The Washington herald., 1910-11-14

has nearly 1865 for ten years. The big
record of 1872 in 1887 helped Tip ONeil
to reach .S5l in seven years; "Honus'
Wagner has .34S for thirteen years: while
"Ty Cobb has a trihe over .3l6 for I'VE
years.
Great Batting Feats.
There are no doubt many who yet enter
tain a 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 il. There are some
also who think the performance Of Ed
Deehanty. who I'm 1886 made four home
runs and a single-a total of seventeen
bases-on Terry. OF Brooklyn, IN one
game. sufficient to win crowning honors
But that feat was equalled by Link"
Lowe. who in May, 1895, with Boston
against Cincinnati batted Chamberlain
for exactly the same. except that two
OF his home runs were made in one in
nins, In minor leagues. Bottenus, play
ing with Buffalo, has record in 1885 or
eighteen bases-four home runs and a
two-hagger from five times at bat
Records do not show the sort Of batting
that Mike Kelly did to make 142 runs
with TAG hits, While "Scrappy BIZ"
Joyce's five records OF over 800 do not put
him among the high averages. they were
enough TO win him the title of Home
Run Bill" and a similar title was borne
by Tim" Jordan. who has never had
even a Took in" to that class.
But the popular fame that is so capri
ciously given to. and as capriciously
Withdrawn from. batters often hinges
upon some performance such as timely
hitting that brings in the winning run
for the home team and which sends the
crowd home fully convinced that the
batter In question is beyond all doubt the
greatest that ever welded the willow or
walloped the horsehde When Art
Irwin came 10 the bat in the sixteenth
inning of a 0-to-0 game between Provi-
dence and Boston nearly thirty years
ago. with two men out and none on, and
with a mighty wallop sent the ball out
through little sixteen-inch square hole
IN the high lattice that topped the fence,
and instead of getting only two-bagger.
as under all the laws OF chances il should
have been. made a home run and won
out for Providence, II would have been
sheer lunacy 10 try to convince any or
the people OF that town that a discussion
of the greatest batter was not waste
OF time and words. for upon that day
at least there was only one greatest bat
ter In the world, and he was Arthur
Irwin Every town has had similar
experience at some time, and so the
crown has been passed about, very
earnestly and very honestly, from one
TO another OF the many aspirants for
the most distinguished Of all athletic
honOrs.
The "Brainy'' BatterS.
When the arguments take the turn OF
deciding the "brainy" hitter and the
highly strategic hitter. the records are
silent. for there Is no mark on the
scorers card that distinguishes the base
hit or the two-bagger as being the re-
suit OF welI-laid plans or Just a plain
piece OF smuggling luck. So far as that
aspect OF the question is concerned. Il
remains in the restless realm Of per-
sonal opinion and private judgment, tenn
pered most likely with a great deal Of
team loyalty or esteem for the player
/ whose claims are advocated. To hope
for unanimity OF opinion from that point
Of view is as unreasonable as TO expect
a universal congress TO agree upon the
most religious person in the world or a
national convention TO be unanimous in
their choice Of the greatest statesman.