The day book. [volume], January 30, 1914, LAST EDITION, Image 24

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
their time to developing young play
ers and when the field narrows
down to as many clubs as can be sup
ported there will be a larger- number
of good players to pick from and
better teams."
Bob Fitzsimmons, former heavy
weight champion, who is to be box
ing instructor at the Sportsman's
Club of America here, proved last
night in Williamsport, Pa., that he is
not yet ready for the scrap heap.
Fitz traveled six rounds with a per
son named Knockout Sweeney of
Cleveland, and gave the younger man
a sound thumping at every turn of
the road,. His blows were full of
force, and, though Sweeney managed
to stay the limit, he was down for the
count of nine several times.
Fitz's success is not expected to
alter his intention of coming here as
an instructor. He took on Sweeney
to show the New York boxing com
mission that he was still there with
the wallop. Fitz is after a better man
than Sweeney now, and ringsiders
last night believe he can turn a vic
tory. A possible occupant of the short
stopping job with the Cubs was nail
ed yesterday when Herman, Bronkie
signed his contract for he coming
season. Bronkiemanaged -Toledo for
a part of last season, and played third
base. He batted.269, which is a pret
ty good mark for American Associa
tion time. ' ;
Big league company is nothing new
to Bronkie. He has been up before
with Cleveland, but failed to show the
required brand of stuff .for a per
manent 'sfiay.
Charley Smith .also signed (a :Cub
contract, and will remain in GhTcago
until the: team' goes to Ta"mpa.
Smthy, branded as through by the
American League, turned in some
good games for the Murphy crowd
last season, being particularly ef
fective against the Giants. He did
better work- against McGraw's men
than any other grape-viner on the
Cub staff.
Manager Evers arranged six games
with the St. Louis Browns to be
played while the two teams are train
ing in the South, and this insures the
locals of plenty of hot work before
they start ttfeir northward hike. Pre
viously six battles had been scheduled
with the Athletics.
Three of the Brown games will be
contested in Tampa and the rest in
St. Petersburg, the training camp of
the American Leaguers. Definite date
for the opening battle has not been
decided on, but the series will be
pulled off before March 12, when the
games against the Athletics are to be
inaugurated.
All was quiet at Federal League
headquarters, Joe Tinker holding the
.fort, but from Tacoma, Wash., comes
'the report that Jacques Fournier,.
handy man of the White Sox, has re
ceived an offer fromthe Chifeds, and
is on the verge of hopping to the
third circuit.
Tinker would not comment on the,
report, and nothing dould be learned,
of the terms that were offered the
Frenchman. Fournier is a youngster
and likes to be in the old ball game
every day. He was in his element
while playing first with the Sox, and
enjoyed every . minute of the. time
when he was in the outfield after
Chase joined the South Siders.
An injury removed Fournier from
the fray, but he was developing rap
idly, and gave promise of becoming
a hard-hitting outfielder, a species of
animal which has .become almost ex
tinct in the vicinity of 35th street add
Shields avenue.
The Johnston brothers, Jimmy and
Doc, the former the property of the
Cubs and the latter belonging to the
Naps, are much sought after young
men these days.
Both received telegrams from pro
moters of the Federal League, and
President Murphy of the Cubs joined'
the fray by spending some coin for.
wire messages, to the youngster he
drafted from' the Pacific Coast
, .League,, v