Evening star., 1955-02-17
A;4,J@!:'', ~. $. 99
by FRANCIS SIAM

talents He could hit baseball IA miles, throw like
bullet and play several positions And he still versatile
Like for instance DoubleX these days is selling beef
for big Miami house and the de he is conducting TV
shows The cho front Of the cameras prevented Foxx from
playing in the recent ball players golf tournament himself
thereby eliminating threat to the other hackers and scuers
During hull between televson appearances, Foxx was
relaxing in the grill of the Miami Springs Country Club
and amentng the demise of the Philadelphia Athletics with
whom he blasted his into the Hall OF Fame by doing such
things hitting 58 homers driving across ITS
runs, or leading the American League in batting
ut had to or later Jimmy said, speaking
Of the transfer of the AS to Kansas City II just feel bad
because Of Connie Mack 1t must have broken his heart
"THE OTHER NIGHT at Lake Worth" said to
Jimmy, "his Phiies manager Mayo Smith, was saying
that boy with ordinary ability ought to be catcher That
way, Smith claims, you move up faster"
WELL he's got point" Foxx admitted II up
catcher just crude kid from the Eastern Shore of Mary
land But in those days there plenty OF catchers Prac
tcay club in the big leagues was twothree deep in
catchers. It's different now, guess.
"Year after Connie Mack had three catchers
Mickey with Cy Perkins behind him. and
ran third So played first base third base and anywhere
Mr. Mack wanted to me-"
"But If could roll back Is years. what would you be
today?"
third baseman," replied I spent years-my best
years-playng first but liked third base better dunno
... had a good arm and liked the position"
FUNNY THING" DoUBLE-X went on, "I chosen
nine times the first baseman of the American League
A-star team Five times played at third base, twice
I didn't get of the bench
There Lou Gehrig in those years If not Gehrig,
then Hank Greenberg They couldn't play third base,
but could The managers used shift order to get all
the power they could in the lineup"
Speaking Of power" interrupted, Lefty Gomez
always says that the longest ball he hit
thrown by him and clobbered by In Yankee Stadium
left field stands"
Third deck" Foxx grinned II clobbered that But
day is Comiskey Park in Chicago hit longer
Clean the leftcenter stands can s feel the nge
OF that one" M#<@8
IT WAS GETTING TIME for the Tv show and producers
and directors making professional noises in the vicinity
of Foxx who remained professionally unrudied.
"In 1882 hit So homers two short Of Ruth and
the most valuable player. they said But in the first
AStar game in 33 don't play. In 1888 hit about so hon-
bat in about and hit for $685. And again don't
play"
"The managers those years." it suggested, maybe
didn't like you"
Here is the snapper" Foxx replied "The Al-star
ager both of those years my original
Connie Mack, and he liked me! He like father
only to but to lot of For instance Babe Ruth
hit homer in the 1888 game with base and that put
the American League in front.
Connie said to the BENCH Jimmy, that may have
been Ruths last shot, If you in the game you're liable
to bust and take the edge of Babes big hit Wen win
anyway, so be patient with me-"