The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-17
STENIARTs STAR PITCHER
OF THE VIRGINIA LEAGUE
Lynchburg Twirer Pitched Thirty Games and Al
lowed Smallest Percentage of Hits to Times at
Bat of Opponents During the Season.

Who is the best pitcher In the Vir-
ginia League? There will probably be
many answers TO this question By as
many different persons. and there 10 NJ
authoritative way to decide. Generally
the largest percentage Of games won
is accepted AZ tile criterion Of the ef-
fectiveness OF a pitcher. but this is by
no means fair standard However
brilliantly a twirier may perform. poor
work by the team behind him may
ncutralize his splendid record and the
game will be ciiqlked UP against him.
Again, pitcher may go in against an
opposing twirler who is in bad form.
and the other fellow may be hammered
nll over the lot. The winning pitcher
may nave five or six runs earned on
his delivery. but he wins. not because
Of his good work. but because of the
Opposing pitchers poor work.
Taking the official figures given out
by secretary Gregory, Stackpole ranks
first with. a perfect winning percent
age. though Bertram, OF Norfolk, with
twenty games played, is really en-.
titled to the honor, and Walker, Of
Danyille. next, basing their relative
positions on games won and lost. The
true test of a pitchers consistency ana
effectiveness, however, is to be found
in the percentage of base hits
to times at bat by t, ans opposing him.
Even that is not an unerrinS test, Tor
poor fielding may permit many drives
to 20 as hits which clever feiders
would eat up"
Basing the relative merits OF pitchers
upon the small percentage OF base
hits to times at bat of opponents. Schu-
man. who jumped Portsmouth team In
mid-season, and Harry Stewart. who
~ fha ,yhn n1onthH
with Lynchburg, IRE nearly tied for
premier hours. Considering the fact
that Stewart performed in thirty
games to twenty-five for Schuman. he
Ia probably entitled to the record OF
being the most consistently effective
pitcher In the Virginia League. Schu-
man allowed hit percentages OF .170
to every time at bat or inS other words
he allowed seventeen hits TO every 100
men at bat or 1T hits for every ten
times Mt bat. Stewart, who played
while batters were at their best, al
lowed a percentage of 1T Of hits to
times at hat. or 17.7 hits were made by
batters batting 100 times off his de-
livery. His opponents were at bat $50
times and made only l52 hits during
the season. In Schumans case 6s5
batters faced him during the season
and secured los hits. Basing their
work on this plan, LAVENDER. of Dam
willie. ranks next to Stewart with a
percentage OF hits allowed OF $50;
Walsh, of Danville, next with .1s5:
Otey, of Norfolk, is close behind, with
1ss; Morrissey and Flowers. Of Roam
oke. with 1913; Walker, of Danville.
with .194: Cassidy, of Richmond, with
.1sb; Bertram. of Norfolk. and Stack
pole, OF Richmond. with .19s; salve. OF
Richmond, with 1921 Long, Of Rich
mond, with .2o1, and Kline OF Lynch
burg, with .205.
won, notwithstanding the six weeks
slump, during which his team was all
to pieces, and did not win. Stewart is
justly to be considered the most eff
fective pitcher in the Virginia League.
and he wasocertainly the most consis-
tent sss5