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Show MAGNATES PUZZtf BYMAlTSOI Athletic Leader Releuej Plank and Coombs While Knowing Their Worth By Tribune Special Sport Serrto NEW YORK. Sept. lS.-Connl M1( now In a position to murmur, "I ion , so." In the general direction of i,, American league magnates and tht m, number of National league magnate Last winter Connie announced hi , going to release Eddie Plank and JiJ Coombs. Then Connie gathered the du nates of organized baseball around and said: "Both of those fellows bare t n j-ears of good baseball In their mm yet. I would advise you to take then' The American league magnatei turnl their spinal columns upon Connie irj laughed. "Say. if Conniq cuts anv player adrift you can bet your wad on it that ibjl player is all In, down and out." arid the American league magnates. And (See utterly dismissed Coombs and Plid from further consideration. What Coombs Has Done. Well, Charles Hercules EbbeU. fid master of the Dodgers, had a Utile hint on Coombs. He played It by rirdv. Coombs and Coombs Is the greet "come-back" twlrler in the hlatorrlH tlio game. The pitching of Coomb I been one of the mightiest factors In III uplift of tiie Dodgers. Ebbets has reapel a golden- harvest through the acquMui of Coombs because the Dodgers arr I the pennant fight, and that means Hi crowds and big gate , receipts. Just about the time that Mack releajat Plank, the owners of the Detroit Tips were in the market for a southpaw. ' , "If we can get one reliable left-iiaDjjj I believe we can cinch, the pennant' w Frank Navih. But the Detroit owners turned ear and Plank went over to the m Plank's Amazing Work. No man has pitched better baseball flj vear than this 40-year-old portslder. a weak-hitting club behind him h( pitching at a .700 clip, He lias old speed, curves and control, and E Plank's work is of the kind thai pre" will lead him to the pitching leaden of the JSederal league In 1915. Had Plank been with the heavy-tlW Tigers and pitched the same orard baseball that he's been pitching t St. Louis Feds, the Tigers, Instead being in second place, would be so Ut the lead in the American league that the chances would be about. " against their ever being headed. The Tiger management, which raw to take Plank as a Rift, P4ldulsJ other dav for Bill -lames, the Bros hurler who never was and neiet " .be In Plank's class as a twirler. If the Tigers fail to land the Anww league flag it will be almost soleh cause they lacked a first-class i lei -I" a man like Plank. And Nailn D have had him for nothing. Mack's Actions Puzzling. But the failure of Navin to f"5 and the failure of other magnates ui Coombs is really excusable. The m conclusion one could draw from , action in disposing of these t0 tmj was that both were through. It" to most of the folks familiar wlj inside of baseball that if they g through that Mack would have top or if he didn't want them to h nj Mack's action In turning them adrill", tainly was puzzling ove. . J His action in that case. more puzzling than that in fiL, "Home Run" Frank Baker. Conn"" seems to need the money. He $15,000 at the very least for Bajer least four clubs in the American BMJ and several In the National w him that sum. But Mack wont |