The Washington herald., 1908-09-06

Runs win baseball games Il usually
takes hits 20 make runs, and Il takes
bats 10 make hits; ergo, the most imPor-
tant part Of the bah game IS the festive
swat stick
Everv fan knows more or less about
gloves. masks. mitts. &c. but how many
ever stop 70 consider the difference in
the whaling weapons used daily by the
sunburned athletes who cavort daily
for the pleasure OF the thousands Of en-
thusias1s VINO pay their coed money 20
see the national game?
Every player has his own pet stick
without which he walks % the plate
win Htue expectation OF fattening his
batting average; put his own pet style
o. war club in his hands and he feels
sorry for the pitcher who opposes him
Big bats and little baIs, long hats
and short bats. heavy bats and light
bats. far bats ard thin bats are used
by the heavy sIugeers. and almost every
bah player OF any Importance In the
country has his bats made 70 order
The bats when lying IN TOW in front
Of the players bench on the diamond
seem 10 be ns%ly all alike 10 ths spec
tators. but when viewed more closely
they are Is different in size, shape. and
weight as could be imagined Some bats
are long and thin. others long and thick,
while some are short AID stUbby, and
others short and thin. The weight varies
q great deal n bats, for It IS seldom that
two players are found who use bats Of
TIE same shape and weight
Like Davis Model.
The rnost pooular bat IS the Harry
Davis bar. for more vvaIloping clubs are
made from this model than from any
other Of the thousand models kept at the
factory. This particular stick is OF me-
dium length. with a straight taper an
handle. which. while not as thin as some
players require. is slender 70 allow The
batters 10 get a good grip for hard
swing The bats are limited 10 a length
weight and thickness, but there IS no
limit on The oppOsiJes OF these measure
ments. The limit 70 the weight IS sixty
ounces. and the only player using a bat
this heavy is William AIcDOnaCgh. Of The
Denver club, whose swat stick goes the
limit The bat used by McDOuaugh is not
particularly long, but IS a thick, solid
usece OF wood. with the handle not q
great deal thinner than the batting end
Pete O'Brien- former National utility
plav. has the ''freaziest' bat ever
seen on a baseball field, as his Pet stick
IS twe1ty-eight inches long and greatly
resembles an Old-fashiOued potato masher.
It's handle is so short that II is barely
large enough TO allow its owner and de-
signer 10 get his hands on Il The bat
ting end is fat and chubby and is
shopped on about where most bats are
beginning 10 taper Although small IL is
rather q heavy little swatter- as its Chub-
biness keeps up its weight
Cy Seymour. the heavy hitting center
gardener Of the New York Giants. and
who stands in the cleanup position OF
1IcGrsw's club. uses a medium length
wau0ping club with a handle Of medium
thickness He takes a good, quick swing
that IS capable Of planting a ball on a
line over the infeId-
Wagner Has Medium Bat
There is not fan n the country that
has not heard Of Hans Wagner. and
those who have heard OF him have also
heard Of his clouting ability. for he has
long been one Of the heaviest hitters in
The world He uses a stick with a
straight taper. with a handle Of the usual
thickness and Of medium weight Wagner
bats right-ha1ded and steps into the bail
with terrific force
Mike" Donlin uses similar sticks 10
Wagner and IS very particular in their
selection
Larry Lajoie is the closest rival Of
Wagner, and in many fans minds out
does the great Pirate shortstop AT the
plate. Lajoie's swattsr is a trihe longer
than that Of Wagner and slightly thick
er- The Cleveland leaders bat is q good.
solid shape. with weight enough 10 make
the ban 80 when hit
Ty Cobb who for the last two ssason
has been attracting the attention OF The
public by his heavy hitting, uses a long
er stick than either LsjOIs OF Wagner
His piece of ash has a long handle Of
medium thickness and is thick at The bat
ting end. with a blunt. fat end
'Tacks" Parrot is the owner and user
Of the longest bat used in professional
ball and his ash goes the fun limit Par
rot plays down in the Texas League with
he Galveston club, and. as he SAYS.
there IS plenty OF room out here 70
swing long bat, and the only reason
7 don't use a longer one is because they
wouldn't allow me 10 use It" Parrot is
well-knOwn. old-tiue PLAYER, and is q
hitter Of some renown- From the tfp OF
The handle TO the tip OF the other end Of
the bat used by -'TaCIs'' the raue gets
e good chance 10 stretch, the stick being
fOrty-twO inches long
Hfckman's Is Light.
Charlie" Hickman. the heavy hitting
Ouhelder Of the Toledo club. uses the
nghtest bat made. as his vvaIloper TIPS
the beam at thirty-fOur ounces. The bat
IS OF medium length. but loses weight
in the handle. which IS remarkably
slender being only a trifie over an inch
~ thickness at the thinnest part Of the
handle
The big Indian catcher Of the St Paul
team holds the record OF having the
Irickest bat as his wand is as thick as
he rules allow
The wood that the bats are turned
from m a Southern factory comes from
the hilly regions Of Kentucky. where
they raise the ash that IS required for
the making OF sluEging utensils The
wood IS always grown on the north hill
sides az the atmosphere on that side has
better effect on the trees and enables
the grain TO be more perfect The north
side of a hill Is better for bats. and also
the north side OF q tree. and in orderina
the very finest OF bats the players some
times specify that they want the north
side OF a tree that was grown on the
north side Of a hin