Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-11
OF THE BALL FIELD
LajOie Has Few Equals at ANY
Branch Of the National Game.
EXCELS ALL WITH THE WILLOW
Some May Equal the Cleveland Man
awer at Some Branch, but for
All Around Work He is
,KinE OF the Diamond.

NEW YORK, July. 10.-He drove a cab
one time and had to hustle to make a
living. He never had any idea that he
would be anything else than q cab driver
until he mingled with the small kids
around the base ball lot. Then he got to
be a professional ball player, and forgot
all about the cab business, and when he
was made a member Of the Philadelphia
club Of the National league in 1895 and
pounded the ball for an average OF .S2s,
away went the cab, and Larry LaJoie,
better known among the base ball world
as Napoleon, was on his way to make one
Of the greatest base ball players that ever
pulled on a uniform. In those thirteen
years this big fellow has dealt the ball
some awful wallops.
Hitting was always the strong point in
the n Of the Cleveland club. He led
The league in 1901, 1908 and 1904 The first
year that he was at the top in the batting
average of .422.
They may talk about their Ed Del
chantys and their Sam Thompsons, who
were noted for their pounding OF the ball
but Lajoie could hit them as hard as any
one living. His off years were in 1907
n 1908, when he had al average of .299
and .296. These were the only years that
he has hit under 300. II some Of the
present players in the game had those
kind of off years they would be tickled
to death.
The second sacker of the Cleveland club
is on his way this season to rave another
great year in the hitting line.
He moves around the ball field like q
player, who had tina don't-care feeling.
and a number Of fans who don't know a
player personally were OF the opinion that
he was possessed Of the swell head. But
that's the wrong dope Every ball player
has his peculiarities. Larry makes many
a hard play look easy at his position. One
would think when a ball was hit to him
that ne didn't act as though he was going
to get It. but he can make stops to the
right n left, and there Is no one who
can play the bag any better. Johnny
Evers is in his class as a fielder. but not
as a hitter.
In the Chicken business.
1t has been the general discussion that
Larry would even do better II he had the
manager Job from him, but when one looks
over his record It is hard to find out
how he could. Off the field Lajoie goes
about his business in the same way as on
the ball field. He has a chicken business
in Cleveland and also a cigar store.
Lajoie has played in the outfield, but II
was George Stallings, the manager Of the
Yankees, who mad a second baseman out
Of him. The thousands OF people who at
tend ball games every season give Larry
a send-off in every city in which he ap-
pears. He is just as popular in the Ameri-
can league as the great Wagner is In the
other big organizations. When he walks
to the bat a cold chill runs down the
back OF the opposing fans. He has beer
walked purposely many a time with men
on the bases. And the pitcher has TO be
careful when he is pitching out. Larry
stepped out one day when the Yankees
were playing in Cleveland and cracked
one a mile. Hogg was pitching. and he
didn't pitch it out far enough.
II was the gossip around the circuit last
season that Larry isn't the same as In
the olden days. But he has come back
with the big bat again. Some catchers say
that Larry has a weakness, and there is a
certain ball hat will fool him. However,
there is a certain ball which will fool
any OF the great batters. and LaJoie hasn't
lost a thing by that weakness. When he
takes off the base ball suit and retires
his name will be jotted down in the rec
ords of base ball as being a great one.