Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-11-14
CATCHERS OF TODAY.
King, the Famous Mask Artist OF the
Chicago Mine, in Class by Himself.

According to Otto Floto the
catchers Of the present day do not
class with the old,time backstops when
i comes to general all-around work. In
the days when king" Kelly, Jack Glenn
ents. Buck Ewing, Bennett Flint Bush
ong, Buckley, Boyle and the other famous
mask and wlnd-bag artists were in har-
ness the work revolved around the catch
er and he was the grand mogul Of the
diamond
Today the play is more machine-like,
and the catcher is simply one man in
nine. Fifteen years ago the catcher not
only stopped the balls thrown by the
pitcher. but also used his head to the best
possible advantage. in order to lessen the
work OF the pitcher at every available
point lie also had to keep his end up
In the batting and base running lines
How many catchers Of today class with
the told-t stars? Very few indeed,
King, the famous Chicago backstop, Is
the only man who Is an artist in his line,
and Is the only catcher who really can
be classed with the famous stars Of the
early 9Os. King stands out In the lime
light by himself as no other catcher COM
pares with him when It comes to gener-
alship. batting, base running, and all
around work.
King brought things back to the Gus
toms of We olden times so far as the
Chicago team was concerned
During the season just ended the play
work from Killing through the balance
OF lflt team, MILK was lilt CthNlbl'Nt'
around which the eight other players raj
ledh He caught day after day, and no
other backstop in the land did such work
as he lie batted heavily and &C the prop
err time; he ran bases speedily, and he
trained the Chicago pitchers until they
became almost invincibe
The pittsburg team, champions OF the
National league, was trying TO get real
star catcher all season. Most of the WORK
deyolved ON Phelps, and Phelps, though
pulial
New York's pitchers were It's mainstay'
The catchers cut a mechanical and subor-
dinate figure. Cincinnati pulled along py
batting. It's catchers were good, but NOT
remarkable. Brooklyn had experimental
catchers, who did not develop any
wonderful power, Boston threw about all
the work on one man, Moran, ana ne Is
certainly far from being In the king
class. Philadelphia's backstops did moth
ing wonderful and the men employed by
st. Louis did not set anything on fire.
The Boston champions of the American
league depended on team work, ana their
one good catcher. Crlger. hattei so weak
w as to knock him out In any comparison
with Killing. Connie Mack had nothing
extra in the catching line Bemls OF
Cleveland was as good as anything III the
American league and many critics rank
him as second TO King alone. Grlf'ith
was up against II, for O'Connor, once a
king is both old and unruly, aud Bevlllo
is second-rate timber Detroit and Me-
Gulre. now showing symptoms Of has
beenism and Buel0w, second class play
or "a I,ouis' two catchers were far from
the king standard and Washington had
10 pln most Of its faith to kitlrldge now
growing old,
Billy sulllvans Comlskeys best catch
er. Is one man who looks gooi even pe-
side John king but his equality ~ eaten
ing and generalshp Is spoiled hN KING
immense superiority as y batsmall'
John Killing is King Of catchers fan
can't figure II amy qther way-he ~ n'
stnp of the present time.