Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-12-28
FIRST BASEMEN.
w. l. Harris Analyses the
WORK of the Cracks"
THEY MUST DE GOOD BATTERS.
Anson, Common. Fcutz. Orr, Fucker,
Brouthers, Fsrrar, Whistler, C~omiskey,
Reilly. Beckley and Esterbrook Are
the Wen Considered.

VI bf'Ait w LstfFufobh NTt
the Men Considered.
There seems to I've a tradition that a frs.
baseman mnstbe "A great batsman II he
is not a better man than the average with
the stick he is not apt to hold his position
long on "A major league Team. Can he
bats' j. one Of the first questions asked by
a manager nowadays when lac il looking
for a first bl>eman. Nothing hut the most
extraordinary fielding and hl>e running
can excuse BOO hating. As bi. men gen
orally hit the hardest, nearly all good first
basemen ARE tremendous in physique.
Naturally such mcn are not a. active IL
Others on the bases. and with a lew cXCrp
tions none has ever Shone ~ a base run,
net. The CREATES opponents ~ the posi-
tion are .ln,nr, Comnor, foutz, Orr,
Tucker, Brourfn rs. Farrar. Whistler.
Comisk"y. Refill Brckley and E>terbrook.
All VI these moi have distinctive value in
certain d!rectio :. and in their particular
speciality arr 81 lo>t unapproachable.
Every man = lo plays first base must be
able O. hold : ' >wifteSt thrown balls aud
be able 10 >trp the most terrific ground
hits. Not ~ y this. but he must he able
TO reach ouJ and save his iielders from
wild throws, because the best throwers
have frequrYtly such a short time at their
disposal. aud have to throw 50 many balls
while on the dead run. that they find il
next to impossible 10 get the ball right
into the waiting mitts II the first baseman.
In considering the dozen men named |
shall do 80 simply on their merits in a
team, leaving out hose things which do
not apply To the position. The poorest
batsmen Of the lot are Farrar, Whistler
and Comiskey, and the best, Foutz, Con
nor, Orr and Tucker. Arson and Brouth-
ers nave generally been considered the best
hitters, but during the past two years
neither Of them has kept within call Of
his previous reputation.
Last year Arson fielded better than he
has for several seasons, while Brouthers
played the LATEST, most sluggish game of
his career. He never was a great fielder
except in the averages, but last year he
was not in it with the Others. Connor,
Foutz and Tucker are expert ia every
branch of the game. Tucker is the best
base runner Of the lot, and Whistler can
do some pretty tall hustling in this line: so
can Comiskey. Foutz and Reilly excel In
getting high thrown balls. This is.due
somewhat to the fact that they are both
very tall men. Esterbrook and Beckley
arr good iielders, the former especially so.
and both are tremendous hitters when they
light squarely on the ball. Farrar Is an
extra good fielder. no base runner aud an
average batsman. The quickest man to
put a ball thrown from pitcher or catcher
on 10 a base unner il Whistler. His abil.
ity in this line l. marvellous.
Orr and Tucker excel on thrown ground
balls, and il may he said that considering
his height and weight Orr is a marvel in
q~uickness. Esterbrook has a very snowy,
catchy style of play, and when he is play.
ing his game always receives hearty ap-
plause from the crowds: u this adula
ton, which is, a. il were, the breath Of his
Dostrils, often serves 10 really deprrciate
his value A. a winning player, although he
is always n drawing card. EsterbroOk,
when entirely pleased with his surround.
ings and playing a brilliant game, is an
easy mar TO handle, but when in hard
luck he j. likely 10 lie somewhat morose
and cranky, and needs a great deal Of pet
ting. These things count against him,
but il should lie said Of E.sterbrook that
he il an enthusiastic and "A hard worker,
and has always played good ball for Jim
Mutrle when Jim wGs allowed Ia treat him
Ia his own way without interference.
Arson. Foutz. Tucker and C"miskey
have a peculiar value as batsmcu because
they are scientific hitters, and H. such al.
ways able aud willing TO make sacrifice
hits. II l~IrJuther-, Beckley, Orr, Ester.
brook, Farrar or Reilly ever make a sacri
flee hit, except "A fly ball. II is worthy Of
special remark and II generally An acci.
dent. Indeed il is doubtful If Brputhers,
Esterbropk or Reilly could make one IL
he tried. still this is nothing 10 their
discredit, for they are generally such good
men with the stick that they cnn say with
the MAI who was asked why he didn't
work, II don't have to-
Whistler i, included in this combination
Of great fr-t hil'men because b. y some
thing IN the way Of a phenomenon, Last
year Na, Hl- IF-t 10 any De- m VI much
note -hi- lr,t ,rl-lu Zoo a major league
and whrH 10 n. rrrauup4i ruat lr only pat
in a few fnnUl.a' S0rk, aud attracted the
attention col imr crIul,. avn experts very
where ~, q .tIagDF % rrpn sable promise,
IL will BE- rtU,rI7i tlli D." wI- rnt lied to
mentiou AlmUg wI.ltIc usher rlrsea who
are veteran ~ many years standing.
II il a yurg N.1. m It,rr 30 nick ult the
best mnn If those t.riye WIcn ability ns
manager aud captain Is not considered.
All thiuU- ulieu int account. II has been
my opinion for Iwpy u'tr- that FDntl leads,
and without any -,rriai attempt IA do 50 ]
have ma! a. .l 70. pb,tls which
shows II also. IN m''iu- the figures the
five chief thing. cIusilce Ell are batting,
base ruuuin4, IciirA lie ,prtnent and
knowledge ~ LIS paints ID. pay evolved In
the game. Thi- la,tpri n o. the most
important Of Rl!, ~ re- ruu n MI stupid, no
matter what lis o. b., quHli lEitions are,
would not he considered va Al man. OF
course none Of the twelve men selected IL
stupid, but some ARE brighter than others.
Cranks will lild "a rsuOi deal Of interest
IN making up "a t. ,lr nd thctr own judg-
ment. Mine wils made by putting the
twelve names under each other, and carry
ing out In five columns opposite each mans
the mans ranh, In my o%pinion, In each Of
the five points cOnsi 4rsd. The totals a