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The Umpire Has Nothing on the Manager Who Gets the Job of Running a Tail End Club CALL'S DOUBLE PAGE OF SPORTS CARTWRIGHT IN LINE FOR FIRST SACK Howard Is Thinking of Doing * Some Experimenting With His Infielders JOE MURPHY Guardians of th© different positions ©n the Seals" Infield, with the excep tion of first base, have been selected by Manager Del Howard, but the man who will cover the Initial sack Is still In doubt. There is plenty of material on hand for Howard to select from. There is Harry McArdle, regarded as the best fielding first baseman of the league, and Walter Cartwright, who played the third sack for the Seals last sea toon. Manager Howard Is some first sacker himself if he decides to get Jjusy and get in the game. In stating that McArdle Is the best fielding: first baseman of tbe league it •would be naturally asked why How surd should look for another man to hold down this position. Well, the answer is that Mac bats like a Mil dred and at the end of the season his •ticking average looks like a sprink ling qf bird seed in the distance. If McArdle could hit he would be in the limelight in either Governor Tener's organization or else in the one that is being ruled by Ban John son. Ho— .rer, he is a weakling with the old slap stick and there is little hope of his ever producing a healthy feat ting average. The man that Howard has hopes of tilling the bill is Cartwright, who played a fair game at third base last aeason for the Seals. He is what might be termed a fair hitter, and if he manages to handle himself as well around the initial sack as he did at third he has a bright chance of be coming the regular custodian of this particular bag. It might be well to consider How ard out of the running at this time, whon he Is talking of making a first baseman out of Cartwrlght. Del has given out rambling stories at various times of getting back into the game himself and being the regular fellow to play the first bag, but he is not to be taken seriously. He la getting pretty heavy and hie underpinning is none too sound to carry him along through a strenuous season around first bag. The writer recalls Del's debut to the local fans. In his first trip to the bat he sent a slow grounder to the infield, which looked like a sure out, but Del went down to first with every ounce of speed that he possessed and he fairly flew over the ground. He beat the ball to first by a nod, but he struck the bag hard with one of his legs, and as the fans will remember, he was lhnpmg around for some time. Del put himself to a severe effort to make an impression with the fans on his first appearance, but he paid for It. It looks as if McArdle and Cart wright will fight it out for the Job at first, with the chances that the for mer will eventually win out. Cart wright will have to ahow a lot pf ability at first if he hopes to be a While McArdle hit like a weakling last season, he was more val uable to tne club than Cartwrlght. Mr A I'M I*l weakness with stick ■ n erbalanced to some extent by his superior fielding and his clever work as a sacrifice hitter, in which department he excelled every other player in the league. Charley O'Leary. the infielder se cured from the St. Louis club of the National league, will be played at third base. Notwithstanding some of th* poor reports of CLeary's abil ity that were published in eastern papers, the fact remains, according to the baseball averages, that O'Leary ranked very high as a nhortstop. The figures show that he was a very busy individual arounj short. Good play ers often look bad with a weak club, and this might explain O'Leary's case. Roy Corhan has a strangle hold on the job at short, as he has no supe rior ln the league, and it is mighty doubtful if he has an equal. In this particular spot Roy is some pump kins. Jerry Downs will be player at fcecond. Much improvement is ex pected of the Titian haired toaeer. He is a fair fielder and a murderous slug ger. He had a lot of bad luck ln his hitting last season, as the breaks went against him. * « * TValter Schmidt has been trying to legislate himself Into the big league, and the local club is allowing Walt the opportunity providing that he can make a deal whereby the Seals will not suffer. Schmiddy has been acting as his own agent for a transfer to one of the major league clubs, but so far he has been unable to do any business. It is a certainty that Nig Clarke will be one of the Seals' mainstays in the catching department next season. There seems to be but one outfielder who is sure of his Job. It looks as If Schaller will make good. If Artie Hoffman comes to the Seals he can be counted on for an outfield Job. There will be several candidates fighting for the other outfield job. with Howard Mundorff looking to have the best chance of capturing It. President Dugdale of the Seattle club of the Northwestern league, on his return home after attending the meeting of the Pacific Coast league magnates in this city, was profuse with his boosts for the people down this way. Dug says that the San Franciscans nre the greatest hosts In the world. He accused J. Cal Ewing of keeping him too long In San Francisco after the meeting. "Two banquets ajid three dinners in five days Is all right once in a while, but not as a steady diet." is the way Jjug is