Evening star., 1960-01-08
WIN, LOSE OR
GNAV By FRANCIS STANN
As Far as Color Goes

1T is NOT PRECISELY true as some critics charge
that certain amount of the Intangible termed color is
necessary for admission into the baseball Hall Fame
Undoubtedly it helps to have been character
to have been involved in few episodes but there
are good many baseball players who had both color and
ability waiting outside the gates of Cooperstown N.Y.
either in person or in spirit.
Just about any manager, for instance would like to
open campaign with the knotty problem of what to do
with surplus of such non-Hal of Fame outfeders
Max Carey, Sam Rice, Edd Roush, Chick Hafey Kki
Cuyler, Chuck Klein and Ducky Medwick Or Travis Jack
son and Joe Judge to mention only couple in the ned
What manager wouldn't love to open with start
ing pitchers like Eppa Rxey Red Faber and Waite Hoyt?
How and why all-or most all-have failed to win in
the popularity contest apparently is not for the
mind to decide Truly they had ability and they had
color, too, for what it's worth
HoYT, FOR EXAMPLE, won 237 games, plus pitching
27 innings in the 1921 World Series without allowing a
single an erudite sportScaSter Cincin
natl he is 60 but looks As considering his true
hard believe that Hoyt pitching the big leagues
long ago 1918.
There have been boy prodgies before and since but
Hoyt remains of the most memorable At Is he
pitching batting practice for the Dodgers At 6 he signed
with the Giants, who let him slip away BY 1921at the
the Yankees against the Giants in the series.
He won and lost but without allowing
earned The talented Are Nehf whom he had beaten,
finally 10 decision when Hoyts defense crumpled.
Hoyt colar-ad handsome then now was an enigma.
He seemed the payboy. He accompanied Babe Ruth ana
the of those amboyant Yankees their social ex
petitions and reportedy held his Yet between sea-
he mortician While most of the other stars
photographed during the oseaSon, standing tri-
umphantly over deceased deer wild turkey
Hoyt was not photographed
NOW YOU TAKE Joe (Ducky) Medwick Neither Hoyt
Medwick will make the Hall despite the pitchers 237
victories Medwcks lifetime batting average of 324.
Yet Medwick, when he was hot with the St Louis Cardi
nails had color plus One day. in fact he sold out all the
slices pie in the Detroit park at time when they
going to waste.
For this item we are indebted to Ira Smith, the
author historian and curator of Alexandria recall
on October g. 1884 Louis and Detroit playing in
the World Series. This the date of the seventh and
final game the top of the sixth inning Medwick slid
hard into third base triple upsettng MarV Owen and
touching of fight on the field.
Detroit fans the next inning greeted Medwick with
what has down in history the vegetable Barrage
That was only the main course Smith, the perfectonist
insists When the fans out of everything else they
could throw at MedWick when he took his place in left
heId they remembered those soggy, unsod pies. They
bought EN- all up and threw those at Medwick"
This may have been the ina atrocity far Judge
Kensesaw Mountain Lands concerned The crusty
od jurSt first commissioner of baseball ordered Medwick
out OF the game. Unwanted pies, indeed!
- hACh WILSON was running fourth year ago when
the Hall OF Fame ballots counted The stories on
Hack are voumnous Hack who stood 5foot-7 but
weghed 1875, was tremendous power hitter With the
CuOS IN 1880 ne set National League record for home
runs WIN oo and he was going Ruths al-me record
for stimulating period
Hack was round and roly-poly but never soft, His
posses charged that Wilson not exactly model of
pehaVor while of the field Hack his face lighting nm
once asked Well-known Chicago colunns To accomnanv
him to a hotel cocktail lounge
Hack so the story goes looked carefully At his watch
II was Just two minutes after noon Wilson led the wav
into the lounge And people claim I'm a roornin
orlnker!" he snorted with proper disgust