OCR Text |
Show CUBS CLAIM TO HAVE THE ;g STRONGEST PITCHER IN TONEY I jTANAGER CHANCE of tho Chicago Cuba probably poB3ec3en in Fred Toney tho strongest and best all around athlete In the National league. This docs not mean he is the greatest pltch-or, pltch-or, hitter or runner, but it docs mean he In the most powerful. At present Toney tips the beam In the neighborhood of 195 pounds; and he is In excellont playing condition. There Is not ono ounce of superfluous flesh on him. On every part of. his body tho said in hla southern dialect? "Man, jou ' B don't know what you're talking about. E I'll tako that bcL" Tho wager wu made. 1 K What Toney said ho could do vu ' this: Ho declared he could stand at tho homo plate In SL Louis and throw : over tho left field fence. Tho dlstonca I Is Beveral hundred yards. That aftornoon Toney reached tha ' boll park a little earlier than tho other ) players, got ten rocks, Just larco enough to fit In his hand, and thretr ' r FRED TONEY, CUBS' STRONG ARM MAN. 1 ' skin is drawn and muscles protrudo In knots. In spite of this, ho la not muscle mus-cle bound. The only defect apparent In his physical phys-ical makeup la in his pitching arm on the Inside of his elbow. He obtained this In a BCUfTle whllo In the Blue Grass league. It Is an Injury to the cords, which are tied up and form a knot about half the size of on egg This does not affect his twirling any, although al-though he cannot snap the ball In cold weather with the same free action as he can when the temperature Is high. Toney attained his wonderful strength on a farm in Nashville and In throwing rocks Into and across tho Cumberland river. Throwing rocks is his principal athletic fcaL and he does not hesitate to wager that he can throw a rock a certain distance. While in SL Louis on a recent trip ho explained his hurling abilities to Joo Tinker. Tho latter, who makes bets with his teammates about as fast as ho can think, llstenod attentively to Toneys ability as a rock thrower. As soon as the pitcher finished Tinker spoko up and aald, 'Til bet you $15 to $10 you cannot do It." Toney looked at the shortstop a moment and then each ono over tho bleachers. Jimmy ! Dojl happened to stroll into th grounds Just as Toney started pegging. Aiter the game that day Toney told i.J Tinker ho would do his share to win ; tho bet. Whllo they were discussing It Jimmy Doyle spoke up and said he saw Tone"y throw tilx rocks over the fence. -Toney, tho big, honest fellow ho la, nodded and told what he had done, and Tinker promptly called off the beL Evldcnco of Toneys marvelous ' strength was first unearthed In Evans-vlllo. Evans-vlllo. Ind , In front of tho Elks' home. In front of the building there Is a hitching stone, which weighs in the neighborhood of 300 pounds. Hclnla Zimmerman and Tom Needham had . somo difficulty In moving It with both hands. Tonoy stood and watched them, j and when thoy had finished he asserted assert-ed ho could lift it with two fingers. : Zimmerman spoke up and said. Til bet you you can't do 1L" One dollar J was the wager. i Toney stooped over, put twot flngen ?( In the ring and lifted tho stone to hit ' knees, swung it back and forth and then sent It down. Zimmerman did not j.' wait long to tell him ho had won tb.8 bcL 4 |