The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-14
POP TAT MAKES
cobb ! B|'''B|| LOOK ! ! | SAD |.D|l'
Holds Worlds High Batting
Average Of SO j in Eighty
eight Games Played.
WAS With NORFOLK TEAM
Later He Made All National
League Pitchers Sick With
Heartless Bat.

League FllcIleIS DICK DICK III u sss
Heartless Bat.
Lot Ty Cobb. Wagner, Lajoie.
Speaker and all the rest OF them
take OF their hats; lot them look at
their records In the same manner as g
lchippy sparrow would look at the
flight Of the golden eagle. and let them
feel that there Is something yet for
them to. aspire to in the batting line.i
for Richmond has the grandest. no
5blest Roman OF them all when It
comes to high records for batting
His name is Edward G. Tate.
What? Never heard Of him? Don't
know who he is? OF course not. Ed
ward c. Tate has not been Edward G..
Tate except In the City Directory and
on business correspondence forsso long
that he Is almost forgo tten. But when
any one says "Pop Tate!' Well. OF
course. Everybody knows him that
mas lived in Richmond for over two
weeks.
Well Pop Tate has batting aver
age that makes Ty Cobb and the rest
OF the royal circle look like four
r1ushers in a blue chip game. II any
one Of them make such an average
this year he will ride in an automo-
Bile with moro followers than any
President OF the United States ever
had. His head would get 80 big that
he couldn't get near enough to the
plate to bat.
Made Average of .S31.
It was in the Old Virginia state
League that Pop Tate made his high
est average In that league, playing
for Norfolk, in 1883. he stood behind
the bat in lightweight games. ana
hammered that little ball FOR an av,
erage OF .531. Now let Wagner ana
lrohb and all the rest OF them scratch
their heads.
In those days the Virginia state
League was factor In baseball, ana
the best ..what Isl stood about the
bags and fields. and the batteries Were
"among those present when the nst
OF notables was called over. me
teams In that league could stack their
chips against any teams that CAME up
and the odds were about even.
And Pop Tate was the best n al
that goodlys company when It came 10
homers, triples and singles. Wn 1s.
the country called for hit, you coula
hear above the tumult OF voices the
name Tate as clearly as Londoner
hear BIB Deli -
morning. gfi ss
started In Dark Ages.
pons started playing baseball back IN
the dark ages when the .aplt :.
snuare was uptown and West Frank
I'm street was a farm. The first rec &c
objection OF him was when the FITS. 7.
Market played the Second Market. ana ana
behind the bat for one of the teams
was a bristly- haired youngster na nance
rate. His uniform consisted OF pair
~ brooches. shirt and one gallus.
Ana he was catching the ball WITH
bare hands, and few got by.
E His next appearance was as q pro s,-
fessional player with the No o. 70.
team OF the Virginia League. and an ,s
was a top -notcher from the nr ~;
Then 1t was that ne na a''te Z ing Da -
out for that little 3d. he He s 81
VIII, Norfolk tor two years. and then
In 1885. received a call from Boston.
In the National League that looked ca
TOO good to miss. and the call brought
3 Tate to the place where beans are are
fruit. !. ]. -.
ard. although he could not reach i ma.
1881 again, and the country never caits
In vain for a hit. He was also sot..o
catcher In those days. and the wy
that good right arm OF MS WAtpp.A.
them down to second and brought su 10 !
den cath to the base stea.cr f fl1a
the opponents sick
played In baltimore. !. v
Then Pop went to Baltimore IN n, is o
where he was Just as good WITH s me
stick as ever. In 1890, however, INA. tha.
good right arm of his went pack "a
him. and his sudden deaths at seco ~,
became fewer and feWer,8un 7, ne iaa
TO lay1 OF. He had strained II g am
somehow Or somewhere, ana . ~ = neyei
came back. 10 seha II
p1ayer5 in Reading, Pa. the n Is,l s sea
son. His arm never came pse,s, ac ~,
Re couldn't get them down q 70! 70 y secono
at all. So he had to stop. Is,
when the baseball career was soYsi,.,e
90 :, ! "a Richmond and Went toF Work-
n had always been plafyB.to MN,
and nov he got to work. Later ne was
made member Of one !, ,oI t = ms
nnlica forces in the world, andEn now ne
isgGserreant Pop Tate. Eve q. q there
theySs don't call him Ed ID ward war; x
cent cen On the pay roll and }whe = COM
mending him. !. \, !. <, Y i2l n IA
5al that he pulled y. n me ola
v;rginia@ state League still stands atts as
Ina record which has never even p ee
approached, 54 III n