The evening times., 1896-09-09
AVERAGES OF THE PLAYERS
Jennings, Burkett, Keeler and
Delehanty All in a Bunch.
HOME SCORERS ARE PARTIAL
Kelley Leads the League in Runs.
Hoy Stands First as Sacrtficer.
Lange Is Far Ahead In Base Steal
ing-Cuppy VIII Likely Carry OFF
tile Honor as a Fielding Pitcher.

The latest grist OF League averages COM
piled and sprung upon an unsuspecting pub
lie puts Jennings, the saucy little shortstop
OF the BaltirDores, in the lead for League
batting hoDors, with a percentage OF .3S2.
The race, however, is extremely close.
Three others-Keeler, Burkett and Dele
hanty-are within reaching distance. A
couple OF good, hard-hitting games by any
one of the three, supposiDg Jennings to have
bit of hard luck, would change the order
Under these circumstances, IL behooves the
energetic scorers to get wiggle Burkett,
the pride OF Cleveland, has nine games to
play at home, and it will be marvellous IL
the Cleveland scorer does not give him the
fattest hoist N base hits on those nine games
that ever happened, Anything that Iands
safe for Burkett in Cleveland is base
hit, and his average, could he only play at
home all season, would he about 692. 1t
is howling shame that he ever has TO leave
home and have that fat average OF his
hauled off its perch by the morbid, jealous
scorers in the other towns
Jennings and KeeIer have a little the
better OF Burkett at that for they have
ten games TO play at home. and in such IL
crisis as the present the Baltimore scorer
will surely outdo himself to see that they
get to the front. The only thing shat VIII
trouble him Will be which one of the pair
to have win. He loves both, and how On
earth will he have the heart 10 ever mark
down five hits for Hughey and only two fer
Willie, or vice versa?
DELEHANTY HAS A SHOW
Delehanty must be counted in on tie
shuttle. Big Del must vet play four games
at home, and in those four he will get all
the best OF it. The fun. however, comes in
the TACT that the Quakers Will have to play
three games at baltimore. and the Balti,
more scorer won't do thing To Del. He
will exalt Hughey aud Willie and VIII
play horse with Eddie. and the result is
apt to be that Burkett will slide in ahead
after all.
Honestly, the present scoring methods are
a shame According to the figures, there
are fifty-eight players at or over the 800
mark. Last year there were about sev-
enty. The averages saIlthroueharc "A shade
lower, and show that the pitchers are get
ting back their effectiveness. aud are rap
idly overcoming the five-foot handicap
placed upon them In 1893.
joe kelic leads The league in ruHs scored
-14O in 10 games. Joe is vel sup
ported by the Orioles who bat him aroaud
with much fervor. Burkett has MADE the
most hits 1870 lin 1 IL games Little Dummy
Hoy leads in sacrifices twent ty-niue-show
ing ihatthe deaf mute knows 4 thing or two
about bunting, team play aud advancing,
runners.
Only three men have base-rui,uing aver
ages that show up prettily -Lange. iGG;
Miller, 1S, and Hamilton. 65 Lanye has
the honor safely slowed, for Miller can
never reach him now. Bill may get Ilb
on the season, and thus equal Hami,ton's
record of 1880.
FIELDING RECORDS INTERESTING.
ThefieldiBg records are interesting Cnppy
IF Cleveland looks like the bes, fielding
pitcher and there is no doubt that the
mig can cover his district well. Fraser
takes tue bun for error-making. Kittridse
sizes up as the best catcher. CAMEL is a
few points ahead in the figures, but Kit
Is sdreiy the better tirower ard has caught
nearly twice as many games as Cancel
The value OF age and experience amcug
catchers is generally accepted as rreatS
would STOW, for the five leading catchers-
CAMEL, kittridge, Peitz, Vaughn ard
ClemeDtS-are all veterans and only ope
youhgster-McF Farland-ranks up nearthem
The five weakest backstops, according to
the avera geS, are all youngsters
Laioie of Philadelphia leads the first
basenien, with marvellous avera ge, which
will scale down as the season advances.
The veterans, ,Anson and Conner. come next.
Bid McPbee leads the second basenen, as
he deserves to- George Smith OF C:Dein-
natl leads the sliortstOps
1t is noti,t able in the Cincinnati aver
ages that Ewing, McP hee, Smith and Ir-
win, the infielders, while their work has
been uniformly good, have accepted noa
nearly as many chances per game the
infielders OF most of the oil her clubs. wf1.e
the three Cincinnati outfielderS have far
more put-outs than any other trio-TI7, to
$50 by the Philadelphia outfield. Gil by
the Chicago gardeners and 626 by those
Of Boston
The figures, therefore, show plainly that
but for the active Burke and Hoy in Gin
cinnati'S lcftand oenterm many a drive would
have gone safe andmany game have heen
slowed away in the pockets of the enemy.
Cross leads the third basemen-he usually
does. Little Lave has way of getting
in front Of more grounders than any other
man in the profession. and he always stops
them, tee. Big Sam Thompson heads ths
outfieldcrs.