OCR Text |
Show DICK KERR LONG GETTING CHANCE I Little Star of White box Victim of Now Dis- m proved Fallacy. j ' Ltemonstrates That Pitcher Doesn't Have to Be a Giant to Win. : Ey BELLY EVANS, j American League Umpire. -Tick Kerr of the Chicago White Sox V the hero of the 19 19 world's series. ljMtle Dick, however, had - a strenuous tifhe getting into that role. For some ul&nown reason, major league managers hfljfe always looked with disfavor on Pitchers of small stature. The dark horse ofljthe recent series is the smallest major league pitching machine in the majors. Naturally. Kerr had more than his 5ha.r0 oft trouble, getting an opportunity to PCpve he could make good as a big (ost managers, when considering a pitching possibility, work ou the theory that the bigger he is the better chance he has to deliver. Despite the fact that auy number of six-footers who have tipped the scales in the neighborhood of L'-fd have failed dismally and an equal ntijnber of small fellows have made the gt&de, the belief that a small pitcher starts under a big handicap will not down. Perhaps no pitcher ever suffered more than Kerr because of his lack, of height and weight. My first recollection of Kerr dates back three or four years, when Jack Egan was managing the Milwaukee club of the American association. For a number of years Egan had been an American league umpire, and I had been doubled up a great -deal with him. When he branched out as a manager I was interested inter-ested in his success, and followed the scores of the Milwaukee club closely. I early noted a fellow of the name of Kerr was doing fine work for Egan. I also noticed that whenever Egan needed a pitcher to hold a narrow lead Kerr was invariably called upon. Egan Recorti mended Kerr. About the middlo of the season Egan was in Chicago on business, came out to Comiskey park, dropped into my dressing dress-ing room, and we had a long chat. His club was leading the race, and I thought Kgan had a great chance for the pennant. pen-nant. He was not optimistic, and saijj his pitching was not strong enough to carry him through. "Tf I only had a couple more pitchers like Kerr I would win in a walk," said Egan.. That caused me to feel sure the impression im-pression I had gotten of him. from merely mere-ly reading the box scores, was not over-exaggerated. over-exaggerated. I had never seen Kerr, but I &ad the thought that he was a big fellow and a right-hander. It is easy tolltnagine my surprise when Egan to!d m Kerr was a wee chap and a lefthander. left-hander. Mention of Kerr's name caused Egan to go off into a eulogy of h!s pitching pitch-ing -.ability which is still fresh in my memory. "This fellow Kerr is a sure enough big leaguer.'' said Egan. "but T don't seem to be able to make any one else think 'hat way. He is a better left-hander than 75 per cent of the southpaws in the two -big leagues. He hasn't so much speeJd, Just enough to carry him throueh. but be has a good curve, a nice slow ball, and an excellent change of pace. And talk about nerve, why that peewee has the ftuts of a burglar. A real professional burglar, not an amateur. Any time one of my pitchers gets into trouble, and I look over the bench Kerr Is always staring star-ing risht at me. I'suallv he Is holding out bis hand for the ball, signifying his readthese to warm up. and go to the rescue any time I say the word. T hae written a dozen big league managers about him. At least a score of miJr-r league scouts have looked htm over, but they all shook their heads and said be is too small to even have a slim chance of coming through." Moriarty Knew of Ability. Thts spring when I saw Kerr with the Chicago club. I recalled my conversation with Egan. t'mplre Oeorge Moriarty was working with me and I told him about KeT's work at Milwaukee. It seems that before coming to Milwaukee Kerr had put In a year at Memphis, and Memphis that year was under the management of Moriarty. 