The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-30
Colts Do Not Deserve
Honorable Mention
for Batting Record.
SIEBER ONLY MAN
WITHTWO HOMERS
There Seems to Be No Way to
Explain Shortage, Except
That Fences Were Too Far
Away for The Slug
gers.

/ Home-runs were probably scarcer in
the Virginia League last year than in
any other baseball organization in the
! United states, according to state
inent made yesterday by an authority.
4 who spends the OFF season. studying
! records, and reason for this the
spokesman was afraid to vouchsafe.
However. a reference to records
shows that only forty-three times dur
| ing last season did Virginia League
batter earn his way around the dia-
mond with one swing of the willow
In Richmond. James G. Ison was the
/ only batter to put one clearly over
the fence; but this is not remarkable,
| as. 1t is not an easy task to put enough
strength behind baseball to drive II
1 SO great distance. 1T may be that
the parks in Virginia are larger than
4 elsewhere, but this is improbable, and
| the only solution OF the apparent mys-
terry is that the ball-players in the
circuit last year were not batters.
shaughnessy Got Five.
4 I, wouldn't be right to claim that
| pitchers are better here than else
where, because records tell different
tale. and the numerous changes made
/ among the twirlers during the season
/ indicate that there were comparative
IL none who really did anything start
ling.
There were very few good base-run-
4 ners in the league, and 1t was extreme
ly seldom that n home-run resulted un-
less the ball was put out the lot. There
/ is no use trying to make excuses for the
| weak showing, because there are real
/ ~ none to be made: and the only just
4 view to take is that in the matter OF
fcur-bas hits the Virginia Leagucrs
! were extremely shy.
{; shaughnessy held up his end. and
! he. and Fisher, Of Danyille, were the
4 only players who deserve any nonor-
/ able mention for the showing made
i The Roanoke player-manager led IN
/ llome-runs, with five clean four-sack-
! ers. and Fisher earned his way around
i the circuit four times. The following
/ PLAYERS are credited with two home
4 runs apiece for the season: Holland
4 of Roanoke; Hopkins, OF Norfolk; Nc
/ Farland, of Portsmouth: Sullivan. Of
lsDanvilIe; Tydeman. of Roanoke; Pow.
/ ell. of Danville: sieber. of Richmond
and Guheen. of Portsmouth.
Many Three-Bnsc Hits.
Il The showing IN NUS w d.
slightly better. There were EOS swat
of this variety. and of these Sullivan
4 OF Danville captured twelve. leading
all other hitters. Tydeman Was sec
ond with nine, and Doyle. of Roanoke
King. of Danville, and Zeigler. o
Iynchburg. each secured eight three
baggers. The absence OF the Colts II
these summaries is conspicuous, ant
serves to explain why Richmond fin
: ished third in the race
The records of the various league
give. in most cases. the number o
r bome-runs made by the various demon
5 athletes. This. is poin.. that shoul'
: interest every fan. for, after all. 1t i
e tho fellow with 'home-run" In tho bo!
!, score now and then who Is mostl!
: worshipped 1t is interesting to not
what some of the great sluEgers di'
t in other leagues. although the VII
: ginia circuit may show up worse b.
!, the comparison.
J. Leaders in Other Leagues.
: New York's red topped Jack Murra,
WAS the home run hitter OF the Ma
:, y tional League. tucking seven of then
!. )under his belt. Some class to hi:
j, swatting. anyway--always was. Iyru'
vi (,ohh. of Detroit, capped his great feat!
-
= n homers-nine thereof. and mostl,
cIean hits down the .leld which T,
= Iheat out by lightning running.
!. oils Johnson the Portland sluEger
o .,bom Sailing has. but Is. 1t is said
= .oine 10 IRE nntried. accumulated n,
q 1ass' than thirteen home runs in tn,
Z. season. OF course Otie had the advan
!, ,are of a longer season--he played 90
81 games-but even at that a man VIII,
%, can swat forty-one two- baggers, 81:
d ltr,nlets, thirteen homers and stea
9 forty-hve bases is too good for thu
hook. @
Z ern League in honors. with thirteen
: hut they have some short fences gu
l. thereI Jones. of Colu1n bus, a sluggint
e catcher whom McGraw turned down
lIed the American Association will
s seven four. baggers. Simmons, of Ro
chester, a Giant farmland, led the
Eastern League with eight OF those
Isl peachy drives
HOW the Minors hit,
According to the record book, Per
|lstns az Hartford, In the Connectlcu
= league. was the candy kid OF all til,
S. LAM, IN The home run line Mi. Per
lxins copped twenty three home run
S in only ninety-siS; games. which lis
record unequaled for many and man.
season. His general average wa
s 2s3. and he is a third baseman by pro
4 fesston. If they have short fences /,
7. that league Mr.. Perkins probably &C
It Iuuired those twenty-tnree homers b.
Is long lilies that fell beyond the lin,ite
barriers, but If he beat out those TWEEN
~. threeehits he&ought to he investi
y gated. Il wouldApayi The big, Lacquer
Il Ito inquire asilttl l' soneernt Ing MI. Per
l-kins. Knol k-slnu t'u.ea 81, ot the Cen
ttl| Win eleven homers. AIesseng ger, 4s d
Eall River, who lis now with Comisfes
y tonped the New ,iisg land \ sea que wit
L, oirht. Johnson, OF BS' prttgfi cid, lad tn
,ss rhree i With ten, q ii lis gers. tl,es