Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-07


In 1858 IN the American association pit
cheers OF prowess when Billy Hamilton
faced we're Chamberlain. Fouts. Terry. XII
roy. silver King. Carruthers and Ramsey,
and in his National league days he batted
against Breitenstein. Hawley. eCallahans
Rnssie. orth. Poyell. Kllen. Griffith and
Kennedy. Hamilton was a remarkable judge
Of a pitched ball and like Keller and Bur
kett had speed to help him in beating out
hits. In that respect he was better off
than Arson. Brouthers and several other
great hitters. who had to send the raps out
cleaner 20 insure getting to first base.
Wagner has done some OF his phenome-
nal batting against such latter day stars
as Mathewson. Rucker. Brown, Willis.
Yours g. Dineen. Griffith and Willis. When
BUrkett was clouting out his .4S and 40
averages in 1895 and 1895 pitchers who
were at their best and who faced him we're
Breitenstein, Hutchinson. Stivetts. Hoffer.
Terry. Rhines. Nichols, Russie, Dwyer,
Mcmahon. Fraser. McJames and Hawley.
In the American league when he batted sos
BuTkett went against Young, Griffith, Nc
Ginnity. Joss. Mullin, Moore and Howell
cmong others. His record of $50 in the
National league in 1891 was made with tho
foul strike rule In vogue. The foul strike
rule has not bothered Wagner to any ex-
tent in the last eight years. while Keller
hit over 300 six times after IT came into
Use and Lajois four times.
The recent development of the spit ball
has not affected Wagner, but both Keller
and I.ajoie have fallen below 800 in the
last two years. While he was alive and
playing. Delehsnty continued to hit over
800 after the event OF the foul strike
n easure. Some of the pitchers no faced
at different times ware ClarkSon. Gambert,
Killen, Meekin, Mullane. stlvetts, Mercer,
Young and Hawke.
CIeveIand's star, LajOie.
The last six OF Lajoie's 800 averages
were made in the American league. In
the National league he batted against
Callahan, Chesbro, B~reinienstein, Lever,
Nichols, McGinnity. Philippe, Waddell
Willis and Young among others. Cor.
temporaneous in the box with his average
of .422 in the American league in 1901 were
Griffith. Young, Patten, Howell, Garvla,
Piatt and other skilful boxmen. At a hit
tir pitcher Jack SWEETS was one of the
best, and on account of his ability with the
ash he was played a good deal in the out
field. In five different years he batted
over 800. making averages Of .Sos, .SO1,
300, .3as and 1858.
The records Of several Of the robust bat
tiers may be cited to give an idea of how
many base hits they made while doing their
consecutive years Of 800 hitting. In his ten
years of earnest endeavor with the halberd
Burkett made 2,1W hits, they being dis
tributed over the seasons af follows:
1893, 17s; 1894, 1856: 1895, 2S5; 1896. 24O; 1897.
1879; 1898, 2i5; 1899. Us; 1900, 9O2; 1901, 22s;
1902 american league), 16S.
The 25 hits in 1895 and $40 in 1895 were
the years in which he batted .496 and .4lC
respectively.
i Willie Keller made 2,Ss hits from 1885,
to 1906, inclusive, the last four years OF
these being in the American league. He
made only thirty hits in 1898, coming into
the National league late in the season, but
hitting over 100. The hits for his other
years were as follows:
1894, 2ls; 1886, 221; 1896. ga; 1897, 2S; 1898
si4; 1899, 215; 1900, Ss; 1901, 300; 1902, 1SS; 1903
1874; 1904, 1856; 1906, 16e: 1906, 1se.
Wagner has amassed A grand total Of
las hits for the last twelve years, appor
toned as follows:
1897, s.; 1898, 1sO: 1899. 1871; 1900, 2l; 1901