Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-05
WIN, LOSE OR
'UkAW By FRANCIS srAAA
A Voice From the Clubhouse


TAMPA, Fla, Mar 5.-very few people know his
is Ephraim Colledge but thousands Of ball players
have known him "sharkey." He is a little guy spry
and seemingly ndestructible and his job Is equipment
manager Of the Chicago White sox This is his 54t year
with the Sox
sharkey goes back to 1906 the year the Sox pulled
the big World Series upset and licked the Cubs who had
won record 1l6 games. This the series in which
Ed Walsh and Nick Altrock and Doc White pitched so
magnihcently and substitute named George Robe won
two games with triples.
THAT was a nice ball club" Sharkey muses. but the
1919 team-the Black Sox-was better think that was
the best club They could do things than
even Connie Macks great teams.
IF those eight guys-Joe Jackson, Ed Cicotte Chick
Gandil Swede Risberg Happy Felsch, Claude williams
and Fred McMulin-dont sell out to the gamblers the
Soxwoud have monopozed the American League pennant
for years Like the Yankees have been doing. Nearly all
Of the Black sox were young, still improving"
sharkey shakes his head, saddened man. when he
thinks Of the 1919 Sox.
BEING IN THE CLUBHOUSE with the Black sox gave
Sharkey no clue as to what happening in the World
Series with Cincinnati. I'VE darn near won the thing,
even with those throwing it." he remembers That's
how good that club
ut was only later, after the scandal broke that
could look back and realize that certain plays
hadn't done well"
Coledge became "Sharkey" when he and his younger
brother, Art, kids. Jim JeHres, the heavyweight
champion, used to work out with the sox in the old
Chicago park and great admirer Of Tom Sharkey,
near-champion The two boys talked about the latter
much that their friends tagged them with his name
There I'VE of Colledge kids all together"
Ephram said land all got to be called sharkey
my mother, walking down in the old neighborhood got
to be Mrs. Sharkey Art by the way did some fighting
under the name Of Jack Sharkey Ray Schalk man
aged him. Now Art is custodian Of the visiting clubhouse
in Chicago He's in his 54th year, too"
OF THE THOUSANDS of ball players who have come
and gone, Ted Lyons Sharkeys favorite Tied was
the incest guy in the world-o the field and when he
wasn't pitching. He also the strongest ball player
I've ever known
But when Ted was pitching and lost, he was a man
to avoid He'd tear up his glove kick the water fountain
smash up few lockers and break bats remember one
afternoon he was beaten 2-1 and couple Of pitchers
were sitting in the trainers and talking about the
grandmother Of Of 'em. Seems she'd said or done
something funny, and they laughed
Lyons wanted to tear them apart got In the way
Jaw, geo. Ted said, they only talking about Bill
Detrichs grandmother
Nobody should laugh when lose,' Ted said, mad
clear through and he picked up by the shirt front
and threw me 80 feet across the dressing room
Next day Ted was his old nice-guy SELF He apollo
gized to me. There was $50 bill in my locker found
later"
ED WALSH, NOW 10 and stricken with cancer is
Sharkeys nomination as the greatest of all sox pitchers
Walsh q colder than Lyons" Sharkey says "but
he was great pitcher He not only started but he was
just as good in relief Now you take Billy Pierce today
He's good pitcher, too but he can't relieve.
Il know Walshs 1906 record like / am reading from
book40 wins finished AZ Of 40 started relieving enough
to put him in So games 269 srikeouts IL shutous
The list OF managers Sharkey has survived is i'm
pressive 1t starts with Fielder Jones and extends through
Billy Sullivan, Hugh Duffy Jimmy Callahan, Pants Row
land, Kid Gleason, Johnny Evers Eddie Collins Ray
schak Lena Backburne, DOME Bush Lou Fonseca Jimmy
Dykes Lyons Jack Onslow, John Corriden Richards
Marty Marion and to Al Lopez.
In fact, the only sox manager in history sharkey
didn't serve was Clark Grath who headed the club in
the American Leagues first two years, 1912.
IT GOT ALONG WITH EN- all pretty good" sharkey
says proudly, but some better guys than Others
Better managers, too. Dykes was a terrific manager
Johnny Evers wasn't much
"Evers a good guy OF the field but he was almost
cruel when be managed, which only for one year.
He didn't have much confidence in himself either
Il remember in 1924 are playing the Cubs in the
City Series The night before 1t started Evers begged
on because Of sickness, and Eddie Collins appointed
to manage.
Johnny wasn't any more sick than was {. he got
well after Collins got the Job done But he wasn't manager
no
Hes In the Hall Of Fame like guess he should be-
Some guys aren't managers, though"