Evening Star Newspaper, November 30, 1930, Page 95

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, NOVEMBER 30, 1930. 7 alking Themselves Qut of Victory Burleigh Grimes, Cardinals’ hurler, did too much “riding” and too little pitch- #ng to Connie Mack’s slugging catcher when that worthy stepped up to the ‘plate in this year's first world series game. ‘" BY C. WILLIAM DUNCAN. “PH slip a fast one over mow and make it No. 2,” Fhought Burleigh as the pellet toward the waiting Cochrane flew. The rest is better left unsaid, ’tis sad when we recall Phat up there near old Conmnie’s park they still hunt for that ball. Por Mickey, mighty Mickey, with @ sure and aim, Has knocked another homer and the crowd has gone insame. B teammates fall on Burleigh in another round or two '&‘.;hemmiawonbyl‘ulydthmmn 5-2. HIS verse, written with apologies to the author of “Baker at the Bat,” who ’ in turn had apologized to the creator of “Casey,” briefly tells the story of the early part of the first game of the 1930 World Series, when Burleigh Grimes, noted spitballer of the St. Louis Cardinals, talked himself out of a ball game and a pos- sible championship for his team. By so doing, Burleigh followed in the wake of Jack Sharkey, Jack Dempsey, Lew Tendler and other figures in the sporting world who have permitted their desires to express themselves at critical moments to rob them of champion- saips. When Grimes took the peak for St. Louis against the Athletics in the opening game of the series in Philadelphia it was soon easily discernible that he was on the mound to sur-" pass the Athletics both in pitching and “riding,” or “jockeying,” as the ball players call it. Grimes was extremely “cocky” on the mound fanned or popped into the air. But the age-old saying that “he who laughs Iast laughs best” was once more borne out when Mickey Cochrane got hold of one of Grimes’ spitters and drove the ball over the right-field for a home run. That punch, together with homer by Al Simmons and two solid smashes Jimmy Foxx, gave the A’s the game, 5-2. repartee which took place between Grimes and Cochrane could not be heard from the grandstand, but from all indications it heated and sincere. Grimes even went so make fun of the size of Cochrane's there no doubt would have been a Jack lost an advantage which probably How Too Much “Chin Music” at the Wrong Time Has Robbed Aspiring Athletes of Chances for a Cham- pionship or Fame—Bur- leigh Grimes, in World Series, Latest Addition to Long List of Language-- Losers. pitched battle except for the Important fact that the men were partaking in a World Series game before 40,000 persons, including one Herbert Hoover. When the series had come to a close I asked Mickey how he felt toward Grimes and he replied: “Well, I was plenty mad at him during that game, mad enough to do battle. But a fellow forgets a lot of things when the ball game is over, and it’s just about forgotten now.” “Do you think Grimes lessened his efficiency by riding.you?” I asked the great catcher. “Without doubt,” he answered. “No pitcher can be at his best when he is thinking more about talking to the batters than he is about pitching to them. Take Jess Haines, the quiet star of the Cardinals, for instance. He did nothing but pitch and didn't give us a hit after the third inning. In fact, he allowed only one clean hit and three scratches during the first three innings, and we couldn’t touch him after that. “Grimes lost his ball game because he did so W hen Bobby Jones played a champion- ship match at the Merion Cricket Club as a lad of 14, he encountered a trouble- some bee, and his subsequent muiter- ings at the pest threw him off his game. much ‘jockeying,’ and that first one was a mighty important one to win,” concluded Mickey. Jess Haines, St. Louis pitcher, rises to defend his teammate with these remarks: “I roomed with Burleigh when he came to our club in exchange for Bill Sherdel, who was my pal for 10 years. I have found Burleigh to be a2 fine fellow and don’t think he deserves the panning he received when Cochrane hit th¢ cost him the match in the Dempsey- Tunney bout when he yelled to Gene to “come.on and fight” instead of fmishing off the groggy Marine with a well placed pund. : - Sharkey received the knockout punch from Jack Dempsey when he turned hie head to talk to the referee, claiming a low blow. “Like a lob of us, Burleigh will battle for that game when he’s out there on the mound. talk some during the series, I'll admit he is no braggart. I room with him and I know.” the loyal tribute from the quiet ace staff, Burleigh will go down in one who talked himself out of possible championship victory. z Sflm,itvmbemallcdbythosewho follow the fortunes of the heavyweights, talked himself out of a big shot for the title in the seventh round of his bout with Jack Dempsey, divested of his crown by the decision bout with Gene Tunney in Sep- 26," was trying to come back for a with the ex-Marine. Sharkey, by over Jimmy Maloney and