The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-20

! LOU pouhds VINO mas given good ac-
count OF himself In the box during his
fifteen years In professional ball His
record fielding percentage OF 1900. made
ia 1905. Is good enough TO establish his
worth to the Phillies in the service he
gave them from 1893
Light-weiGht Cntcheru.
Among lightweight catchers of the
early days. Providence had two good
ones in Barney GilIigan and Vincent
! Nava Gilligan was by far the better
catching pitchers like John NJ. Ward
Chariey Radbourne, the famous odd
hoss." and Charley Sweeney in the
early SOS. and when Providence won
the championship in 1854 Gilngan came
on flght after big Emil Gross Dis catcher
That II was no dainty service that GiIli-
/ gan rendered is seen from the fact that
nc caught seYenty-tW0 games in lss3
and sixty-nine games in 1855. Naya helm
ing him with twenty-six I'm 1884 the
championship year. And all Of these
bare-handed, Nava was a little Cuban.
reared on the Pacific Coast, and finished
| up In Baltimore with the old American
Association.
= Doe BushoDg. who was catching
ABOUT TINS time for the old Worcester
Nallonal. Cleveland National, ST. Louis
/ american Association. and Brooxiyns
down 10 1880 was lightweight catcher
whose place in the old barehanded. forty
nVe-fo0t days was a deservedly high one.
Old George Miller, who caught Jimmy
Calvin for Pittsburg, forming the famous
old battery of "Pud" Calvin aud
'Doggie" Miller. helped in a combination
that worked with machine-like accuracy
for several years. Few men have shown
more life, game. and good headwork be-
hind the bat than this fairly representa-
tive small man up 10 his retirement In
1891
Down Ia the Texas League In the
lGTeenVille and the Dallas clubs in 1906 a
youhgster named James Stephens was the
real leader OF the catchers, with a field
/ ing percentage OF .979 for ninety games.
because Westlake of Waco the nominal
leader, with l00o, had played only sixteen
games Manager McAleeT, OF the ST. Louis
! Americans, got him, and when he pre-
sented his Is pounds and his five feet
two TO the gaze of the bleachers he was
considered a mighty poor prop 10 an un-
lucky team. But in 1877 he caught Glade
anasP0well In e games. fielding $50 put
ting 900 out. and assisting g times. be-
sides batting .202 In 1888 he helded 800
In & games with 1893 put-outs, S. assists.
batting 200. In 1903. in II games, the
| Horseshoe Kid" as he is called, feldei
$50 in Y games. ranking eighth among
catchers, with a lot of good ones below
him. ana bstted 20 with 3 home runs.
His 1910 record. both as catcher and bat
ter. has gone up as has his weight. for
while he still has his five feet two he
has accumulated l6j pounds That same
record on a winning team would have
| brought Stephens a great deal more fame
Little Men on the Sacks.
! Among the old-time first basemen. West
Fisler, a man Of less than average size
made a great name for himself on the
old Athletics, and MS excellente at first
base had much TO do. so the old fans say
with Arson going . Chicago in 1876. But
FISHER led the first basemen with 9sl il
1871. the first year Of organized ball. II,
did the same at second base in 1873. whef
Tim Murnane took first, and in 1874. wheI
Arson went from third and short. hi
original positions in the game and Ions
before he was known as a first basenan
tisler went back 10 first in 1871 J Mack
contemporary OF FISHER. led the FIRST base
men while with the Phi3adelphias in 1913
He, too, was a small man. Miller Hug
gins, The Rabbit" held down the seconG
sack for Cincinnati long enough 10 b,
claSsed as veteran. He has ranked il
fielding around fourth place among sec
Ond basemen, In 1907 right after johnny
EVers himself Ills hating has beer
around the 20 mark. As captain of the
St. Louis Nationals in 1910 his work has
If anything been better. His suceesso,
in Cincinnati. Robert J. Eagan. is like
Higgins, a small man. He had his minor
| league experience latterly with Peoria
where he held down third in 1896 and sec,
ond in 1897, with good fielding averages
Eagan's stickwOTk is better than that OF
Higgins. reaching 20 in 1909 Little Am,
brose Mcconnell. who went from Boston
10 the Chicago Americans, after being in
Boston, l99S-C9 goes By the name of Tot.
which is significant. He and Harry Lore
figured in the trade for Frank Smith
and William Purtell In 1905 he batteG
20 in 40 games, making a runs anC
stealing 81 bases. IN 1863 in III games
he batted rs. and ranked eighth among
the second saekers. And he has jus
started.
IN 1868, down in Dallas. a little fellow
named Truesdale played short for 3:
games. batted 80. and stole 50 bases. st
Louis got him and put him on the second
sack At twenty-one, where he plays with
q steadiness that bids fair for a good
future for little frankie
Not a few small men have stood uI
successfully at third, that great danger
point where some big men have been
known TO tremble lest they be injured
by the swats OF the big batters. James
iP Austin, captain Of the New York
Americans, viii surely not draw up his
five feet seven in indignant wrath If in
cluded am&g the little good ones. He
was with IHyton, Central, in l90t-5-6. Al
Omaha in 1891 he led the third basemen
batting 259. IN 1905, with New York. lie
made home runs. and stole 81 bases
In 1903 he batted .231 fielded 92S. and stole
50 bases. Jap" Barbeau. third baseman
Tor Pittsburg and st. Louis Nationals in
1909, after a conspicuous career with Soc
in 1894 Columbus in 1896 Cleveland in
1906. Toledo In 1878, belongs in the class
Of small men who have made good. He
was given with Storke to ST. Louis by
Pittsburg in exchange for another fine
little player-"Bobby" Byrne. Barbeau
was turned over TO Kansas City in 1870
where he played shortstop. Bobby
! Byrne. with his five feet eight and Isl
pounds comes within the limit and IS an
important addition TO the smaller-siZed
men in the game. He was with Spring
field. Mo. in 1865; Shreveport. 1905; ST
Louis National 1907-S-9. and then TO Pitts
burg. In addition to his good work al
third, there is his still better work at the
bat. as he batted with the best of his
team in 1909, with .92s for the entire year
but he was with Pittsburg only after
August. His 10 two-Daggers. : thTee-bag-
hers. / home run, and q stolen bases
looked like big work, His 1910 work eS-
celled anything he had ever done at the
bat. Men Ike Lave Cross, "Arlie'
Latham. and James b. Casey were by no
! .-.on.,. inrna man hut nccnniad a nnsi.