8trangely enough, Moriarty told a story almost a paral'l (A Kgan's Kerr, while pitching for Memphis, had made a great Impression on Moriarty. He strongly recommended him to a number of major league clubs. He Ins' stent ly urged his former club. Detroit, that no mistake would be made tn giving Krr I Inl. but always the story of the scouts was the same. "Kerr looks good In the minors, but even to consider him r a );g league possibility would be a Joke " Kerr's chance came when Chicago signed him, but even then no one f g-ured g-ured him more than a lonir shot. He made gf'rl witn the White Sox. but not 1n a sensational way that caused him to .break into the head lines in black print furlng the firs' month or so a lot of people didn't know th-re was such a fellow fel-low as Kerr w!th the White Sox. Then came hiH chance to finish games practically prac-tically regarded as lost. He pitched fU-lsrbly fU-lsrbly in most of his nhancps. Manager Oteason was mu'h Impressed. Thn amc hhl chance to ftct as a sure enough relief f wirier, where the success of the Sox hinged on li's showing. Mor- excellent pitching on the part of Mr. Kerr was th result. Then all of a sudden Manager Oleason awakened to the fact that his pitching staff was crippled, and almost orec r 'ght K'-rr became a regular, with h's name linked with that of CfOottC nd Williams. There !h no deny'ng that Kerr and his fin- pltrhlntr were a big aid to r'hlcago in winn'rig fh pennant. .Now for tbe wo-d series. , nt. bOtne when t ho nff nation la ttebtaftti ! and I look for htm to corne through with a whb! i.f a game." That How la oI had t be right dope was proved the following day when Kerr- beat the leds. 3 to 0, and later t, to I In ten Inn'naft, "t'i-iiiv thine abOUl this fajjow Kerr," eoatlnued Rowlaidi "He Juat Ifiittted on be'ng a t'g leaguer. When I bought the Mti wa ukee clufi he whs op mv rostsri OattlM iffto communication wit ti hlnp I teamed he felt sure he wu good enouftb to bl In toe btg league. In a dSOjStVS manner b1 ma do it appftrant tf) me thai UnleftS I COUld get hJ01 big league berth h was tnrOuifn with Minor laajrue base-ball base-ball I set about n make hm a blft teagoer, 1 kOSW of six niaj'-r league ClUbS, three hi thl American and three In tn MSt'Oflftl) who needed a lef ( - ha ndi r t f'Oildn'l In tares 1 any of fheiri. It was he earns itorr 'h to)6 umalt CleVe-tand CleVe-tand araft one ff the olubfl I tried to have take Kerr. HS SOUtd have Jut, about M 00 the t'efi riant f"r that fiJufc I was sb'iUt to Wfitl Krr that his CSSe wan hopelsss, wii'oi Chlcftfto iteelded to gave him n chance. A pitcher nrtth lees determination de-termination end confidence wou'd have earl given up the fight Kerr Is llabln to pi " blsj nOlSs In the series," con Take tt from ms and eierynoe nine who sow or read ibOlll Ih" gamt, Kowlainl wnn rlftht Plajs the ease nf td.-u Kerr wdl help t,if:,!- flOWn the I el'ef Ihftl I"l' rtR1IP ma naaera i' re nlwuya h ii ehoul thp tilt chern Who lack Slse a rid nvnlrdltpolM t,ei us hops no, ml 0" rtotibl tin- majors neve pesMSd tip many a- star bennuse ol tUOh S fslne belief," (Copyright, 1019. ley W. O, ICvona) Kowiann rlCKeo nerr. ft was 'h evening of the "'-ond eame. and the bawhall world had been treated to a COOple of furprteea. The Cincinnati Reds bad twice beaten the ChlcaftO White Hox. and both timen (n a, deOfSiVe tnan-iir. tnan-iir. In th opening game, the Rede bad tnHkfd the suppoeedly in vincible t !i- botte out of th box. while to ihe eeoonO ifwrne the erafty Williams had been ven- ; au 'hed, largely because of rt'K own wiid-hfus wiid-hfus . Manafjer f J'earon of the White Mox was hard preesed from a pitching Nfiandpolnt, Kveryone wa n wondering iy'iom he would work In the third game, fo be played t Chicago. Some thought j would send ''teotte bfl"k, oth'-rn I ihougbt mil James might b given a ehanee, while others were Inclined to b-jleve b-jleve p'ipf'b! v Oleaeon had Ited Ka ber under cover a a rurorlse. All ofhere fell f'hk Krrr would draw tb nisignm''Tit ',f tr'mtotog the Reds and ' prtmlng th H'm bnek In 'he running. It I eaft no email j'-ti to sek snyone tr turn 1 bgaft the aggreeelve end confident Rede, j While list ri Ing to a lot "f lobby goe- m.ji about hop a ball club should be man oea I humped Into Clarence Kowiandi former manager of the i Ihlaft go White H f Lnsl yer llowlanO handled the -nuV. rluh, "Whom will Oleajwm woi k tomorrow?" aaSted Rowland "f'an't h'w le enn eon der am f nr. but Kerr,' l replied Th- Ugbt Httacb. "Thll lel!OW Kerr Will lUSt aleojl hent them' answred fUiWlnnd, "for he Is Kj type ef pftatfei to hoi net I he Reds, Whlli nothing boi'tn him. Ilfl Is right |