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Show 1 PITCHING ACEOFMAJORS LOST OUSTING OF "SHUFFLIW PHIL" IS BLOW I SHI I I LIN PiriL DOUGLAS AND (INSE7T) MAXAt.ER JOHN Mc- .RAW By BILLY El ANS The passing of Shufflin Phil' iDouplas of the Now York Giants from I organized baseball, marks the passing pass-ing of one of the greatest pitchers in th" history of the game Douglas has been barred for all time by .Manager Mcdmw of tin Giants, because. McGraw claims, he offered for a money consideration, to leave the team at this critical time in the race when the Giants needed him most. Douglas never reached the lofty position in baseball that his remark-lable remark-lable ability Justified, nlmply b. cause he was his own worst enemy Physically Douglas was a perfect I specimen of manhood When in condition, con-dition, there was no more effective 'pitcher In either league. Mentally, Doilfflaa had the brain of a child. It was an e.uiy matter tu lead him astray. In baseball it is a tradition that all left-han.led pltcherfl are t rratlc Ball players had a habit of calling ".Shuff-lla' ".Shuff-lla' Phil" the "rlght-lniiided sou(h-1 sou(h-1 paw." IX ( i:vi UK M VNM.U DouglM has been pulling eccentric stunts ever since he got Into the majors ma-jors His career, v. hll not .is colorful col-orful as that of Rube Wuddell. was I In many ways similar. It was not unusual for Phil to desert de-sert his t.'ani Just at the time It needled need-led hlni most. Often his whereabouts 'for sometimes as much as two weeks at a time, would be a matter of mystery mys-tery Then he would return, always rc- IpentanU and would invariably pitc so sensationally that his escapade soon would be forgotten. Manager McGraw has susp-ncd Douglas a dozen times during his ca- 'recr with the Giants. But McGraw knowing the pitcher's weakness, has been li-nlcnt with him. and It Is raid that he returned later every fine ho ever assessed against Douglas. His salary had been trebled since he Joined Join-ed the Giants, arvl no salary grievance is believed to have been harbored by him Y INKEES CROSSED Shufflln Phil's pitching unquestionably unquestion-ably made it possible for the Giants to win the world series from the New ,York Yankees in 1921, Douglas thr... ; times opposed Carl Mays the Amerl- Ican league ace. He lost the opening clash. 8 to u In his next two starts I he won against the Yankees and Mays. ; 4 to 2. and 2 to 1 He k. pt the Giants In the series after af-ter the most of the experts had figured fig-ured them out of the running. riie most r.-niarkabb- feature about th.- work or Douglas In the 1921 series se-ries was the way he crossed up the, Yanks throughout Regarded as a spitball pitcher almost exclusively, DoUffl&fl uh.mJ the spltter only occasionally, occas-ionally, feeding the Yanks Instead a sweeping curve ball over which he had absolute control. . . . M Y 04 8T PI N N AT The passing of Douglas may cost the Giants the 1922 pennant- Manager Mana-ger McGraw often has be.-n accused of buying a pennant for New York In paying huge sums for players he r ;. I. but In the ousting of Louglas, he proved that he Is Just as willing to throw out a star who discredits tho game, even though It kills his chances, chanc-es, as he La anxious to build up a pen-nant pen-nant winning team, whatever tho cost.1 Douclas had not pitched a game for the Giants since July 31. when he was beaten by the Pirates. He had Just returned to the club after one of his mysterious disappearances when Mc-Qraw Mc-Qraw called him in and the explosion I occurred. 'I be letter that Douglas Is charged with having written making the offer to .iult the team for a consideration. If now In the hands of the New York club. . . . (INCH . V1ST COAST I Douglas was born In Rome, G11., In 1890, and first played with his home town In the Southwestern league In 1910 He pitched for Macon, Oa.. tho following year, and was twice drafted J by the White Sov. who farmed him to 1 Dos Moines and San Francisco for seasoning. Douglas has also boon with tho I I Cuba an 1 the Boston Red Sox From ;tho latter club he took another trip! ito the minors In 1916. In 1919 he was traded to the Olants by Uie Cubs, coming to New A'ork In 'the d-al that sent Davoy Robertson to Chicago. DouglM Is a right-hander, stands over 0 feet and weighs close to 190; pounds. j |