New Britain Herald Newspaper, January 30, 1915, Page 9

SWIMMING IS NOW A WINTER AS 543 ‘;?hows by American Press Assoclation. l—Misses Bardele, Howard and Cole, ampion swimmers of New York. ‘8—Left to right, Martha Hostedt, Isie Sutton and Edna Cole ready Mor a’ swimming race. 3.—Catherine own, four years old and a graceful daring diver. 4.—Snowbirds and 19k Bears taking a dip in the surf /@t Brighton Beach. 5.—Elaine Gold- ng, famous for her long distance swimming. 6.— Three Snowbirds playing with medicine ball betwixt swims on a winter day. Notice the men in background wearing over- coats. 7.—Lillian Howard, prize win- ner in swimming contests. Y By OSCAR DOYLE. WIMMIN G mer is no longer a sum- sport. Neither is it an indoor sport exclusively in the i winter. No, indeed. Tt is an outdoor =affair in the winter, always pProvided - that th weather is cold €gough. On balmy days January or Fébruary it loses some of its populari- fy.;and it is at its best, its devotees declare, when the thermometer records atemperature near zero and when the snow lies thick upon the ground. here are several finter bathers in and around New rk. Thev are variously known as E8nowbirds, Polar Bears and Zero Days. J*On, cold days they assemble at Brigh- ston Beach or some other >cessible #pot, don their bathing suits and take tg tho water. Betwixt swims they ca- Vvaért abeut on the beach, do tango steps or toss the medicine ball and laok with scorn on the spectators who, Wwearing overcoats and furs, shiver as they watch the bathers. What good does jt do? the pictures of the swimmers papers. But the swimmers that this is no real advantage; that it s merely an incident. They say they awim in“the winter for the same rea- organizations of Well, it gets in the declare 2 e it is good exercise and be- use it is enjoyable. They really like the stimulating effect of freezing wa- | ter, they say, and it is certain that the warmth of a stove is mighty grateful | and comforting after a half hour or s0 on the beach and in the surf with | scanty clothing and a temperature; many degrees below freczing. , New York is not the only city that' has winter swimmers. Boston and Philadelphia are likewise favored with rivals of the Polar Bears and the Snowbirds. Take Charles B. Durburow of Philadelphia, for instance. e goes | swimming in the Delaware nearly ev- ery day, and if cakes of ice get in his | way he pushes them aside and pro- ceeds on his way. Swimming is one of the best exer- cises that are known to civilized man. It is easy to understand how the dev- otee of the sport regrets the passing of the season when swimming is usual and will continue to take a dip even when the weather is cold enough to keep most persons out of the water. And, like the cold bath taken inside WELL AS A SUMME the house, as no day is skipped, one can continue throughout the winter without any undue strain on the reso- lution. The year 1914 was notable in the history of water sports, especially to the United States, this country having easily outstripped all others in swim- ming and diving exploits. glimpse of the records made this ear fully sustainas the claim of American su- premacy. . Barrett Small of the Olympic club of San Francisco covered fifty straightaway in 23 3-5 seconds: Kahanamoku of Hawali traveled the century, also straightaway, in 54 seconds; Harry Hebner, William Vos- burgh, Perry McGillivray and Arthur Raithel of the Illinois Athletic club of Chicago swam 400 yards in 100 d relays, first in 3 minutes 52 4-5 scconds in a seventy-five foot then in 3 minutes 5 seconds over a 100 yvard fresh water course. These times are the best made to date under similar vards Duke pool b7 conditions and prove conclusively the superiority of our sprinters. At the furlong Hebner, Kahanamoku and McGillivray wiped out former rec- ords, Hebner with 2 minutes 21 sec- onds in a sixty foot bath, Kahanamo- | ku with 2 minutes 26 4-5 seconds in a seventy-five vard one, McGillivray with 2 minutes 33 2-5 seconds over a 110 yard outdoor course. Here, then, three Americ who lead all foreign cham at the distance. Tudy Langer of the Los are ins pions Angeles 'a twenty club 88 140 and horter and econds ir Heb ored the | Athletic at | yards, negotiating in minutes 221 longer in 11 minntes a seventy-five ner ran him quarter mile sixty foot seconds Only vond their ternational time. back Hebner again | world’'s at | yard distance. clipping vard bath to 1 5 5 seconds while ond at record fo 221 b close h vard lowering to the pool 5 minutes | the mark be reach hest one mile of Uncle i efforts falling short of In swimming on th fmproved his the regulatic the figur