El Paso Herald · El Paso, Texas · 1913

How Great Men Play the Game: Mike Doolan

Scar takes up Mike Doolan, shortstop and captain of the Phillies, in August 1913: an underhand toss from the ankle and true to the mark, tagging that is scientific and void of roughness, and Scrappy is his middle name.

The banner introduces “Mike Doolan, Short Stop & Capt. Phila. N.L.,” and the first caption gets down low with him: “on ground balls Doolan throws from a stooping position - it’s an underhand toss from the ankle and true to the mark.” The drawing has him bent double, flinging the ball from somewhere around his shoelaces.

His defensive manners get a formal certification: “he never blocks a runner, his tagging is scientific and void of roughness.” And then, in case that sounded soft, the next caption takes it all back in verse: “‘Scrappy’ is his middle name and it’s part of his game. He’s a fighter they say, it’s his play every day and he wants ALL decisions to go his way.” Scar draws him mid-argument, arm flung at an umpire, the capital letters on ALL doing their work. Scientific hands, unscientific temperament, team captain.

The corner box on this one has nearly worn away. Whatever Scar wanted us to notice about Doolan, the Herald’s presses laid the ink on thin that day, and a century of microfilm did the rest. The sliding figure is still there. The joke belongs to 1913 now, which feels like something Doolan would have argued about too.