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Show THE RICH COUNTY REAPER. RANDOLPH. UTAH Speaking of Sports Baseballs Best Pilots Played Average Game By ROBERT McSHANE Jack of All Trades O NE of baseballs sensations though not for his playing ability is Morris (Moe) Berg, scholar, gentleman and catcher for the Boston Red Sox. Not that Moe isnt a good baseball player. He is. But hes such a versatile individual that his accomplishments in other fields tend to awe the average onlooker. To begin with, Moe can talk fast and furiously in five different languages, and has a working knowledge of about a dozen more. He studied Romance languages at Princeton, graduating in 1923. He originally planned on going to the Sorbonne in Paris to study phonetics, but decided to finance his continued education by playing ball with Brooklyn. He played the summer of 1923 and then went to Paris. When he came back the following summer the Dodgers werent particularly impressed. The winter spent in study hadnt helped his hitting, so he was sold to Minneapolis. From Minneapolis he went to Reading in the International league, and from there to the Chicago White A NOTHER major American cri- sis developed not long ago when Columbia Lou Gehrig benched himself after establishing what may be an all-tirecord for consecutive games. Plainly the iron man was nearing the end of the trail. Huge, salty tears were shed over Gehrigs impending doom. What did baseball intend to do for the man who has done so much for it? Who would reward him with a managerial job? Forgotten was the fact that Gehrig hasnt yet retired, that he isnt a decrepit individual requiring a guiding hand to steer him to the closest relief agency. But the American sports-lovin- g public is like that. Let one of its heroes start slipping and the hue Sox in 1925. and cry is nation wide. He must Deciding on further education, Moe enrolled in the law school of Columbia university. He passed the New York state bar examinations in 1929. His comprehensive knowledge was ably demonstrated recently when he appeared on a quiz program over a nation-wid- e hookup. He astonished even bis fellow broadanswers casters with his rapid-fir- e to the g questions. In addition to his other accomplishments, Moe is familiar with the scores of several operas, and is a lover of the drama. A real gourmet, he knows the best restaurants in all the cities on the big league route. Moe, despite his amazing versatility, is primarily a baseball player. He doesnt want to be known as a lawyer or a linguist, he wants to be looked upon as a conscientious, g catcher. He played on the 1933 Washington team, under Manager Joe Cronin, and Cronin, Bergs boss now on the Red Sox, will attest to Bergs value OSCAR VITT to the team which won the AmeriHe be rewarded. What can we do for can League championship. him? The fact that the big sports plays a steady, consistently good figure 'may make more in a week game, and though no second Babe than the average person does in a Ruth, manages to be a dangerous year is seemingly beside the point. hitter in a pinch. Nor does he play baseball for It was a black mark against basethe money involved. He has been ball, according to calamity howlers, player, and in Addition, that Babe Ruth wasnt given a man- a well-pai- d of a New York law member a is agers job when he retired. He was of two New Jera director and firm, colorful most the games figure, packing the stands wherever he ap- sey manufacturing plants. peared and giving the best years of Shorts his life to the diamond wars. Ruth was the highest paid baseball playlosing the first heat in er in history, signing contracts at a A FTER which she started, Nancy top price of $80,000 per year. Hawks, first trotting horse to beat 2:05, won 45 straight and never lost Unsung Heroes another race . . . Overlooked is the fact that each Carl Hubbell nevyear a lot of fast, smart ballplayers er argues with go by the boards. They, too, have umpires, believdevoted their best years to the ing it to be bad game, but when the final day rolls luck. Thats probaround they cast an agonized eye the reason ably over the bank book and wonder Umpire George where theyre going to open a filling Magerkurth says counter. lunch or station Hubbell is the There seems to be some good reaeasiest player in son why great baseball stars arent baseball to get usually picked when managers are along with . . . Manuel appointed. Some of them have, such Salvo, as Tris Speaker, Cobb and Walter Giant pitcher, Johnson. But they didnt last. The was a floorwalkmost successful managers seem to er in a San Franbe those men who were good play- cisco department store during his ers, but not great ones. off seasons there . . . George Sis-le- r, Connie Mack, the most widely member of baseballs Hall of known, was once a catcher and a Fame, recently traveled a thousand good one. But experts dont rate miles to deliver one pitch. Guest him with Kling and Bresnahan. of honor at a Wichita semi-pr- o Oscar Vitt, Cleveland manager, Sisler arrived from St. Louis was formerly a major league infield- game, a driving rain. The game during er. He isnt remembered for his was postponed, but outstanding ability as a player. Sisler made his one Rather he was a reliable performer pitch, then caught a who played a steady game. train for home . . . Joe McCarthy, the most success- Bad news item: ful manager in baseball, could never Tommy Farr says make the grade in the he is coming back to America to fight Success Stories Max Baer again . . . Casey Stengel and Jimmy Dykes Billy Conn recently were better than the average ball announced that he player in their best years, but nei- will not become a ther of them were world beaters. heavyweight fighter, Since they shed their uniforms but will content himtheyve been doing better than all self with being the y . . . Warner Brothright. Del Baker of the Tigers was best a catcher in his day, but didnt do ers expect to sign Spencer Tracy to so weU in the majors. play the lead role in The Life of With so many players of average Knute Rockne . . . The Philadelability making the grade as man- phia White Elephants were renamed agers, it seems more than coinci- the Athletics when Connie Mack dence that the stars fail in an exec- took over the club in May, 1901 utive capacity. It seems, though, a . . . Loyola university of Chicago waste of sympathy to shed tears has won 42 of its last 43 home basover a great man whose playing ketball games . . . E. J. Delehanty career is drawing to a close. He is the only player who has won has made money, has a host of batting championships in both mafriends and admirers and has led jor leagues. He won the National the kind of an existence he wanted. league title in 1899 with a percentBecause baseball doesnt offer him age of .408 and the American league a managers job it doesnt mean that championship in 1902 with .376 . d moguls of the game are Though the New York Giants won wretches, casting off a man when 26 consecutive games to establish a his usefulness is over. A man may record in 1916 they did not win the be a great ball player, but lack the pennant . . . The Green Bay Packessential qualifications of a good ers are increasing the capacity of manager. their stadium for the third straight Fortunately, ball club owners real- year. ize that. Western Onion.) OUR COMIC SECTION Events in the Lives of Little Men $ brain-stumpin- hard-workin- P o p Sport big-leagu- e. M A T T IE light-heav- R 9 O p hard-hearte- (Related by Newspaper 0 By C. M. Payne WNU |