Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-17
H|TTERS USE BIC
AND LITTLE BATS
Physiques of Ball Players Belied
by Size of Clubs
Welded
WEE OAKES SWINGS BEAM
Bresnahan, Big Man, Makes Long
Drives with LighteSt of
Wagon Tongues
WEE oAKES SWINGS BEAN

PITTSBURG, Pa, April 16.-Baseball
PLAYERS bats differ in size and shape
as much as the players do in physique.
And the strange part of 1t Is that many
of the big fellows use a small, Well
shaped war club, and a couple OF the
rabbits" WELD something resembling
a wagon tongue. An instance of TINS
is the wood pile that "Rebel' Oakes, a
former Cincinnati star, but now with
the Cardinals, uses A man can scarce
ly imagine such little fellow swinging
so large and heavy bat as Oakes
does. The opposite side of the case IS
represented by Bresnahan, who, while
large in stature, hits with reasonably
small club.
After a glance at the Hans Wagner
bat one would think that the Flying
Dutchman might just as well go ana
pull up a young but promising tree and
use that to destroy the hopes of young
and old pitchers alike. No balance to
ii, large and heavy all over. the aver
age man could hardly swing it, 1t
takes q person of immense strength to
use il properly, and Hans is that.
Being so heavy, the great batsman can
meet the ball either on the handle or
the very end and make hit, where
another player would put up pop
fly or weak grounder.
MITCHELL USES BLUDGEoN
Mike Mitchell, the hard hitting right
fielder of the Cincinnati Reds, uses a
rather large stick. The body has plenty
OF wood and weighs forty-fiVe ounces
The bat in itself is enough to strike
terror into the heart of a pitcher. Egan
handles a so-called bat that is lighter
than Mitchelps. tipping the scales at
forty ounces. Hoblitzel and Lobert use
practically the same sort of bludgeon'
The bat is shorter than most and eX-
ceedingly well balanced.
1t Is popularity supposed that all big
league stars have their bats balanced
perfectly, but that is wrong. The CLUBS
used by Wagner and Oakes nave no
more balance than a load of hay. But
with Hoblitzel 1t is different. Richard
orders his bats by the dozen, and has
them kept over the winter in oil.
Harry Davis uses about the prettiest
bat of all. 1t is long shafted, small at
the handle, but a trifie topheavy
Davis does not give himself much space
to hit the ball with, however, as the
bat Is small at the end in diameter.
He must be accurate in his swing 10
make a hit. but that is where Harry
shines; and the heavy end. when II
meets the ball squarely, drives 1t
mile. -
Wee Willie" Keller uses a bat that
Cakes would take for toothpick. Not
much longer than a rolling pin, ex-
ceedingly light and with a driving
power, that is. the wood, at the end
with all it's shortness Keeler grasps II
about in the middle, giving himself
about fourteen inches to meet the
pellet Correct timing and accurate
swinging are Keeler's standbys wher
at the plate. Everyone knows that
more scientific hitter never lived.
Frank Chances bat is crude in
strument of torture to pitchers. Some
what like Oakes', but not quite so rude
it is heavy everywhere and large every
where. The handle is very large, but
the Cub leader has large hands.
ICY" Seymour has the smallest hands
of any man playing in either of the
big leagues. and his fingers do not
close around the stick.