The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-27
1T is WITHOUT AN EQUAL.
DISCUSSION OF THE FEATs OF MEN
WHO HATED LIVELY
BALLS,
DAN BRoUTHERs HAS RETIRED.
Catcher RObfnson's Hard
Luck.

| NEW YORK, July 23.--Four home
runs in one game! That great feat
was accomplished by Deiehanty, of the
Philadelphia club. In a recent game
at Chicago. Taken in its specific out
lines it Is probably the greatest bat
/ ting feat on record: In the old DAYS
of underhand pitching and a much
more lively ball believe the late
Harry Wright made seven or eight
home runs In one game, but home
runs in that style of playing were al
most as frequent as two base hits are
now. If Delehanty had made his
home runs on the Boston ground. or
on the Phillies' own ground. much
would have been taken from the honor
of the performance, for in Boston the
left and right field fences, and in
Philadelphia the right field fence are
so near to the diamond that MANY
ny balls go over which count as home
runs, but which with an unobstructed
held would be easy outs. All of Dele
hanty's four base hits were made in
side Of the incIosed grounds. They
were good long drives which could not
be returned by the fielders till after the
noted Philadelphia batsmen had made
the circuit or the bases.
| Another thing which adds to this
batting record Is the fact that 1t was
not generally a heavy hitting game.
The Philadelphia team made only
| eight runs, half of which were sDePs''
homers. He faced Pitcher Terry onJv
five times, hitting for the circuit in
every instance but one, and then he
scored a single. I am quite sure that
this is a record which has never been
equaled.
Just preceding this bit Of base hall
history made by a Philadelphia player
| came the announcement that the same
| club had given Dan Brouthers his nm
conditional release. That Is probably
the end of this once famous base bali
players professional life. He has been
| let down" by the Baltimore, Brook
Ign, Louisville and PHILADELPHIA clubs
in succession, and it is well known
that he had declared his intention of
| pulling out after his usefulness to the
| Quakers ceased. Brouthers has saved
much of his base ball earnings in the
fifteen or sixteen years of his work on
the diamond and by judicious invest
ments has acquired property from the
usufruct of which ne can maintain his
family. He therefore Is not under the
-~-~-~--~~>~Ao
III minor league clubs at much smaller
salaries.
AS Datsman rather than a first
baseman Brouthers' usefulness was
made apparent. For twelve years he
either led the country at batting or
stood well up among the leaders. Dur
Ing the last few years his good eye,'
falled rapidly, and he was no more a
terror to pitchers. I first saw BrolJtT
ers play in 1879 on the old Cincinnati
grounds near the stockyards. He was
In the heyday Of his professional life.
1t was the first time that Will White
as pitcher ever faced the tall. aWk-
ward young fellow A pitcher in those
days had more latitude with bad balls
than he does now, and it was Whites
habit to merely toss the first ball across
In parabolic curve three or four feet
above the batsmans head. He did not
vary his custom for Brouthers, but Dan
never let anything go by in those days
which he could reach. So he merely
raised his six feet one on his toes.
reached up with his long bat, and the
ball went sailing over the right center
field fence.
AS I've already said, Brouthers never
ranked very high a first baseman- In
deed, may go so far as to say that the first
baseman Of today far inferior as felders
TO some OF those who have passed OUT
stars.
back In the seventies, in my Judgment, was
the greatest first baseman since the game
has been played. "Chubp Sullivan, of the
Cfncfnnatis and Worcesters, was the best
man that ever stood on that bag when catch
ing thrown ball was the measure of merit
His record of playing a. season without drop
ping one throw has certainly not been equaled
Long john Reilly, of the Cincnnatis: Co.
mfskey, of the four time winners the St.
Louis Browns, and Carey, of last years Bal
timores, were among the best felders Of their
position of the later first basemen. But
Reilly and Carey were weak batsmen and
that pushed them out of league company.
The best first baseman IN the big league to-
day Is Tucker. Yet he was listed for the
bench early in the year because his batting
last year was rather weak, For some reason
his batting picked up, and now he Is doing
the most timely hitting Hof his team. And
there is that wonder of base ball, Arson. He
too, has made record by playing thirty
games without an error, while his batting is
something which even his Chicago enemies
are bound to applaud.
Since Lachanee established himself IN the
National league only one other minor league
first basenlan has secured a berth in the
same company. That is William H. Clark,
of the New York club. He excels as
fielder and is improving steadily as a bats
man, SO that he bids fair to reach the top
Of his class within year or two. Clark is
a Western Pennsylvania. His home is in
Pittsburg
Comiskey established style of fielding at
first base which is not now followed by any
Of the men who play the position in the
National league. 1t was his custom to play
from thirty to forty feet beyond first base
and depend half of the time on his pitchers
to cover the bag on hard hit toward right.
Foutz- Caruthers, Hudson and King consd-
cred 1t half of their duty to start toward first
base the moment ball was batted toward
Comiskey. This style of playing the base
cut off many balls which at this later day
would go safely to the outfeld. Then too
it was almost an impessibility for fly to
fall between the in and outfield on that side
of the diamond. Pitchers at this stage Of
the game cover first base much less than
they did when the Comiskey style was in
vogue
Speaking Of that noted team Of Brown
Stockings Is reminder that one of the fam
Gus number is almost ready to join the
silent majority. refer to Curt Welch,