The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-31
CURRENT SPORTING TALK.
ylsrgRN LEAGUE BATTING AND
FIEIDIN0 LTERhGE rs.

n pitchofs, In still aqRreat batsman. He dropped
ont Of the National League q year ago and Joined
the Springfield Club Of tho Eastern League,
which ranks second TO the big organization In
piayinr strength. All last season Big Dan con-
tiuusd TO make pitchers feel uneasy, and. ac-
oordine to the Eastern League averages, which
have Just been compiled, no leads In batting
With the remarkable average Of AIS. Brouthcrs
viiyed In lQo games. He scored liz runs and
made 2os base hits. He win probably succeed
Tom Burns, by the way, az manager OF the
~sprinrneids. Tho fifteen leading batsmen In
Ne Eastern League arc as follows:
prouthsrs, Springfield. .t1B, James Bannon, Spring
No,d. see, woods. Springfield. 800; Bonner. scran-
.osn, eco, Freeman. Toronto. .sb7, Mcoann. Toronto.
,seS, orfnan, Scranton, 1856 Gflboy, Buffalo, 1906
walters, scranton. BAL, Snyder. Toronto. $40; Wise,
anuR.,o, .sss, Knight, Providence. 1896 Goeckel.
vyirssbarrs, $50, ". Mcfarland. Montreal, 1885,
Athsrton. wfkesbsrre. 1897.
Thsro are In all forty-one players who have
nyururos OF 800 or better. Lush OF Toronto 10
me best base runner. having stolen 20 bases In
On names. White and McHale of Toronto and
'Tran OF Syracuse come next with 90 each. In
nclding the averages compare well with those
of the big League. Shaw and Ryan OF Sra
ouse lead the catchers with .976 and .e74 re-
epectively. Ryan. who Is nova member OF the
Brooklyn team. caught 80 games. Duncan Of
BpfinfucIu ChuHnU lOO khnucb Bin DbAoh VI
Providence played behind the bat in 102 games.
Jim Fields of Buffalo leads the first basemen
with 1854 In 100 games. with Brouthers second,
1855 in 1873 games. McGann Of Toronto, who
WIN play first base for Bait more this year. Is
seventh with 1913 In 1873 games. Egan of SYRIA
ouse heads the second basemen with 1853 In 1875
rames. O'Brien OF Providence has 1855, and the
veteran Sam Wise in 122 games piled up 1851,
which shows that he is still very much in the
game. Another "vet.," Charley Bassett OF
Providence, tops the third basemon with 1926
In 1o4 games. Greminger Of Buffalo is second
with .9l9 in 1873 games. Ollie Beard in "a
games averaged $40, and leads the shortstops.
Oooney Of Providence follows with 1921 in 1873
.aames. knight OF Providence carries of the
Outneld honors with .95Y In 1913 games.
There are many ex.National League playersin
tho Eastern organization. and many youngsters
come from tho latter into the big clubs Of the
twelve cities circuit. In looking over the list
these are ex-Leaguers:
% Brouthers. Jimmy Bannon. formerly Of Boston;
Bonner. once with Brooklyn; Freeman. with st. Louis
as ono time; Sam Wise. Egan. Gilbert. Harry Lyons.
wilie Mains. Dooley, Ryan Of Syracuse. Dolan, for.
merry of Boston; Lampe, Abbey. Tom Bannon.
Cooney. once Chicago's shortstop; Joe Mulvey.
Johnny o'Brien, Dan Shannon. Bassstt, "shorty"
Builer. Jack sharrott, Harry staiey. soheibeck. Gun.
~ ASfBOAs eAe
Those who will appear with National League
clubs this year are:
Ryan, catcher, with Brooklyn: Dixon. Casey. and
Snyder. cstchers. with Warrington; McGann. nrst
base. with Baltimore; Egan. second base. with Pitts
burg; Wagner, shortstop with Washington; McHale.
outlelder. with Washington; Woods, pitcher. with
chicago; willis. pitcher, with Boston; Becker. pitcher.
with Philadelphia.
II tho averages had been published at q
time when drafting by National League clubs
was possible, many moro young men would
probably have been taken from the Eassern.
but the averages were held back SO that the
hig magnates received no official knowledge Of
what tho players had done.
How many ball players, whether in the major
or minor leagues, know tho rules as they are
printed in the League Guide" each yearf Not
he players ras t sasS u less aSont s dseq playing az say r shes
than tho public had any idea Of, and on many
S Sssss ap The he coded ssss a hi iistl sr"GPa isyers PLAYERS as q ,u to
they think Il they know how to hit. how to
field, and how to run bases, that is sufficient.
Captains to look out for technical points and
questions involving the rules which have puz-
zled some Of the most noted players in the
a asaEas; s 81 sSs o sssnaI su tisasy a ssvd nst f ms%b tes
Of two Western teams who were stopping, at
the same hotel here last summer began 70 dis
cuBg baseball questions. An umpire had rem
dered q decision at Eastern Park which some
If the players thought was wrong. A man on
second had so far forgotten himself as to run to
Third when that base was occupied BY another
man. and when both men were touched by the
In the field that both runners were out. The
umpire. however. properly declared only one
base-on the ground that the man on third was
not forced. especially in view Of the fact that
mt hA0n hit The nlavarQ yghn fhnnDhf that
the umplre's decision was wrong were still in
doubt after he had shown the rule covering the
SO At all: Some players who are careful r Of
deuIarly on tho question Of stolen bases. One
Now York team was on third base In a certain
game Last year. and when the next batsman sent
IN long 9 so ny tr % the af ftsht ld aiihsr 6 ne sc TTs su rSa
score Of tho game the next morning The play;
or esked the reporter why he had not received
That was 2 stolen bese," said the player.
risSs.% when tho asg reporter sr,re p %a Sns d' the Ssr rule 10
pn stolen bases. which convinced the player Of
supposed that stolen bases were made in the
manner he had claimed. as well as taking
sn cnss Of qn not sse k Gssssiry P aSs rules. 1t IN TaS yi si%D Gi
yersed In The laws Of the turf, 4 Is reasoned
1922 SS bNeo hAtNos "a thC Ohu W
bring about reforms, might do well to compel
players; to study the nne points Of the rules,
especially the clause that prohibits kicking.
Manager Joyce of the New Yorks is the first
10 claim the League pennant this year. Scrap
p" believes that no has the greatest team In
that the deal for Grady and Hartman has
sounded out tho nine whore 1t was weak last
eeason. He also. points with pride to his big
1~our"-Rusie. Meekin. ~Doheny, and Seymour
who are generally regarded as the star pitch.
NSrs"in the League. He says thai in pitchers the
Now Yorks can beat out all the other teams.
There are several things, however. over which
yoyco 10 perhaps a trlfe too enthusiastic.
CLARK remains on first base. where he can field
bit mp to the standard. The outfeld does not
eesin to compare with that of Boston. Balti-
hard drives. McCreery is not the batter he
was cracked up to be and Is a weaker fielder
than either Herman or Van Haltren. Gleason
q Davis cannot bo excelled in their respec-
tive places, and Hartman wii''be a decided i'm
pfoyement over Joyce at third base. II the
pttS a bold put there may be reason for more
ball and tho many accldents that ara lila BILE To