Evening star., 1957-04-17
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ), FRANCE, ,r.up
Whats With the Hall?
JACK COOMBS' DE

WnQI S WIN the f7QH!
JACK COOMBS' DEATH AT "a POINTS UP anew the
fraties of the Hall of Fame at Coopersown He isn't in
the Hall and should have been ago. Wesley Coombs
was one of the real good pitchers well as gentleman
and scholar
He never lost World Series game. but he won five
three in 1910 against the Cubs All three in six days too
That the Jack 81 and lost only for the
Philadelphia Athletics Thirteen shutou an American
League record and in each of IL others allowed only
run
collector of baseball lore for brefng of Jack Coombs
earliest days in baseball Two days after he graduated from
Colby College in 1906 the young reported to the AS
Unfortunately when Coombs attended Cobys graduation
exercises not speaker mentioned Phadephias street.
car system nor Rube Waddel
Success might have little for Rookie Coombs
had he been Properly brefed First spent the whole
morning criSscrossng Philadelphia on trolley cars in an
effort to reach old Columbia Park where the AS paved in
those days Thus he than fashionably late
secondly he encountered Waddel for the first time
AS SOON AS COOMBS was suited up Connie Mack paired
him with catcher and asked for sample of his pitching
Hardly had he begun to lob the ball in the warmup when
Dig muscular southpaw off the Philadelphia bench and
began pitching alongside to another catcher
He didn't throw any warmup pitches . lust the fastest
balls had ever seen The kid from Colby properly
discouraged Perhaps it time he reasoned to return
Maine and become chemist originally planned
Connie Mack may have salvaged brilliant career when
ne called to the big efthander stop trying to show
OFF In front OF the youngster You'd come back here
and sit down"
Later, after studying Coombs action. Mack also called
MIN to the dugou This is Rube wadde" he said intro
oucng Coombs to the southpaw won 96 games in four
seasons Now about playing for the AS
Colby Jack won 10 games his rookie year In 1910
II and IL he won 81 % and 81 The AS never were hurt
when he bated either because Coomb was good enough
hitter 70 be used in the outfeld occasions.
PERHAPS HIS FEATS are too well-known by old-tmers
=. bear much repetition Shortly after graduation he made
his debut against Washington and won to In senemher
OF iSoo ne pitched 2inning against Boston tanning
10 and winning to After more days he won from
~aslsson again. this time by to Thus he pitched AZ
three runs ee '
His curve ball considered great In the box he was
coo ana deperae Coombs durable and expert that
hs MS 5l-vlcory season he relieved only once The
himself relieved five tmes) and in july August and
temoer he worked in $50 innings
he may have been the best pitcher in the business in
ne spring OF 1913 Then he was stricken by disease of the
spine one OF Ira Smiths clippings reads pitcher Jack
Coomos in critical condition Physicians attend the prea,
pcner day and night The doctors given up hope
oi saving MS life, but he is dangerously sick man."
Coomos pitched one game in 1913 winning it. He had
~ BUSINESS out OF bed Indeed stretch he was bed
ridden for three solid months adened with weights and
traction devices w
Remember the 1916 Brookyn-Boston World Series? Or
accounts Of 9 The Dodgers single game The pitcher
Jack Coombs.
PRETTY WELL-KNOWN fellow in town Bill Werber
SoOmDS VlVloly. Bill Junior Uni
verslty IN 1929 when Coombs was hired to coach which
job he held until 1882
He was the best-iked man on the campus" Werber
was saying Maybe he was the most loved ever at Duke
he mad way about him
FOR instance Jack lived In apartment on the capu,
10 ne lett side from the ball field that's called Jack Coombs
feo he and his wife chdless but actually Jack had
thousands OF kids His door always open and you didn't
nave 10 be an athlete to be welcomed
remember those classes he held for the ballnavers
JACK mad wonderful blackboard talks result his Duke
Teams played like big leaguers They all the tricks
He wrote book" Werber went on "and it's the bes
on baseball ever done have original copy and took
copy 10 Germany with clinic couple of years
ago and borrowed freely from it,"
DUKE SENT UP QUITE few athletes to the majors
some to stay and to defect we're Chubby Dean
Hal wagner, Bill McCahan Ace Parker Wayne Amber Ror
Northey Dick Groat Eric Upton Henry Kister Rolane
Farley Werber and his Billy and Dick Johnson amonf
Others
Never once did Coombs try to influence any boy to sgr
with the AS Werber says THAT is not to my knowledge
Some went to the Reds Cubs Cards and Yankees som,
went to the AS think Ira Thomas caught when Jacl
was pitching the fellow who sold Duke boys on Pha
delphia. Coombs remained neutral far as I know.
my first year at Duke, on a scholarship. TheI
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