quoted in a. Seattle paper. Oakland wUJ open the season at Portland next year. Last season the Angels engaged the Beavers In the opening conflict of the season, and the fans witnessed one of the great est games ever staged in the north. The two teams played 11 Innings to a 1 to 1 tie before 17.000 spectators. It was the largest crowd that ever wit nessed a game in the history of the Pacific Coast league. Krause pitched for the Beavers, while Poll Perrltt dealt Hiam out Xor. the. Angela, The Judge Landed a Haymaker, Anyhow Cleveland Fight Fans Up in Air CLEVELAND, 0., Dec. 20. Boxing fans are worrying over the fate of the pugilistic game in Canton after Mayor Elect C. A. Stolberg takes of fice. January L Stolberg was chosen on the progressive ticket, and fans figured that, because he formerly indulged in boxing himself, the game would be allowed to continue. He has declined to announce his policy on the question, ex cept to say that he would not let his individual likes and dis likes guide him. LA GRAVE LOSES TO ROGERS IN FAST BOUT Al Rodgers hammered his way to a four round victory over Antone La Grave last evening at the Pavilion rink and earned the right to call him self the champion middle weight of the four round ranks. He won by just a nose and many of the fans were of the opinion that the Butchertown lad was entitled to a draw. The battle was one of those old time slambang affairs, and there was action every second of the time. Rogers would rush in and La Grave would meet his rushes and slug away with him. Ija. Grave was leading by a good margin at the end of the sec ond round, but the eastern boy came on with a fast finish, while Toney sesmed to slow down a bit. If either man ever knew anything about the scientific end of the game, they certainly forgot all about It last night. But the fans did not care. They howled with delight every time that a good punch was landed by either man and they had many a chance to howl for the scrappers were always busy and both were game to the core. ROGERS SCORES KNOCKDOWN The best wallop of the fight was landed by Rogers in the third round, when he whipped over a right over hand swing to the kidneys which took La Grave off his pins. That wallop hurt La Grave and slowed him up, and after It was landed Rogers took the lead and held It till Referee Eddie Hanlon handed him the de cision. Eddie Miller, the cleverest and fast est of the local bantam weights, earned a four round verdict over Owen Hooker of Marysville. This was the real scientific mill of the evening, and the form which Miller displayed was marveled at by the crowd. He smoth ered Hooker with rights and lefts to the head and held a good lead throughout. Hooker showed evidence of a good punch, but Miller generally kept out of his way. Bubbles Robinson, the colored light weight, was handed a decision over Young Joe Gans, whose skin is of the same hue. Both men were a bit too cautious and failed to open up. Gans Is a clever boy and handles himself well, but he is not quite aggressive enough to make good here. GRACNAN SHOWS CLASS Charles Givens. the Seattle light weight, won from Walter Scott, the Mission boy, after four whirlwind rounds. The lead which Givens had was a slight one, indeed, and a draw would have been a better decision. Ralph Graunan of Portland contin ued his winning streak by stopping Eddie White ln th* third round with a left hook to the jaw. This Port lander looks like a coming lad. He can hit and he can box, and he knows how to measure a man to a nicety. Herb Brodie. an unknown, furnished a surprise by holding the clever Frankle Jones to a draw. Both lads gave a great exhibition of boxing, and the decision seemed to suit the crowd. After knocking Jeff Morris down in the second round. Frank Johnson, a colored heavy weight, slammed his helpless opponent and lost the de cision on a foul. Neither of the big fellows showed any class. Leo Crevler. another Butchertown product, showed his boxing skill over Fred Wharton and earned a four round decision. This was the first setback which Wharton has met with. Moguls of Federal Line Up for Action ST. LOUIS. Dec. 20.—Magnates of the Federal baseball league met here today, and before night Important developments in the plan of cam paign of the league were expected. President Gilmore planned to an. nounce a list of new players signed by the league, and also a list of new grounds acquired, Slattery's Spikes THERE'S going to be quite a dispute after the coming mixup between Gunboat Smith and Arthur Pelkey as to who is the rightful holder of the world's heavy weight championship crown. The New Year's battle is billed as a regular championship event and thousands of the fans in this section of the country are accepting it as such, and thousands of others in other sections would also fall into line but for the fact that the New York boxing commission has come to the front for Jack Johnson, saying that he is the champion till he is beaten. • * * ACCORDING to the records of the present flock of white hopes, Smith stands out over the rest, with the possible exception of Pelkey, like a battleship over a rowboat. He has been delivering the knockout wallops, and he has | - Deen Bent in against tne Dest or them, so nobody can claim that soft matchmaking helped to boost him to the front. * • * BUT the edict of the New York commission