The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-11-19
THE GREATEST OF ALL BATTERS


tine Arson, who did it for twenty
years, and in the two years in which
he did not get there he was within
very few points of ii.
Inasmuch as Arson began his heavy
batting in the earliest days of the
game and kept it up until 1897, the
last year that he batted more than 300
he stands out as the one big batter
who has faced all styles of pitching,
both the old and the new, and his
| record is often used as refutation of
the argument that the old batters did
so we'll because the pitching was SO
easy.
Next to Arson in point of ong serv-
Ice high batting comes Danny Brouth-
ers, who made that mark for fifteen
years, fourteen of which were con-
secutive.
James O'Rourke, James Ryan, Jake
Beckley, Jess Burkett, Willie Keeler
and Honus Wagner reached 1t for
| thirteen years each; Roger Connor,
George Van Haltren, w. r. Hamilton
and Lajoie did it twelve years each;
| Hughie Duffy, Ed Delehanty and Joe
Kelly eleven times each; Pete Brown
Ing, p. ]. Donovan and Fred Clarke
ten times; G.. S. Davis, McGraw, Paul
Hines, George Gore, Buck Ewing and
Sam Thompson for nine times each.
These are only the major league
records of these players, for men like
Jim O'Rourke and Jesse Burkett have
hit 1t often in their minor league ex-
perience, as have George Van Haltren
and "Old Eagle Eye" Jake Beckley
yyhn NAV ~
next year with Topeka.
Highest General Batting Average.
To the questioner, who in the face
of all the unevenness of years, prefers
to let the honor go to the highest gem
eral batting average, the records have
to say that the greatest batter was
Ed. Delehanty, who, in the twelve
years that he played in major leagues
from 1892 until 1903, made the won
derful average of 1857. Lajoies fine
record for sixteen years of about 1861
come close to this, and would have
been nearer still had he not fallen
below his 800 mark in 1907 and 1908,
when he made .299 and .2S9, respect
lively, while performing the arduous
work of manager as well as player
1t was on this account that he asked
to be relieved of the managership and
rose to 1924 in 1900, and every one
knows what he did this year. RI
Jesse Burkett's batting records over
300 for eleven years be taken, he has
an average of 1868, but that does not
take into account his batting in 1891
and 1892. when he fell below and lost
considerable ground. If one chose to
garble records, one might easily make
out good case for "Wee Willie" Kee-
Ter, who In thirteen years batted with
a general average of 1851, but If one
took his first nine consecutive years
one could show general average for
him equal to that of Delehanty's of
twelve successive years. A stiIl bet
ter showing could be made for Keller
If one took only the period when he
was doing things for the Baltimore
Nationals and leading the batters with
amazing frequency and made 243 base
hits in 1897 The records of such as
he have suffered by his later years.
and they must give way to the stand
ing of men like pete Browning. who
was nearly 1856 for ten years. The
big record Of .492 in 1887 helped "Tipp
O'Neil to reach 1851 in seven years.
"Honus" Wagner has .s4S for thirteen
years; while ETY." Cobb has a trifie
over .346 for five years.
Great Batting Feats.
There are no doubt many who yet
entertain lively admiration for the
batting OF John Freeman, who made
the record Of twenty five home runs
in one season when he played with
Washington in 1899-not in 1889 as
some eminent authorities persist in
having Ii. There are some also WEo
think the performance of Ed Dele
hanty, who In 1895, made four
home runs and a single--a total OF |
seventeen bases-off Terry OF Brook |
lyn, in one game, sufficient to- win
browning honors But that feat was
equalled by Link" Lowe, who in
May, 1905, with Boston against Gin |
cinnati batted Chamberlain for exact |
ly the same, except that two of his |
home runs were made in one inning. |
In minor leagues Bottenus, playing |
with Buffalo. has a record in 1895 OF |
eighteen bases-four home runs and a |
two dagger from Ave times at bat.
Records do not show the sort of bat
ting that Mike" Kelly did to make |
142 runs with LAG hits. While Scrap |
py BiII'' Joyce's five records Of over
800 do not put him among the high |
averages. they were enough to win |