minute proved Sam's s n in 15 e for records n (D Huggins Knows a * . Lot About Batting ANAGER MILLER HUGGINS of the Cardinals is a competent coach of his recruits and overlooks no point to improve their hitting. Huggins has " ‘always been a thorough student of bat- ting. When he started to play ball oveét a dozen yvears ago he was a right han_fl hitter. He soon saw that, on ac- count of his small. size and lack of great muscular power, he could prob- ably do better hitting from the other side of the plate. He was fast and figured that he could beat out bunts and fnfield hits better from the left hand side and get to first base much oftener. He set himself to study the form of good left hand hitters and switched his position from the right to the left side of the plate. Huggins has never suc- ceeded in hitting the ball so hard left handed as he does right handed, be- eause his right side is naturally strong- er. He bats right handed against southpaw pitchers and delivers a far harder blow than when he is hitting against right handers, but he is a much mor& valuable man hitting left handed. He is an expert bunter and a great {little walter. Last year he got more hases on balls | than any other playe® in the National league and was on first base as often as any one. This faculty of his is due to a keen eye and a habit of studying theopposing pitcher. It is a very rare thing to see Huggins hit at a bad ball. 1f some of these big sluggers who swipe away at anything that looks within ageach would follow his example and “wait for the good ones, instead of try- ing to knock the cover off everything that comes along, they would have no trouble in hitting over the .300 mark. Huggins, by assuming a crouching position and crowding the plate at| times, has made himself a very hard man to pitch to. A few years ago, hen King Cole was with the Cubs, Huggins was leading off for the Cardi- nals and walked four times on one of the other pitchers. After the game Frank Chance got his pitchers together in the clubhouse and said, “Any man who walks Huggins in this series will be fined $100.” Cole, who usually has plenty of con- fidence, burst out with, “You can fine me $200 if I walk the little rascal.” Cole pitched the next day, and, in spite of his resolution, he walked Huggins twice and hit him with the ball his next time up. Huggins is one of the best examples of a clever style of batting adapted to his own abilities. At the same time he is a student of every branch of the | batting game and is competent to coach the youngsters who come up to the Cardinals from the minors. Those who are wise listen to what he says and profit by fit. BQB BESCHER STILL RY o FOOTBALL. BOB BESCHER, the big outficlder of the Giants, played fullback for the Oakwoods, a professional footbal team at Dayton, O., last fall. Bob was a star in this position at Notrc about eight vears ago and played after he left college until his manager at Cincinnati objected. PLAYS MIKE DEVANNEY GAINED Photo by American Press Association. breviation—is a New York lad equi; top speed. was not rapid, but Mike had grit and | miles without being tired, and he tried championship. cates that his ambition is not unreasonal years ago he decided that he ought to be able to run, and he tried it. run a short distance all right, but he did not have the strength to go a mile at So he began training under competent instruction. weight and with the weight came increased strength. STRENGTH BY TRAINING I\IIKE DEVANNEY—his parents named him Michael, but he prefers the ab- pped with a sturdy pair of legs. Some He could His progr He began to take on Soon he could go two longer distances. He is ready now to determination. tackle any distance up to five miles, and he hopes some time to win a national He has met the best men the track has, and his showing indi- ble. Federal League (CASH prizes are to be hung up for | ™ the ball players in the Federal league to offset the world's series in organized baseball, which has been one {of the stumbling blocks in the new or- | ganization. Lack of interest was shown |last vear among the players, it is said, | because there was no incentive in win- ning the Federal league pennant with |no world's series in sight whereby the players might increase their earnings. | President Gilmore of the new organ- |ization and officials of the various | |clubs have agreed upon a plan which players will appreciate and which will to Help Players ception of the one that finishes last. This plan, which has practically been closed, is to offer a purse of $30,000 or $35,000, to be split seven wa The pennant winning team will win §8,000, to