The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-09-17
GREAT PLAYERS
BASEBALL BATS

Runs win baseball games; 1t usually
takes hits to maze runs and 1t takes
bats to make hits, ergo he most i'm
Giant pa i: ,,s hal game Is thu fes-
tive swat stick.
Every fan kGaiEs more or less about
gloves. masks. mItts. etc. but how
many ever sto1 10 consider Sle c'fier-
ence In tna wballpg Weapons uHec. by
the semi 9ara.,l initiates Mtt3 eAy.ft
daily for n. pleasure of The thnls-
ands OF enthusiasts who ply their
good money to see the national game.
Every player has his own pet Stick.
without which he walks to tie plitte
with iit.le ,1ptclation of tatttnins HE
batting avardsG. but put mis- cwu pet
style II war club ,n his hdnIs and he
poses him.
Big bats and little bats, long bats
and short bats, fat bats and thin bats
are used by the heavy sluggers and
almost every ball player of any imnor-
lance In the country has his bats
made at Louisville, where for nearly
twenty five years one factory has kepe
the world supplied. Nearly a quarter
of a century ago a wod- turned named
H1llerich made three bats for the use
Of his son, and one Of these fell into
tho hands of ball player who, when
that bat was disabled, ordered more OF
the same model This was the start
of the ball bat business for j. A. HiEa-
rich & Son. who for years past have
turned out many thousands of bats
each year.
| At the factory on Preston street car
be seen a collection OK more than 1906
bats, uIl OF whien nave figured in
games and are Labeled with the namc
Of some player. Eacn one has been .
fayorite stick oe some diamond sta
| who has broken II in game and ship.
ped it by express 70 the factory il
Louisville to have a fac sipile made
The bats when lying in row il
Ifront OF the players nencn on the dia
/ mond seem to be nearly all alike I,
/ the spectators. but when viewed mor'
closely they are as different in size
shape and weight as could be imagin
ed. Some bats are long and thin
4 tfhers long and thiek, wsile some az,
short and stubby and others short an,
| thins The weight varies a great dea
In bats, for 1t lssssldJin tiE two play
Il CTS are tdOuElu WHO use OATS Oh the SAM
shape and weight.
The most popular naS H. the Harr
Davis bat, for more walloping club
are made from this model than fror
any other of the thousard models kep
at the factory. This particular site
!, is Of medium length, with a straigh
II taper and o handle which, while ne
as thin as some players require,
s slender to allow the batters to get
} good grip for hard swing The bat
| are limited to a length, weight an
thickness, but there Is no limit to I'll
/ opposites of these measurements. nh
] limit of the weight Is sixty ounces
! and the only player using a bat thi
: heavy is William McDonough of I'll
} Denver club. whose swat stick goe
the limit. The bat used by McDonoug
: is not particularly long, but is thicl
: solid piece of wood. with the handl
: not a great deal thinner than the bal
ting end.
4 Pete O'BrIen of the Minneapolis clu
4 has the "freakiestp bat ever seen :,
a baseball field, as his pet stick
twenty eight inches long and great
resembles the old-fashioned potat
a masher. Its handle is so short that
: is barely large enough to allow 4
It owner and designer to get his hanC
+ on it. The batting end is fat ar
K chubby, and is chopped off abo,
: where most bats are beginning to Il
/. per Although smell. Ii is rather
d heavy little swatter as its chubb
: ness keeps up Its weight.
al Cy Seymour, the heavy hitting Gel
! ter gardener of the New York Giant
: and who stands in the cleanup pos
ton Of McGraw's club, uses mediu
: length walloping club and handle
IN medium thickness. He takes a GOO
h quick swing that il capable Of plan
ing the ball on a line over the infiel
m There is not a fan in the, count
I that has not heard of Hans Wagn'
r. and those who have heard of hi
= have also heard of his eclouting abilii
for he has long been one of the hea
TT lest hitters In the world. Wagner,
4 most all other players OF any impc
i lance. has his bats made in Louisvil
y He uses a. stick with straight tar
n and a handle OF the usual thickne
IL and of medium weight. Wagner ba
fright handed and steps into the b
IN with terrific force.
a Larry Laioie is the closest rival
mi Wagner, and in many fans min
cutdces the great Pirate shortstop
IN the plate. Lajoie's swatter is tri
IA longer than that of Wagner a
ie slightly thicker. The Cleveland lea
er's bat Is good. solid shape, w
nv weight enough TO make the ball
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