Is that he or some other claimant to the heavy weight title must put the crusher on Johnson before they can be recognized as heavy weight kings. The New York commission seems to be the au thority on the game in this coun try, although there Is nothing In the Queensberry rules to up hold It. » # ♦ THE European boxing authori ties recently met and declared that the heavy weight king was an absentee, that It was an open race between the various contenders ana that Johnson was not entitled to wear the crown any longer for the simple reason that he had forfeited It. This sounded fair enough till the New York commission stepped in with Its little say. * * * SMITH will fight Johnson or any other black man, pro vided that suitable terms can be agreed upon. 80 says his man ager Jim Buckley, and Jim al ways has been the absolute boss of hla fighting stable. Pelkey will fight Johnson, but no other negro. So says his manager, Tommy Burns, who seems to do all the dictating for the New England hope. * * ♦ IT goes without saying that If the present heavy weight con tenders. Smith and Pelkey, are going to follow the orders of the New York commission they must make the trip over to Europe and there engage Johnson ln combat. But at the same time It won't get them much If the European au thorities stand by the ruling which they have made. * * # JOHNSON never will fight In America again. This has been settled once and for all. He Is a fugitive from Justice and he dare not return to the land of his birth. Then, again, practically every state where boxing Is al lowed has ruled against him, so It's a 1 to 10 bet that no pro moter would take a chance of putting him on even If he were smuggled ln here. * « * IT Is the general belief that Johnson is ln and has no In tention of fighting an opponent who might give him a run. In this case Smith and Pelkey stand better than they ever stood. The winner of the New Year day battle will be recegnlzed by at least rjalf the fighting world as the heavy weight champion, which will be some consolation. * * » SMITH'S recent twelve round decision over Sam Longford in Boston has tended to send him in stronger than ever, for the Boston tar baby was looked upon as even a better man than John son up to the time that the Gun ner slipped a decision over on him. It Is likely that Langford has gone back as well as Johnson, but still Smith is entitled to his credit. * * * PELKEY'S enormous size, well developed muscles and square jaws are bound to win him favor among the local followers of the Queensberry sport. He is practically unknown here, but he has been making many friends since he started work, and If he keeps up his good licks he Is very likely to win thousands of other converts to his cause. * * ¥t PELKEY will have an advan tage of at least 20 pounds over Smith. Besides, he will have It on the Gunner in height and reach. But the Gunner knows more about the game, and, be sides, we are all aware of the fact that ha can deliver the knockout CHAMPION LOOKS SAFE AT 135 LB. MARK NEW YORK. Dec. 20.—The fact that Willie Ritchie refuses to wear himself out by making 733 pounds ringside 16 most distressing to the other light weights ln the game, for they see lit tle opportunity of ever annexing the title from the clever San Francisco lad unless he enters the ring physic ally unfit to do himself Justice. The managers of the individual men who are ranked high ln the lightweight class also are wailing unto heaven and calling the champion many harsh names—a "welter weight" among oth ers. These insist that the lightweight limit is 133 pounds ringside and point out that Nelson, Wolgast and Ritchie all won the championship at that poundage. One critic boldly declares that the only real lightweights today are Fred die Welsh. Tommy Murphy, Ad Wol gast and Joe Rivers. He classes Jack Brltton. Willie Ritchie and Leach Cross as welter weights, contending that they are incapable of weighing IS3 pounds and blithely includes Mike Gibbons, a full fledged middle weight, ln the list. The London dally mirror declares that Wells was mesmerized the night he met Carpentler. Shortly after the gong rang he believed that a 13 Inch shell had been exploded ln his vi cinity. Charley Murray, the Buffalo pro moter and also manager of the Queensberry Athletic club of that city wired Willie Ritchie an offer of a guarantee of $7,500 to box Jimmy Duffy, the crack lightweight of Lock port. N. V., for 10 rounds, but Ritchie wired back that If he were guaran teed $10,000 he would take the bout. wallop. Whether Pelkey haa this blow in his possession remains to be seen. It's up to him to show it. * » * LOUIS PERENTE. the North Beach sport, is homeward bound from Butte with his middle weight contender, Sailor Petroskey, under his wing. The Sailor recently hammered Leo Benz, the northwestern idol, into submission, and once more he is going'to start out against Frank Klaus, Jimmy Clabby, Jack Dillon or any of them who have a liking for his game. * * * PETROSKEY is a second Bat tling Nelson. They all hit him and several of them have shown him up ln the boxing game, but none of them can put him out of the way, and it looks as though they must deliver the sleeping potion in order to keep the former tar from bobbing up. He is still in the going and apparently show ing extra speed. ** ' ♦ AFTER being beaten by