Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-24
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW By FRANCIS sTANN
IT'S More Blessed

oh TO BE 81 and Giant" considered classic
bit OF yearning back in the days when John McGraws
troops were riding high Came the era of Joe DMaggo
Lucky to be Yankee" Now there is the case of Nellie
Fox of the White sox Has any ball player hauled
away much loot Oo automobiles topping the gift list
as Nellie did the other day?
The fine old custom of wage spending money
on a baseball hero reached new high, a refinement
beyond all Others Jacob Nelson Fox unwanted prob
ably made it bigger and better than any individual
single day. night, in the games history.
- Nellie unwanted once, you know Connie Mack had
him at Philadelphia, could great future in him and
asked waivers Clark Griffith hard up for second base
man. claimed Fox We happened to be in Grs office when
the telephone rang Mack calling his old friend
Clark said the old in his thin tremulous voice.
you don't want Fox He's little fellow-won't hit much
and isn't very fast Save your money"
So Frank Lane who Chicago at the time, traded
an unframed catcher named Joe Upton for Fox OF his
hundreds of deals Lane properly rates Upton
among his very best.
THE CUSTOM OF GIVING in baseball dates far back
1t is traditional that most veteran players look forward
to their day might with reasonable optimism (Some
in fact have been known to hasten matters by planting the
seed of SuggeSton AS team, group had it good as
the Boston Braves when they moved to Milwaukee
The -worshipping citizens OF Milwaukee pulled out
all stops in 1858 No fewer than c the Braves were
given days and nights" that ind every member
of the club benefited in way beginning with $1,000
bonds each There the old familiar gfS-CadilacS
TVS tractors luggage diamond cuff links watches bicycles
hunting gunSand and novel ones In this cate
CORY years supply of Polish sausage beer agencies
black home" free gasoline $500 payment house
or Bill Bruon), etc Andy Pafko given $4,000 Caddy
CHS third carr and $4,000 for his favorite charity.
the fans give it is all right with the commissioners
office, where back in Judge Lands day it regarded
foolish but harmless form of idolary But it Lands
who firmly opposed clubowners giving gifts ban which
stands today.
THE LATE WALTER O. BRIGGS when he was owner
of the Detroit Tigers delighted by victory over the
Yankees that he invited all Is Tiger players to visit his New
York tailor to be fitted for expensive suits Lands called it
off; it gave the weather. clubowners too much OF an
advantage the Have-Nots.
But there restrictions fans, who may give
until it hurts Once Mickey Grasso when he catching
for the Senators, fined 500 for tanglng with an
umpire So many Washington fans sent contributions to
Grasso that halt had to be called, lest Mickey show
profit.
Sometimes the practice of gft-giving backfres, or
takes weird humorous twists Some years in
Detroit group of businessmen invited the entire Tiger
squad to attend dinner Very few attended whats in 1t
for me? most asked themselves, and stayed away The
joke the Stayersaway; every player who attended
was given a brand-new automobile And most of the
recipients utility players only looking for free meal
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES when an honored celeb
rity didn't off we'll Years ago. Chief Bender the
old Athletics pitcher, given testimonial dinner by
the Philadelphia chapter of the Baseball Writers ASsoca
ton The gift for Bender gold Set and
useless Offering is hard to imagine Somebody forgot
that ful-blooded Indians have boards.
The old Giants used to get their share of days Once
RUDE Marquard gifted with expensive automobile
the fans RUDE properly grateful until he served
with legal papers calling for reposSeSSon of the automo
bile His admirers had failed to make payment the car!
Christy Mathewson Jared better his day" when he
given $4,000 lin 1912 yetD PopeToedo automobile
by New York fans who did pay for it, Mathewson, how
ever, while of the games foremost stars and pre-
sumably paid accordingly, discovered that it too
expensive to operate and complained.
Our old friend Chuck Dresser will remember the day
Brooklyn fans held for him in September of 1851 when
Dressens Dodgers leading the Chuck got the
customary automobile but with funds left over, his
admirers also bought ull-length oil painting of Jolly
Cholly in uniform with brass plate bearing the
legend Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers-1951 National
League Champions!"
1t was four words too long. That the year the
Giants from 1872 games back to beat the Dodgers in
payof
Att