be equally divided among the play- ers. The second team will win $7,000, the third $5,000, the fourth $4,000, the fifth $3,000, the sixth $2.000 and the seventh $1,000. This would make a to- tal of $30,000. The other plan is to give $35,000, split $10,000, $3,000, $6,000, $5,000, 000 and $1,000. In of- cry team will be forced to go to the limit to add to the earning glive every club a chance, with the ex- power of every playe: | | TIME and again word has come that the leading golfers of England, in spite of the war, will visit this coun- |try this year to play exhibition match- s and compete for the open champion- |ship of the United States. Harry \ |don. I3dward Ray and George Dunc |intended to make a trip several month jago, it was stated, but nothing devel- oped, and now arrangements are being |made by these three Inglish players to come to America this year. If they decide to come with one purpose in view—to win the United States title golfers may witness another stru such as that which took place Country club, Brookline, N , in 1913 when Francis Ouimet defeated Vardon and Ray for the title. Vardon has again been picked as the leading golfer on the other side, not only because he won the open cham- pionship of Great Britain for the sixth time, but on account of his consistent golf last season. glance at what the erstwhile United States title holder ac- complished during 1914 in the impor- tant tournaments across the water is of interest to every golfer in this coun- try. In the qualifying stage of the Sphere and Tatler foursomes at Worplesdon, Vardon led James Brald, five time win- n English Golf Stars Likely to Visit America ner of the British title, by one stroke. At Bishop's Stortford Vardon finished {in second pl: two strokes behind George Duncan, who on his last visit to this country played a couple of matches near Boston, one at the Wol- |laston Golf club, Montclair, with Mike | Brady, and the other at The Country club, Brookline, with Alec Campbell. |Duncan won the first, but lost to | Campbell. | At Cruden Bay Vardon |in the qualifying round by two strok | Braid again finishing in second place In the match play stages he climinated led the field the former Irish champion, by 4 and 3 Edward Ray by 1 up, and George Dun- can by 3 and 2. | Playing for the open championship of Great Britain, Vardon was fifth aft- er the qualifying round had been play- |ed, two strokes behind the leaders. He |then won the of all golfing honors, for the time, by rok Although he picked to win the French open championship at Le Tou- quet, he was found to give way to J | D. Edgar, a professional at the North- umberland club, who finished six stroke; the title. si> was Two competent critics, Ivan Olson j and St. Louis ‘Bill James, do not hesitate to give ('Neill of Cleveland first place among the catchers of the Ban Johnson circuit. To intimate, with Olson or within earshot, that Schalk Schang are the real pippins is to walk into an argument. James rates Agnew of the Browns as the best thrower—first in everything except hitting and base running, with O'Neill the pick of the bunch on the basis of all around value to his club. Here is his little criticism: “Rated solely on the work behind the bat, shadows Schalk, Schang and O'Neill. It is a pleasure to pitch for him. He is a great backstop in handling deliv- |ery, and his throwing arm has devel- oped until he pegs with the speed and | precision of a rifle shot. James and basis Agnew of his over- AGNEW HAS BEST ARM IN AMERICAN | LEAGUE, BIG BILL JAMES SAYS *“‘Now don’t try to steal on this bird it can’t be done;’ was the order issued to the Athletics before every which Agnew worked last season. That comes under the head of showing re- spect for a catcher's throwing arm ‘Against other teams in the league the instructions to the Athletics were: | ‘Go out and steal a few bases. These fellows haven't an Agnew behind the bat for them.' “Agnew has developed into a great catcher, but his comparatively weak hitting and lack of speed make it im- possible to place him ahead of the oth- er three. Schang and Schalk are both dangerous hitters, and this increases their value to their clubs. ! “Given my pick of the four men, 1 would take O'Neill. He is a good hit- ter, and, while not quite the equal of | Schang and Schalk in this respect, he is, to my way of thinking, a better | catcher.” MMHE European conflict has hit Oxford university -so hard that the athletic association of the university is practi- | | cally out of existence. and it has been | decided to abandon all athletic compe- | titions for this term. This means that there will be no Oxford-Cambridge | ross count track and field championshij famous boat | race on the Thames. George M. Sproule, the president of | the association, attached to the army service corps, and his predece Ar- nold N. . Jackson, holds a commission | in the Sixteenth King's rifles. Nearly all of the athletes in the college have | lentered the service, and the ranks of the athletic association are about de pleted. run, nor the No Athletics at Oxford This Year { considered 'runner in the world and Gaorge Andre, | | | Oxford not the only one by the war. It will be many fore the continental céuntries get over the results of the present scrap. Ger- many was just coming along in an ath- letic way, and the progress has been checked and set back by the war. Rau, one of the best of the European sprint- has been Killed, and Hans Braun, by many the best quarter miler in the world—even though he was | beaten at Stockholm—has had both| legs shot off. Carl Diem, secretary of the Ge n Olympic committee, was| another who was shot, and he will be minus an arm France loses Bouin, is affected vears be- ers, its best bly two runners in| Jean poss the best distance | " Iproved to be st three | ahead of him, thereby winning | | game in | to ] WHITTED luck He probably has an it. but truthfulnes it June (GEORGE B. is a young man other for compels the conclusion that [luck, For last {was a substitute player | Louis cardinals. He was not with the manager, and the manage {was not popular with him, but the ( | dinals were up close to the top looked like pennant contenders *h all season. The Bos |ton Braves were in eighth place, name instance, on the St popula at The |James Braid by 2 to 1; Michael Moran, | Winning one game and losing four and |seemed destined to finish eighth |cause they could get no lower and sta |in the league, | And at this stage George was traded American Press Association GEORGE B. Photos by to the Braves. It looked and was hard quit the Cardinals for the Braves, but a month later George was not sure that the trade was so bad A month later he was playing regularly in the outfield, his batting average was run-, ning close to .400, he was subbing for Johnny Evers at second base when Johnny was out of the game, and the pennant and world’s series money were in sight. History records that Whit- ted got a part of that world's series money A few weeks ago Sherwood Magee was traded to Boston, and if was an- nounced l#ter that Whitted was one of the players who would go to Philadel- phia in exchange for the hard hitting course the | the ers own is good George They were and showing 1 | seconds in a venty - fiy While there is | comparing form in fa | significant of the |two Epropeans who w at the lagt OF Behrens of Ge | Spongberg of Sweden defeat in champlonship |hands of Conrad Wohifi nois Athletic club, Wi the Chicago Athletic Albert Downes and Art of the New York Athiet of the features of § wonderful done 1 swimming, and particu ty-two mile Marathon from the Ne York Pajl Hook, the biggest fixt ever held in any count | tour men completed th George Meehan, and Walter Dunn Charles Durburow of Apart the fact had the great feat been plished, the event Meehan, the in 7 hours 18 hour from the coul the thirteen- Snyder of Brooklyn and old Fred H. James of hibited ability and e unbelievable in contest ages The placed his credit nii 0|7 hours the veteran one-half miles in 7 ho But all the glory of di ming ( captured per mature ¥ Miss Brow daughter of a champio her father, Commodore her instructor. Thd vears old and a yard i fancy diver of such a star feature men's show recently hi Sauare Garden, New ports in the water like & is emtitied to take ran diving stars. seconds i se no | awara: | Kurt work from bec the one because ause goal f spective to was n - ons Catherine . is a she was e 0 . GEORGE WHITTED'S LUCK STAYS W Whitted aid as_he tho wifining a as mighty good with [the team. Whitted h contract, though he reached an agreement Stallings as to terms Durham, N. C,, and he to Stallings’ home near for a econference with lings and Owner Gaffni Whitted went Ha to Philadelphi he wit he would nof (uit the game | to Philadelphia. Tt begl 1! Owner Gaffney would ¥ | Magee transferred, of Boston s ¥ r to transfer George declared Boston or he would WHITTED. Tarheel's bluff when was proposed and Gal started out looking crogsing a foot log G fell into & river. Wh of grapevine and haul to the shore. Before th ed to the Stallings hon | Whitted had come to |ted will stay with the creased salary. That looks like lud However, if Philadelph to win the pennant would probably decide «kipped him. but just tent to take lis cna | Braves,