The sun., 1908-12-06
BATTING GAINS And LOSSES
HOW BIG LEAGUE PLAYERS
Z FELL BACK OR WENT AHEAD.
BFSnsneld, Doyle, Evers, Obert and Bird
well Make Big Advance In the ea'
stlonai League-ThOmHs showed is'
SRest Improvement in the American


Isakues last season more batters teii on
In their stick work than gained. In tne
Naiional League fifty-two gained IN
points and fifty-nine took drop In the
American League only forty-five gained,
I whereas seventy-one had slump. IL
IA blain, therefore, that the National
IAfRuers held up to their work better
than the hitters of the younger baseball
afdA dAnization. 1t also Is plain IN both
Ieasues that the batsmen are not holding
theSr own in their struggle with the
,,itihers. that the reverse OF headway 10
haihg made by the batters in the cease
slesI dpel with the occupants OF the box
e,rttha INNER hand, a Balient phase OF
y the, national game.
There is in each Of the big leagues one
batter who may be said to be in q class
by himself One is Wagner OF the National
F,earue. the other Cobb Of the American
League. There are no .batters quite OF
thet grade of these two exceptional per-
formers with the locust wand, and OF
thsl two Wagner is the greater. He is
4 aeain at the top. and II his gain this
nsakon was small 1t was because his
batting Of the previous year was about
Is high in percentage as it is humanly
poseible fog player TO go. Cobb In the
American League ranked second ms
wear. but the man who ranked ahead OF
him did not play in nearly as many
ka,fies and was not at the bat often enough
20 no against the same law OF chance the
likelihood Of having his average pulled
down. as Cobb was.
The figures show some pronounced
Yises and falls. Some Of these we're built
cn tsubstanoe and consequently were
earned Others we're more indicative
Of 4 freak gain. belonging TO men who
) szAra at the bat comparatively infre-
uusntly and for that reason would jump
faf, ahead by making few more base
hftS fhan in the previous year Take
suoh batters as Larry Doyle. Kitty Brans-
1eid. Johnny Evers, Hans Lobert and
Al Bridwell in the National league, and
their gains represent real improvement
Ii, stick work. for they were in the game
tiay. In and day out. The same 10 true
of belehanty, HemphilI and Stovall in
tho american League.
{ II the National League the best gain
among the every day players was made
~ Bransfield. who advanced II points
over his 1907 form. 1t ID a tribute TO
John McGraw's Judgment the way
Bgidwell improved in his hitting. He
saA 81 points better than in 1907 and be-
uanIa not only first class but O timely
batter. One OF the best natural hitters
h the country. Sherwood Magee OF the
Philaiislphias, slumped appreciably. but
that probably represents only temporary
deo,ihs. Three Of the players whom
4 McClaw traded last winter to Boston
Browne, Bowerman and McGann-an
fell Oh in their batting. as did Shannon.
ufd5was disposed Of to Pittsburg. For
that matter 90 did Tenney, who was had
fforh Boston in the trade. q
Tflobiggest gain In the National League
Wu&nade by Lew Moren, the Philadelphis
pitdhef, who jumped forward l6i points
Th& biggest loss fell to Sammy Strang-
i6a boints-but Strang played only few
aar6es In ths big league last season before
4 rs tas released to Baltimore. and doubt
lssstwould have done better had he had
mois opportunity Wiltse OF the New
Yorifs was another pitcher who was much
batter with the ash thissyear than last
4 He boosted his average 1o2 points. Fer
eusDn. the Boston pitcher. improved q
froat deal and largely because he had
mob opportunity to go TO the bat than he
had,when with the New York club.
Flank Chance, a good batter season In
ard season out. fell from seventh to
Ewehtieth place. Another CLASSY batter
who dropped, and dropped far. was Mike
nitshell OF the Cincinnatis, who ranked
eighth in 1907 and eeventy-seventh in
1905 Mclean Of the same team had a
big tumble too. Bridwell moved up
from eighty-fifth 10 tenth place, Doyle
from thirty-siXt tn to third Bransfield from
eevtntieth TO fourth. Evers from fifty
sftn 10 fifth and Lobert from sixty-third
- sz<thh ssz<thh. Esoinny Leach Eel! :=on, fourth IL
to dhirty first and Beaumont from third
tc twenty third Chick Fraser finished
3 Ia The same place both years, 148th.
The biggest gain In the American League
was made by Ira Thomas. the catcher
When with the Highlanders season before
lest he ranked Tooth. but with the Do
uoi99 the past season he climbed up Ia
eixth place and advanced IFS numbers
I'd Hillian. the Detroit pitcher. took q
Z big tumble. His average was 1s9 points
lcsal than in 1907. and he dropped from
nth TO l50th place. Pitcher Bill Donovan
q tie same team also took long shoe
dovp the batting toboggan. Thielman
the cleveland and Boston pitcher. SCARED
20 tie extent OF loi points and ranked
seventh last season as compared with 1886
for The season before.
The once peerless hitter Lajoie was IL
totePutH pldSo dLlODR Ine lbUb Datp0fB
the lowest he has been since he became
q major leaguer That was six places
lower than be was the year before, anc
bic average shrank ten points Jim Dele.
hanty OF the Wsshingtons advanced from
nipeteentb to third place and added
thirty nine points to his percentage
The doughty Sam Crawford was fourth
last season. fourth the year before anc
lost four points. Ty Cobb lost sixteen
Hemphill Improved his position by thirty
six notches and added thirty six pointt
10 bis batting average
Willie ,ke-ler made a gain over his 100
average. though still far below his norma
= percentages when he was In his prime
II will be noticed in both leagues tha,
there are considerably more gaius thar
lpsses among the batters who rank neal
the top The deduction IL that thougt
the poorer batters are suffering the dI,or
h;sters are holding their own against Ia;
pitRhing. The following tables show tn,
ranking Of the batters in 1907 and 100,
and the gains and losses IN po
NATIONAL LEAGUE
tt LAM. RAM
1907 .le1S' = L. 1907 lyOs & L.
De1is a, - G.In.H 80 90 - 8