Dillon, the Sailor came back two weeks later and made a won derful showing against Benz. The sports of the mining town are so smoked up over the latest showing of the former able bodied seaman that they are willing to back him for another crack at Dillon, which shows that they have confidence in him still. * * * PETROSKEY la a good attrac tion wherever he goes. They like to see him perform be cause, like the old Battler him self, he is tearing ln at all times, and no matter how hard he ia hit he can be depended upon to dis play the fighting spirit. This fel low will bear watching in the near future, even if Clabby did ahow him up. Public Spirited Citizens Boost the Athletic League By WILLIAM UNMACK The retrenchment proposed by President A. A. d'Ancona of the board of education whereby the Public Schools Athletic league is threatened to be wiped out of existence, has brought the whole situation clearly before the Interested and public spir ited citizens who form the board of directors of the league and who have given their time and labor—and money before the board of education took over the burdens—with the re sult that a movement is already on foot to have the league firmly estab lished by the city and an appropria tion of $10,000 is to be asked from the board of supervisors to carry on the necessary work for the next fiscal year. The fact that the $3.000 appropri ated by the board of education Is not nearly sufficient to carry on the work was amply demonstrated at yester day's meeting of the board of direct ors of the league, and these men are now ready to go to the bat and put the whole situation up to the super visors and have an appropriation made for school athletic work which will make this branch of necessary school work a department of its own and will not have to be dependent on the bounty of any particular board for financial support. Even should the board of education vote to discontinue the athletic league's appropriation at its meeting next Tuesday, there Is every reason to suppose that the good work of the league will be continued. Should the league be out of commission for even six months It will take years to again work it up to the present high stand ard of efficiency. OTHER CITIES LEAD San Francisco is the only city of Its alee ln the country that does not cater athletically to its school chil dren. New York, Baltimore, Philadel phia, Chicago, Seattle and many other large cities appropriate thousands of dollars a year for the purpoae of glw lng the school boys and girls athletic Johnson Hurts Hand With Second Rater, But Still Has Lead PARIS, Dec. 20.—Jack Johnson, colored heavy weight champion of the world, outpointed Jim Johnson, a second rater, tonight in a 10 round bout. The contest was decidedly far cical and the spectators showed their disapproval by hooting and hissing the two fighters. In the fifth round the champion claimed he had Injured his right arm, but continued to fight. Jack looked to be hog fat and altogether in very poor condition. Neither man showed any speed or skill at any period. Jack, however, was undeniably supe rior in generalship and skill to his practically unknown opponent. Jack Coombs Out; Does Some Shopping PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 20. —John W. Coombs, the former great pitcher of the Athletics, was about the center of the city yesterday to do some Christ mas shopping. This was his first trip down town since his long illness. Irma Thomas', the Athletics* catcher, accompanied Coombs, and the pair were recognized almost everywhere as they strolled ln and out of the big stores. Coombs said he was fatigued from shaking hands, but that every handclasp made him feel better. < s Southern Pacific "First in Safety" Awarded the Harriman Memorial Safety Medal by the American Museum of Safety for best record in accident prevention in year 1913, in competition with all steam railroads in United States. During period of five years not one passenger's life has been lost through collision or derailment of trains on Southern Pacific lines, involving the movement for a distance of one mile of 8,000, -000,000 passengers. "Safety First" I exercise, and the time has arrived for the public of San Francisco to de mand that Its children be accorded such healthful and necessary exercise as only a well organized and thor oughly systematized league can give. The leagues ln other large cl'.'.es control the athletic situation, not only in grammar schools, but ln primary schools and right up the line to the high schools. It la the aim of the leagues to see that the children do not get an overindulgence in athletics, but that only such work as is con sistent with the health of the child is undertaken. Another great feature of the work of the league is to see that every boy and girl goes into the games or sports under the guidance of a thoroughly competent instructor. HOMOVIERI A BOOSTER Speakers at yesterday's Indignation meeting of the league characterized San Francisco as being 25 years be hind the times in regard to the ath letic movement in the schools. Super intendent of Schools Alfred Ronco vieri Is one of the biggest boosters for the feague and Is heartily ln fa vor of the work being done. It was through his efforts that swimming meets were organized by the league, and If Roncovieri has his way, free swimming tanks for