hos
pital st&y began April IL. At
his bedside when he died was
his devoted wife Of more than
40 years.
Besides his widow, Bender is
survived by a sister, Mrs. Henry
Roe Cloud. Americas Mother
of the Year" in 1850. Mrs.
Clouds husband, the first In
dian graduated from Yale Uni
versity, was regional represen-
tative of the Bureau Of Indian
Affairs when he died.
Mrs. Cloud, a prominent Port
land (Oreg.) clubwoman at the
time of her honor, is the mother
of four daughters. The eldest
was the first Indian girl to grad
uate from Wellesley College. The
other three also are college grad
yates.
Charles Albert Bender-few
knew him by his given names
will be laid to rest Thursday in
nearby Ardsley Burial Park.
Friends will pay their last re-
spects at a Philadelphia funeral
home where services will be held
Thursday morning.
In Hall of Fame
Last September-half a CEN
tury after Connie Mack first
spotted him pitching for a semi
pro team-Bender was named to
the Hall Of Fame at Coopers-
town, N. Y. Mack often said that
in any vital ball game Bender
would be his No. ] pitching
choice.
Clark Griffith was Bender's
first major league pitching op-
ponent. Griffith managed and
pitched for the New York High
landers in 1903 when The Chief
made his American League
debut with a four-hit, shutout
victory.
The Chief won 210 games and
lost 127 in Is years of action. He
led the American League in
pitching twice. In 1910 he won %
and lost and the following year
he posted a IT'S record. AS a 27-
year-old right handler in 1910,
he pitched his only no-hit, no.
run game, at the expense of the
Cleveland Indians. In 1914 he
hung up his best winning streak
IA games.
A star for some of the Ath-
letics' greatest teams. Bender
took part in five World Series
and become the first pitcher to
win six series games. He won two
each in the 1911 and 1913 cham
pionships and one each in 1905
and 1910. Altogether he pitched
IS innings in World Series COM
petition, gave up 64 hits, struck
out 81 and walked only 81. He
struck out 20 in the 1911 series
alone. '-'s
Coached Bobby Shantz.
Bender left the Athletics
after the 1914 season and spent
one year with Baltimore Of the
old Federal League and two
with the Phillies. Most of his
later days were spent with the
Athletics and he was on the
clubs payroll as a pitching
coach at the time of his death.
One of his chief pupils was
Southpaw Bobby Shantz.
Bender was born on a reserva-
ton near Brainerd, Mimi, on
May S, 1888, one of 13 children.
He attended the Carlisle Indian
School. which also produced the
immortal Jim Thorpe, and, en-
couraged by Glenn Pop) War
ner, the celebrated coach, took
fling at semipro baseball.
The Chiefs greatest semipro
success was a 80 shutout of
the Chicago Cubs in an exhibi-
ton game. Mack happened to
see the game and signed Bender
to a contract for $1,000 year,
good pay in those days. Long
afterward the Chief used to
joke about the meagre salaries
of yeSter-year. He once let it
slip that he had never received
more than $4,000 a year in his
entire active pitching career.
There was the time just before
the 1913 World Series when Mack
called Bender into his Office and
said, I'm banking on you to
win" Mack then asked him how
much of a mortgage he carried
on his home.
That's a little personal. isn't
it?" Bender replied. Later after
the Athletics had won, Mack
handed Bender a $2,500 check,
just enough to lift the mortgage.
A highly educated man, Bender