Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-04-18
WIN, LOSE OR
DKAW By FRANCIS s1ANN
TH Give You the Breweryr
BY FRANCIS STANN

so FREQUENTLY DO the Yankees win pennants that
nearly everybody must feel the players take victory h
sober Stride indeed they well might But there al
least exceptonhe first Of their % flags back in 1921
The story of this and others are chronicled BY
Frank Graham the gifted sports columnist in his new
revised edition "The New York Yankees" &C. p Putnam;
sons Like all of Graham's other books Lou oehrg-
Quiet Hero" etc. 1t captures the humor and pathos
of baseball and is unerringly accurate.
In the spring Of 1921 Graham reports the Yankee;
curious air Of confidence when they assembled al
Shreveport La They weren't picked to win the pennan
Cleveland was-and from Grahams book 1t is gathered
the players themselves didn't really expect TO all the
way Until they realized the flag within reach. the
Yankees gay, carefree band and their pint-szec
manager, Miller Higgins. less helpless ir
trying to maintain law and order
when the days work over" Graham writes, with
nconsequentia help from Waite Hoy he young
took advantage of the opportunities Shreveport
offered in the way Of social life and contacts An enter
prising automobile agent had loaned Babe Ruth
snappy green roadster bearing sign Babe Ruths Essex
with which the Babe frightened the Inhabitants BY
roaring through the streets at a terrific speed"
GOLF WAS PLAYED freely by Bob shawkey. Car
Mays, Fred Holman and Hoyt The girls in town got
big play from the economically inclined Chick Fewster
excused from morning practice after exhbitiongame
beaning, supposed to spend the mornings in bed
Instead, he trained race horse he had bought.
"Huggns lacked sufficient authority to crack down
his men, Graham reports He had the support Of Col
General Manager Ed Barrow but there still CoOwner
Cap Huston Who broadminded aable expansive In
most things remained adamant in his attitude toward the
manager he had wanted and could not bring him
self to accept
when Hug admonished the players for Of their
pranks of the field they simply laughed at him and went
their way to more pranks. This year the Yankees
unwitngy established reputation carefree spirits
which to prove asset to them. The recklesSnesS
with which they frequently played and the freedom OF
their adversaes supemen How the rest Of the league
began to wonder after while, you going to stop
lot Of fellows who went bthey about when night had
fallen yet showed up the field the next day full of zng
and power?"
IN THOSE DAYS the players despite Higgins oppos.
ton were permitted to make all jumps between New Yorl
and Washington Philadelphia Boston in their private
automobiles One midsummer evening after game ir
Washington, Ruth, who drove 12-cylinder with
cruising speed Of 90 and top speed Of no. set out
Philadelphia with Mrs Ruth Holman. Lefty oDoul
Charlie OLeary, the coach.
"OTeary sang his famous South Side ballad Tonghti
the Night I'm Going Slug Your Father and Ruth boomec
solid bass as they harmonized" Graham relates Their
the swerved its tires screeching against the roadway
1t spun kdded and turned twice. coming to rest with
the wheels still spinning
"oLeary had been flung clear The others were
pinned under it, but mraculousy unhurt except for mno
bruises they crawled free"
Ruth Graded the unconscious oLeary's head in hi
arms and walled: "Oh God! Bring him back Don't LEI
him die Cod Take me instead"
OTeary stirred and Babe pleaded Charlie! Speal
to me, Chariel"
Charlie suddenly sat up" Graham writes. "'Hey!' h
yelled. What the hell happened to my straw hat?
The Babe let his head thump back on the pavement"
WITH SEPTEMBER CAME the knowledge that the!
could win and most of the players changed their attitude
They sobered The Indians seasoned and hardened
under fire In 1920 coming to New York to play
crucial four-game series. Hoyt Holman and Shawkey
who shared an apartment and who had capered through
the lightly any Of the Others suddenly oun
they could not Sleep All retired early but and
up until discussing the Indian hitters-and eatin
bowls of cereal
Today the Yankee owners, Del Webb and Dan Topping
may watch deachedly but the tension In 81
from the players to Col Rupert, as Graham's boo
illustrates.
The Yankees needed the last game Of the CLEVELAND
series to clinch the flag They led to but in the mint
inning the Indians filled the bases with two out stew
oNeill good hitter, came to bat
Rupert, unable to stand the strain from his boy
crept into the bulpen. Scarcely able to look, Ripper
croaked: "Hofmann you think we'll win? Say Yes
Holman. Don't tell me no..
Carl Mays who had followed old Jack Quinn an
Hoyt to the mound got strike ONeill
1.-Two more" Rupert is quoted. "Oh fellows, viii
this game for me! you win it, I'll give you anything
He hesitated, but only for moment. Then he wen
the whole way:
"Tl give you the brewery"
Mays struck out oNeill after 3-and-2 count TIL
Yankees American League champions
But Rupert kept his brewery.