Former Heavyweight Champion Jim Jeffries fields a ground ball at his ranch in Burbank, California as he prepares for “The Fight of the Century,” against reigning champion Jack Johnson; Johnson pummeled the former champ on July 4 in Reno, Nevada, retaining his title on a TKO in the 15th round.
Behind him is Harley M. “Beanie” Walker, sports editor of The Los Angeles Examiner.
A decade earlier, while champion, Jeffries along with fellow fighters John L. Sullivan and “Gentleman Jim” Corbett began making appearances as umpires (Corbett also played at times) in many minor league games. The use of fighters as umpires appears to have been the idea of Atlantic League president, and future Hall of Famer Ed Barrow, although all three fighters appeared at professional games in many leagues across the country. When Barrow died in 1953, Al Abrams of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said he once paid Jeffries “60 percent of the gate receipts,” for appearing at a game.
After Jeffries defeated Corbett in 1900 he did a series of appearances at ballparks across the country. The Kansas City Star said:
“Jeffries had an easy time as the players were so scared they forgot all the baiting tactics.”
Jeffries often included a sparring exhibition as part of his appearance, when he didn’t, fans usually left disappointed. The St. Joseph (MO) Herald said during his 1900 ballpark tour:
“He merely walked up and down between first and second bases, but was not heard either by the crowd or the players, to make any decisions…The crowd had expected that Jeffries, besides umpiring the game throughout, would be placed on exhibition and put through his paces…such remarks as ‘Where’s the punching bag?’ and ‘Who’s going to box with him?’ were heard among the crowd, and when no bag or sparring mate was produced the disappointment of the spectators was so apparent that it had a depressing effect on the teams.”
Jim Jeffries
“Beanie” Walker would leave the newspaper business in 1917 and become a screenwriter for movie producer Hal Roach, writing title cards during the silent film era and dialogue for talkies. Walker wrote for Roach’s films featuring Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd, and Our Gang.
Beanie Walker
Walker is also credited with coining the nickname for a redheaded teenage pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels in the Pacific Coast League with an excellent fastball, who would became the first big league player from Arizona. Lee William “Flame” Delhi only pitched one game for the Chicago White Sox; the 19-year-old, who had already pitched nearly 700 inning of professional ball (not including two seasons of winter ball), had a dead arm by the time he joined the Sox.
Flame Delhi
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