school children, with compulsory swimming lessons, will some day be a feature of the education system of the city. Such work as this would come un der a well organized athletic league and the benefits to be derived from such exercise as swimming is appar ent to every mother and father. At the meeting ot the board of education next Tuesday the Public Schools Athletic league will be rep resented by the following committee: Judge Thomas F. Graham, chairman; Joseph R. Hlckey. W. W. Naughton. Robert Roos, Edward F. Moran, Al Katachlnskl, George James. John Hammersmith, Al Coney and Judge Frank Murasky. Frenchy Vaise is Sick and He Will Not Meet O'Leary The scheduled 15 round bout be tween Frenchy Valse, the northwest ern lightweight, and Johnny O'Leary, which Promoter Gregory Mitchell planned to stage on next Friday night. Is off. Valse arrived last night from his home in Renton, Wash. He is suffer ing from a bad cold, which threatens to develop into pneumonia, according to his physician. He has been ad vised by his doctor to remain in bed for a few days and that it would be impossible for him to fulfill his en gagement with O'Leary. It Is possible that Promoter Mitch ell will substitute Eddie Campl and Roy Moore. These lads, in a 20 round attraction, would prove a great card and the local promoter will endeavor to sign them up today. Campl has been matched to box Kid Williams in Los Angeles on February 12, but announced his willingness to box one of the local boys in the mean time. SPEAKS ON STEAMBOATING Captain H. J. Corcoran speaks at the luncheon of the Commonwealth club at the Palace hotel today on "Steamboatlntr in Early Days on the Sacramento and San Joaquin." Ty Cobb Invents New Fangled Bat NEW YORK, Dec, 20— Ty Cobb has turned in ventor. The slugging outfield er of the Detroit Tigers has made a bat which will do away with the sting— not that which is brought upon the pitcher when Ty peels off a base hit, but the sting which goes through a batter's hands when the ball and bat meet. Cobb's new bat has a thin layer of cork at the han dle. This prevents the bat from slipping, and, if success ful, will do away with the pres ent method of winding tape. "Chick" Wright in Rare Form With Cue The following: account of a recent billiard game In Chicago between "Chick" Wright of San Francisco and Percy Collins, a crack Chicago ama teur, at 18.2 balk line billiards, indi cates that "Chick" in the not far dis tant future may be able to reach the front rank of the balk line players in this country: "The match was 300 points up, and it ended in a victory for Wright by a score of 300 to 40. 'Chick' ran the game out in five Innings, averaging 60 flat and having a high run of 176, made in his third inning. Collins had but four innings, his average being 10. •Wright began with 35. His next ef fort was 46, and then he came back with 176. He missed his one hundred and seventy-seventh point on a long left handed draw by a narrow margin, and had he counted he probably would have completed his string without a miss. Close nursing, clever manipula tion of the 'dead' ball and a systematic display of line work constituted Wrights' big run." ' Santa Fe Santa Fe City Offioeg MMR 673 Market St.. S.n Frwdeco. Phone Kearny 315 aPßtll 1218 Bioadwa/. Oakland Phoo« Uke^ie^^^^^^^^^^^hß#^^^^ DIRECTORY OF LEADING HOTELS Dancing and Other Attractlona PALACE, HOTEL SAN FRANCISCO NEW YEAR EVE. Fur Tables Apply To Otto Hae'ierll. Malire u'Hotel THE CALL'S HOTEL AND RESORT BU REAU furnishes folders and fnll Information (tea regarding tola hotel. i'lr*t 8«or, Call bid*. Tad WHITE HUMMERS WOLGAST IN 10 ROUNDS MILWAUKEE. Dec. 20.—Ad Wol gast, former lightweight champion, made a desperate stand here last night at the Hippodrome to win back his lost prestige, but the best he re ceived was a lacing at the hands of Charlie White, a Chicago boy, who had a clear lead at the end of ten rounds of sensational milling. The fighting Dutchman battled as if the championship depended on the outcome, but speed and snap that marked his work when he was cham pion was missing. The battle did much to restore the popularity of boxing here, as it re cently received a serious setback at the hands of Packey McFarland and Jack Britton, who furnished a dis graceful exhibition a short time ago. At the outset of the battle Wolgast bothered White. He went into his old time turtle crouch and made the battle at close quarters. While event ually solved the Dutchman's style and ripped in stinging uppercuts, which found their mark. In the sixth Wolgast made a good showing. He caught White with a swinging left to the face which brought a stream of blood from the Chicago boy's mouth and nose, and White went to his corner looking badly done up. He came back in the next round none the worse for the rough usage he went through in the preceding one. He again outboxed Wolgast in the seventh and held his advantage until the finish. At the end White was the fresher of the pair, and It was the belief of the spectators that if a de cision had been permitted White would have been awarded the laurels. HOTEL ST. FRANCIS invites you to view the Mural Paintings in the most beautifuliy decorated cafe in the world. JAMES WOODS. Manager THE CALL'S HOTEL AND RKSOKT BO ! BEAU faxnlabm folders and full la forma Uh free regarding this aotai, first foot. c*U I f "