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

A man who Systematically sets out
to study from the records the career
of every man that ever played in ma
jor leagues in the long history of the
game comes in time to shake off all
the personal prejudice, affection, local
pride, or preference for one player
over another that warps and bases
his judgmen when he faces the task
of giving an answer to this vital ques-
ton. Such a man, when he is asked
to give his opinion as to whom he
thinks is entitled to this honor, soon
learns to come back at his questioner
with: What do you mean by the
greatest batter?'
If the questioner is satisfied with the
man who made the highest batting
record ever awarded, the answer is
easy. That was James e. O'Neil,
known as Zip" O'Neil, who was
given record Of .492 in 1877, when he
played left field for the st. Louis
American association, then in major
league ball. A Canadian by birth, and,
indeed, now living in Montreal Tip"
started in as pitcher, but his arm
gave out, and Comiskey sent him to
the outfield. For six years O'Neil bat
ted over 800, leading the association
In 1887 and 1888, and standing fourth
in 1889 with .337 Although James E.
O'Neil was awarded the proud honor
of the highest batting record that has
ever been given, perfect candor and a
fair and impartial estimate of the rela-
compel one to say that O'Neil owes
that high position more to the fool
rules of 1887 than he does to his bat
ting ability pure and simple.
The Freak Batting Year Of 1887.
That year, 1887, was the big freak
batting year in all the history of base
ball. Some one-history does not
record whom-conceived the idea of
improving" the game by crediting
every batter taking his base on balls
with a base hit, and making four
strikes out instead of three To get at
the right measure of O'Neil's batting
record for comparison with those of
batters in other years, it would be
necessary to take off all his bases on
balls and all the hits he made after
the third strike. That is the only fair
basis for comparison with other years,
anu WAlGA LAidL 10 QOuE. 1t Is d IldLlGT
OF grave doubt whether O'NeiTs .492
of 1887 stands for better batting than
does the next high record of .453 made
by Ross Barnes In 1873 or even Hughie
Duffy's record of .43S made in 1894
the record for the National league. No
one can conceive the disastrous results
upon the batting averages that fol-
lowed upon the adoption of what
doubtless, seemed at the beginning OF
the year to be harmless and helpful
changes But what happened upon
their Incorporation into the rules goes
to show how delicately adjusted a
game Of baseball is and justifies the
caution and conservatism that have
been most marked on the part OF Of
ficials when any changes in the rules
have since been suggested. AS the
effects of these rules will follow all
through the discussion, 1t is desirable
to dispose of them once for all and
clear the way for further considera-
ton.
Times 300 Has Been 5atted.
Among the 1000 men who have
played in major leagues since 1871, on
ly $50 of them have ever batted over
800, and the total number OF individ-
ual times that 800 or better has been
batted In major leagues in that time
Is 1O6S. Further of all this vast
number only twenty have ever
batted over 400. TO show just what
1887 did. 1t is found that 12S men bat
ted over 800 in that year. and four
teen of the twenty nine over 400 did
it in 1887. Such a condition almost
5ustlfies the student of comparative
batting in ignoring all records OF that
year. They show the relative stand
Ing OF batters for that season. but are
worthless for comparison
with the records of batters in any
other years.
Batted Over 800 oftenest.
TO the questioner who will be salts
fed that the best batter is the man
who has batted over 300 the greatest
number Of times in his life, the answer
is equally easy The honor In that
mans eyes belongs to Adrian Constan-