Evening star., 1909-04-18
FIRST BASEMEN
VERY VALUABLE
Pennant Winning Teams Have
Always Had Stars on
Initial Sack.

Since the Pittsburg club made present
Of Kitty B-ansfeld to the reorganizeG
Philadelphia club. Barney Dreyfuss has
been practically without frst-c!ass
sacker. although! he has tried out eight
men in that position. and 1t is more
than probable that il was the presence
Of either weak s.icker or fielder or
the initial sack that caused the Pirates
tn lose out in the grueling race tor ;hc
National League pennant and the righ:
TO pay the Detroit Tigers for the worlds
series las, season.
When P:ttsburg first disposed OF Brasis-
field. who had been member of :he
Pirate championship organization. Clancy
Howard and Hillebrand were tried out at
FIRST. Howard. who took part in ninety
games and who is now a star utilit!
man on the Cubs did the best work, but
in comparison with Bransfield his best
was not considered good enough In
Neaior. the Californian, who was Sc
cured the following season. II was thought
that the vacancy had been we'll filled
NeGion looked like world beater for
time, and lasted throughout the season OF
1906. He fell off in his playing in 1897,
though. and Swacina and Storke were
d,sen &" a chance to s''" "'a' ''sS '0uio
Then Nealon became homesick for the
Golden Gate and remained in the west
That left it to Swacna to fill the bill
last season. but Clarke tried to bulldoze
the youngster. When Harry would not
stand for 1t Clarke let him out After
Swacina was disposed Of Storke. Kane
and Gill were utilized at the first sack.
That meme of the trio did his work in
-t.rcc, ic CHI n hyr q
fact that Abstein, the Providence first
oaseman is slated for the job for this
year. Gill had a perfect fielding average,
suit batted only .22i
Thus in four seasons the Pirates have
experimental with more first basemen
than any of the American League clubs
has in six years. seven being the Ameri-
can League record for first basemen since
the league has been composed as at pres
eut
Cleveland and Washington are the
leaders. each having had seven men on
the initial sack exclusive of men who
have been shifted to that position for
:ew games as the result of accidents
which necessitated shift Cleveland
had Hickman. Schwartz, Carr and Stovall
in 1904, Stovall and Rossman in 1905,
.3tovall and Lister in 1907 and Stovall.
Hickman and Hinchman in 1908. the
.ast two only being sent to first on ac-
count of injuries to Stovall.
"
Washington started off with Bill Clarke
md Carey in 1908. while Jake Stahl and
s,larke turned the trick in 1904. Since
then Hickman. Altizer. Anderson. Blank
enship and Freeman have worked on the
irst cushion for the Nationals.
Camel Anderson, Chase. Moriarity and
Saahl have been the New York first base
uardians. while Detroit has been forced
% call on Carr, Hickman. Beville, Craw-
ford. Lindsay and Rossman, lsbell,
Oolan. Donohue and Anderson have been
he only ones that Chicago has been call
I'd upon TO use. while the Browns have
been content with Anderson. Tom Jones,
SMgden. Brown and Nordyke.
Harry Davis is practically the only reg
,,lar first baseman the Athletics have had
since they entered the league. Seybold
.subbed for sixteen games in 1908, while
MuiIin played twenty-six games there In
,9o4. Shreck and Powers have also sub
bed there a little, but Davis has been
the only regular.
Five first basemen have been found
necessary for Boston. La Chance served
here in 1903 and 1904. while Grimshaw
ind Buck Freeman were the regulars
Turing the next two years. Unglaub and
;rimshaw turned the trick in 1907, while
.Stahl and Cnglaub looked after the first
cushion for the Red Sox during the sea-
son Of 1908.
In point of service the American League
:irst basemen rank this way: Davis,
Jones. Stovall, Donohue. Stahl, Chase,
Rossman and Freeman.