Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-04-19 | Page 9 | Starring in Sports

Benny Kauff. By NORMAN E. BROWN. Benny Kauff, having slipped a bit below the speed ho set for himself last season, is anxious for the present season sea-son to get under way so that he can "tear loose." Benny believes he Is set for a big year. And tho spirit he shows is one of the reasons why Benny Is one of the few Feds still starring in baseball. Benuy is more than willing to learn and is plugger. The Federal league put Kauff in tho baseball limelight. The Federal league put Kauff In the baseball limelight. lime-light. Benny, a Middlesport, O., boy, started his baseball career with a semi-pro team near home in 1909. He 1. 1 1 rnll,A In . 1. n mlnOt hchjuu inn lauici in iiiv iuui mwiv as a boy. He first tried the pro game with Parkersburg in the Virginia Valley Val-ley league in 1910 as pitcher and outfielder. out-fielder. The Yankees gave him a try-out try-out in a few games the next year and then sent him to Bridgeport, recalling re-calling him the next season. They decided de-cided he wouldn't do, however, and back to the bushes he went. He played with Rochester, Brockton and Hart" ford. After two years at Hartford Bonny figured he was duo to g'o up again but was turned over lo the Ip-dlanapolls Ip-dlanapolls A. A. club. Just at this tlmo tho Federal league was signing every likely looking player In sight Benny heard the call of coin and jumped. He became one of the big stars of the Fc-ds and in the settlement settle-ment that followed the armistice between be-tween the Feds and organized ball Giants. Manager McGraw saw a star in Kauff and labored long with him to correct a baiting fault and teach him other fine poluts of the game. How Benny, press agented to the skies as "greater than Ty Cobb" and heralded her-alded as one of the greatest finds of nil time, managed to keep his head clear is a mystery. But he pulled through. He's a very valuable member mem-ber of the Giant outflelding trio of Young. Burps nnd Kauff. He's twenty-nine twenty-nine years old. -Jast year he batted .277, collecting twenty-seven doubles, seven triples and ten homers. Hio fielding was only fair. 4 '