a splendid test for the was already beginning that inevitably leads to hile it looked as if he would live true boast. He staggered his older opponent y and seemed a sure winner. in the seventh Dempsey recuperated t and drove home some telling body Sharkey started to talk to the referee. “He's hitting me low,” said the ex-sailor, turning his head to talk things over with the official. Then Dempsey did hit him—but not He socked the garrulous one on the point of the chin. Sharkey went down and stayed down. He's been on the floor ever since as far as becoming a real champion is concerned. One would think Dempsey would have learned right then and there that talking in the ring is disastrous. But what did the Manassa Mauler do but go ahead and talk hiniself out of a championship! It occurred in that historic seventh round of his subsequent match with Tunney in Chicago, & round that will live in the memories of thou- sands of fans who saw it. 8 Dempsey drove Tunney to the ropes and dropped him with a series of punches for the notorious “fourteen count,” which will be dis- cussed and argued about for years to come. That scene has been described so frequently and vividly there is no use repeating it here. It was not until afterward that Dempsey talked himself out of his great chance. Tunney, his brain woozy and his legs wabbly, arose to his feet at the conclusion of the long - count and started on his now famous “bicycle ride,” back-pedaling rapidly about the ring. “Dempsey chased Gene for a while and it was apparent to us at the ringside that he could have finished him with a few more good opponent for a while but stand in the middie of the ring, beckon to Gene and shout ‘Come on and fight” In those few seconds Tunney re- covered his senses, stuck out that long left and was himself again. “Fight fans have always been so busy talking .about the long count on Dempsey that, in gen- eral, they have overlooked that important phase of the battle, namely, that Dempsey actually lost his great chance in that instant,™ eom- tinued McCracken. 5 “Any one who has ever boxed knows the value of a few seconds to & man of Tunney's experi- ence and generalship.” Llw TENDLER, great southpaw Nghtweight who was in his prime about a decade ago, missed the big chance of his career when he engaged in conversation with Benny Leonard, champion of the world. It was Tendler’s misfortune to have been born at the same time as Leonard, because each was @ wonderful lightweight and worthy to be a Sitleholder. They met in Jersey City to battle 8 out hefore a huge erowd assembled at Boyle's Thirty Acres. Tendler was im $he greatest ghape of his career and along about the middle of the bout caught the champi®n on the chin with one of his devastating left-hand punches. Leonard’s legs began to wabble and he was in serious trouble. But Benny's brain wasn’t wabbly by any means. “That was a great punch, Lew, but I hope it isn’'t the best you have in stock, because itll never win for you,” said Leonard. Tendler paused for an instant on his way in for the kill. “You're punch-drunk, you stiff,” retorted Lew, gesticulating earnestly with his hands. Leonard didn’t have sufficient strength to take advantage of the opening and floor Lew as he was in the midst of his oratory. But, like Tunney, he cleared his braim in those few seconds and fell into a clinch. jority of newspaper men, as it was a no-decision fight. Tendler had talked himself out of his great opportunity. Even as great a champion as Bobby Jones is, at some time in his career, prone to talk himself out of victory. In this case Bobby didn't talk out loud, be- cause the etiquette of the links forbids it and Bobby lives up to the courtesies at all times, But he talked so much to himself about a cer- tain honey bee that he lost all thoughts of the golf match. This happened many years ago when Bobby Jones was not an internationally known figure, but the 14-year-old “Peck’s Bad Boy” of the links, fighting hard to gain recognition and control over his temper. i He was playing over the Merion Cricket Club course in Philadelphia, where this year he was ° destined to win the national amateur title, his fourth major title of the year and the thirteenth of his unexcelled golfing career. Bobby was industriously putting on one of the greens in a championship tournament when a troublesome bee started to buzz around him, ‘The young golfer tried to keep his mind on the ball and forget the bee, but he couldn’t. He took one sock at the bee with his club and missed. He turned to the ball and tried to concen- trate. The bee, elated by victory, returned to annoy the future champion. - Bobby forgot the ball entirely and gave chase to the bee, driving the insect far away. The irate young man returned then to the green, but was never quite himself the rest of the match. Lhe.w {'ehm‘iler l;:‘used his chance to lifs t ightweig erown from Benny Leonard when he paused to deride the wabbly champion before attempting se make she kill.