Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-16
GEORGE FOX, BATTING WONDER
"REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY
DAYS OF THE NATIONALS.

Il never read about the wonderful bat
ting averages Of our modern base bail
giants that I do no; recall the good old
days Of free and unlimited hitting, when
the average column was undreamed o."
was the remark of Mr. Al James. for
mer has been Of the old Nationals and
steadfast follower OF the game today.
Take the modern swatters of TO-DAY
and compare them with Tie boys OF the
early days of the game. George Fox.
George Wright, Billy Williams. Hen Der
throng. Studley or any Of the kings OF
that great NATIONAL team. In the old
days the whole aim OF the batsman WAS
To make runs for his team. and they bat
ted all the time with this one bright idea
before their minds. Ii was club always.
In the present day it is a selfish desire To
increase ones average that Corces itself
on the salaried man all the time hence
this desire keeps away i'll the background
club. and they care little about the runs,
so long as their averages are secured.
Search up your Wagners Lajoies and
Stones and find ont how many runs they
have sent home by their big hitting. ard
the discovery will startle you, for it viii
be seen that they have been away off In
ball, the mode and means of making runs
| think that if you take the ten best hut
ters in the American League and then
go down the column and take ten from
wo-thirds down the same column you
will really find ten players of more value
to a team, as they're the runmakers
But what / wanted to speak about was
batting of the past, when George Fox
4, L.; =, 7
rest of the base ball fields of the country
resounded with the praise OF the young
collegian. We read of Buck Freeman'a
home run record. when he sprung into
prominence with the Washington club. OF
how Ed Delehanty used to swat for keeps,
but none OF them ever compared with Fox
in the three years he played on the Or
Nationals in 1866 1867 and 1865, unAs.
the direction OF the late senator from
Maryland Arthur Pue German.
Il have seen Fox make as many as
eleven home runs in one game. think OF
it. eleven home runs i'm one game, against
the Pastimes of Richmond. when the score
was las TO Ii in favor of the Nationals.
Now fer old-tirle 'swatting.' what do you
think of that?
when the Nationals opened the season
of 1866 on the White Lot the team had
practice games with all the minor organi-
cations of the city. and among this class
were the Quicksteps OF Georgetown Col
lege. on which Fox was playing. il being
his last year at that famous Old insttu-
ton, and it was in this game that he made
a record that, up TO the time the White
Lot was used. was never equaled by any
that came before or followed him.
1T viii be recalled by our old residents
that Just across b street the thorough
fare that skirted the lot. was waterway
known the Washington canal. running
around the entire southern portion OF tho
city, giving ii the name OF the Island and
this canal played that day a part in FoX's
record.
The famous Billy Williams was pitch
ing against the collegians, while Buste-
manti, a Cuban, was in the box for the
Blue and Gray. He afterward joined the
Unions Of this city. Williams was hay
ing an easy time in dispoSing OF the
school chaps. with the exception of Fox,
who II the surprise of ALL including Col.
Frank jones' and Mr.. German, was swat
ting Williams with the ease OF an old
timer
I'm the seventh inning two OF the coll
lege boys had reached the bases safely
when Fox came to the bat, and Billy VII
Hams. putting on more steam. determined
To wrest from the lad his ability to hit
him with so much ease: Whiteman OF the
old fellows. though young II that period.
gave the boy the glad hand To hit on;
again. Well. he did hit il out. the hail
going away beyond the fringe OF willow
without meeting obstacle in its way
bounded over the old wooden palings. and
did not stop until il rolled into the dirty
water CT The old canal 1T was the long
est hit ever recorded IN an inclosed fed
10 my persona knowledge. and the real
wonder was how il continued its flight
without me.th@ some obstruction.
This achievement of Fox caused The
National mani. gers TO corral him for their
team. and after the gradua lion exercises
of that ."al IL joined the Clue and BE-
came the v-onoer of the country in bat
ting. OF cur. il Will oe claimed that il
Fox lived IN this age he would not be In
it as a batter. That maybe so. but in his
day he was the superior % any man in
America. and his strong batting was the
cause of more runs TO his team than all
the latter CAY record hiIters punched to-
gether. If averages were kept i'm mis- day
there is no doubt he would have been In
the 900 class " Lille the fans % today
make heroes out of those in the 300 class.
Another feature of the games those
days was the loyalty OF the students OF
Georgetown College TO Fox. Attired in
their uniforms of gray. which they wore
in those days they fiocked TO the grounds
every holiday, Thursdays and Saturdays.
to see their idol at play. His equal with
the bal never eNIsted in the base bail
world" declared Mr.. James.
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