Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-04
WIN, LOSE OR
UkAW By FRANCIS sTANN
The Case for Colby Jack
By FRANCIS sTANN

IN THE MAIL THE OTHER day arrived II pages mostly
single typewriter from Quartermaster j. F. A.
Petsch of the Merwin Carleton Post Veterans of
Foreign Wars st. Paul Mimi Since the writer feels
Jack (Coobs belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame" Quar-
termaster writes" enclosed is only part of
the information and statistics supplied the Veterans
mittee of the Hail." COnly part he saysD
Chief Bender and Eddie Plank two other mainstays of
Connie Macks great Athletics the starting in 1870
quite properly voted into the Hall of Fame What
Petsch and his buddes can't understand why Coombs
in there, too
OF course, they point 1910 Combs won 81 and
lost only nine games Bender %. Plank IT, In 1911
Coombs g. Plank % and Bender IT, All were great
pitchers but Petsch that in leaving Colby Jack
Coonbs out of the Hall of Fame there miscarriage of
justice.
When and Coombs makes the Hall it will come as in
many late for him appreciate the
not long ago, as you may recall.
EASILY THE HARDEST working pitcher of present times
Robin Roberts OF the Phes who stretch
pitched more than 800 innings each But he
pitched 353-not quite did Coombs in 1911
THAT is 80 2/9 full games Piesch figures "and during
that time he allowed only "a These days before
pitchers were rated earned-run basis Thus Jack
Coombs allowed average of 1888 per game-earned
and unearned 1t is not unlikely that had earnedun records
been kept in those days Colby Jack would have given up
than run game or thereabouts'
Coombs called Colby Jack because he graduated
Colby College In Maine and the first coegians
Jump from the campus directly into major leagues The
first time he started for the Athletics July 1906
old Columbia Park in Philadelphia He BANKED Senator's
So indicating that today Washington club isn't very original
after all:
1t Coombs too who beat very good hustling
ingon team in 1872 swapping the longest Senator winning
streak in history
THIS WAS THE FIRST Washington club to be managed
by Clark Griffith freshly fired by Cincinnati freshly hired
by the Senators Gs gamesters who had finished seventh
in II under James McAleer, 81 games IL to finish
second, including string of 6 straight western trip
They returned in triumph to the Capital and President
Taft was among those who turned They didn't disappon
running the string II in day Pha-
depha, COMBS licked Long Tom Hughes in thinning
thriller, 81.
Coombs who had 81 games in 1912 as the AS finished
third, had mere 10 record the next william A
Pheon wrote in the July, 1913 Baseball Magazine
Jack Coombs is sick man. and they say may pitch
again. So the Athletics will lose prop of their team and
the game will lose of the showed up like pitchers OF
olden times
Long ago pitcher was under the impression that he
should be ball player we'll as specialist and many
hurlers were intensely proud of their batting their base
running their ability to hop into other positions and
good Coomb OF the throwbacks that glorious day
He could pitch immense amount Of ball without complain
ing he could bat and he could play the field in splendid
style"
AUTHOR PHELoN UNDERESTIMATE Coombs recuper.
alive Colby Jack only 20 when the writer
doubted Coombs would pitch again. But in 1856
% games for the Dodgers played in the outhed
occasions, and he non-payng manager of the Phie
In 1919.
He wasn't dead by any back in 1913 He lived Il
be 49, spending 81 coach at Duke University and
precious few in retirement
Possibly the greatest tribute to Coombs from Base
ball Magazine February 1912 and presumably written b.
the editor
ICY Morgan was saved for the Maps (Cleveland Wash
ingon and St Louis He started 80 games 1911 and 20
against these clubs The task for Plank beat
and st. Louis OF his % games 10 against those clubs
Bender kept away from Deroi-he first of two time
he faced the Tigers August 81.
"Coombs the Iron Man. had no special teams to face
He faced them all when his turn came"
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