Damon Runyon
El Paso Herald/October 17, 1913
Cobb Expected to Again Need More Money
Jake Daubert, a Trophy Winner, Is Now Eligible to the Ranks Claiming Higher Salaries—Pinch Hitter McCormick May Become a Manager—Players Scatter to Their Homes For Winter
NEW YORK, Oct. 17—Having performed the last sad “writes” of the world’s series, ball players are now entering upon the ever interesting period in the dear old national pastime when many stars announce their retirement forever until next February, while others merely hold out.
The winter schedule is before us, and after a brief silence during the time the space in the sporting pages is necessarily occupied by football, Charley Murphy will open up the services with a few remarks, unless Tyrus Raymond Cobb’s announcement that he must have more money from the Detroit club is ready for publication first.
Winter Schedule Ahead
Having led the National League in hitting, and received an automobile, it seems likely that Jake Daubert will be in there holding out, or retiring, with the rest of the boys, while J. Franklin Baker and Eddie Collins are almost certain to do one or the other thing, unless they mean to deliberately violate the laws of baseball nature.
It sounds almost incredible, but it is not believed that any of the Giants will either retire or hold out in the near future, because John J. McGraw is going to take some of them around the world with him and will get so far away from those he leaves behind that he will not be able to hear a word they say for many weeks.
He will have with him Fred Merkle, Larry Doyle, Mike Doolan and Hans Lobert, infielders, unless present plans miscarry, with Harry McCormick, Jim Thorpe, Fred Snodgrass and Lee Magee, of St. Louis, as outfielders, Christy Mathewson, Arthur Fromme and Jeff Tesreay will be among his pitchers, while John Tortes Meyers and the clinging Ivy Wingo will look after the backstopping.
McCormick a Manager
Mention of the name of Harold McCormick—Handsome Harold, the demon pinch hitter—recalls the report that he has been signed to manage the Chattanooga club of the Southern association next year, vice Kid Elberfeld, who has resigned or otherwise been disposed of.
Harold should make a good manager, which is neither a boost, a knock, nor even a prophecy. He has been pinching in these parts for a couple of years and has rarely failed to produce a blow when it was needed, although the umpires did not always see his efforts.
Giants are Scattered
The Giants who do not intend going around the world will go to their various homes, which are all far away from here, and fans will hear no more from any of them except, perhaps, “Tillie” Shafer, until February
Most of the boys live in surreptitious corners of the map, but “Tillie” is an inmate of Los Angeles, Cal., which is a place where the acoustics seem to be much better for ball players when they have something to say. Last winter every word uttered by Shafer was labeled “New York papers please copy,” and they did not overlook a bet.
Charley Herzog is going back to that dear Ridgely, Maryland, where he has a farm, a bungalow, money and other things. Arthur Fletcher will go to his restaurant at Collinsville, Illinois, while Otis Crandall will fade into the recesses of Indiana.
Lawrence Bannerman McLean may decide to live on, and also all over, Broadway, being a big leaguer from force of habit, but Olaf Wilson is going back to Decatur, Illinois.
(Source:Chronicling America, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88084272/1913-10-17/ed-1/seq-9/#date1=1789&sort=relevance&rows=20&words=Damon+Runyon&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=12&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=Damon+Runyon&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=5)
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