Norwich bulletin., 1910-07-26
DUFFY'S BATTING MARK
 THE BEST EVER RAOE
Hit for .438 Back in 18e4-Great All
 Around Player.

Any fan, when asked would say the man who secured the highest batting average ever was either Delehaflty, Wagner, Lajoie or some other slugger of giant size. He would be wrong. The finest average ever attained was won by one of the smallest men who ever played big league ball, Hugh Duffy. the present manager of the Chicago Americans Duffy in 1894 made the grand batting average of .43S. and for Is years this mark has withstOOd all the assaults of the sluSgers upon it, and bids fair to remain as the high water mark of individual batting for years to come Neither Wagner in his ''sluggiest.' nor Laioie when the giant Frenchman was breaking fences with his ciouts. nor the great Ty Cobb ever came within striking distance of the mark set by the little man who rules the White Sox of Chicago.
 Duffy's first experience in baseball Q member of the big show was un- der Captain Adrian C. Anson, whose name has been indissolubly linked with baseball in Chicago
 Hughie Duffy was born in Providence
 something around 40 years ago. and as a boy picked up his education and grand knowledge of baseball at the
 same time. When the time arrived for
 the little Rhode Islander to fare forth
 for worlds to conquer he had his mind
 fixed on adopting professional baseball
 as a means os livelihood
 He came to AnsOn after two years
 in the Lowell outfieId and after an-
 other two brilliant years with the
 great Chicago leader Duffy switched
 to the brotherhood team of Chicago
 | Then he was with the American
 league team in Boston, but when the
 owners withdrew the team Duffy went
 to the Boston National club. Here was
 where he enhanced his reputation.
 Tommy Mccarthy, by all odds one of the brainest players whose foot ever wore a, spiked shoe, was the side part her of Duffy, and both men were built
 on similar lines Mccarthy is now scout for the Cincinnati team. These little wonders invented the tricks that today are known as inside baseball
 Mccarthy. and Duffy. too. played the same dashing. spirited. energetic, shin ing game that now characterizes the fielding and general play of Ty Cobb. Mccarthy invented so many tricks
 with Duffy whose inventive genius
 was always originating new plays to outguess the other fellow. that the National league legislated against them
 Perhaps their greatest feat was in working the dropped fly, trick that Mccarthy invented and which he and Duffy brought to it's highest develop ment. With a man at first the fielder would take the ball on the run, drop it after holding it for an instant, and then retire the man at second on a force. They varied this ordinary style of working the trick to number of l others and were highly successful After Duffy wound up his career with | Boston he went to Milwaukee, where the American league had planted a | team during the first year of that | hustIing young lea que. Duffy next 1 managed the Philadelphia Nationals, | and afterwards bought an interest in l the Providence team of the Eastern | league.
 l He Was extremely successful as a manager in the eastern organization. | and developed several stars, among | whom is Russell Blackburn, who. while | not showing to his minor league repu- i tation. is a grand ball player. When | Comiskey wanted a manager to take i charge of his new bunch he selected ] Duffy for the place, Billy Sullivan | did not care for the burden of a man | ager's position. Duffy has whipped 1 his youngsters into shape, and while | they have accomplished nothing in the | way of a sensation this year, his kids | show great promise, and in another i season should show improvement and | strike a grand stride.
 l Dufy's position in the realm of base I ball has been fixed. For batting l strength he has never 'been surpassed. | Even now he can step into 8. fast ball | with his warclub in hand and whale 1 the sphere out of the lot. In the East | ern league he broke up many game i bv smashing one on the nose for a triple and the same power still rests 1 in those sturdy shoulders.