Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-13

no was seldom found wanting and az an
exponent OF team work he was never ex-
celled. Taking him IN all departments OF
the game he was probably one Of the
greatest ball players that ever put on a
uniform. and veteran critics scorn the
assertion that there are better catchers
today. Ewing caught the famous Tim
O'Keefe. Mickey Welch, Cannon Ball
Crane. Hank o'Day, Titcomb. Amos Rusie
and other pitchers with as much ease as
II he sat in a rocking chair. Crane was
probably the swiftest pitcher he ever
faced. yet he used to make the big twirler
as mad as a halter by telling him that he
had no speed when the fast ones came
shooting over the plate. Ewing caugh
s~eventy-eight games in 1855 with a field
ing average OF SCI and a batting average
Of 1905. In 1889 he officiated behind the
bat in ninety-four out Of 1871 games, with
1914 in fielding and 1926 in batting.
Tom Daily, who caught his first major
league games with the Chicagos and then
helped the Brooklyns to win the p%ennant
in 1890. was another fine backstop and
thrower until he injured his arm and be-
came a second baseman. He was one OF
the fastest men in the country in getting
after foul flies. Dick Buckley. who was
playing ball when. his hair was gray, led
the league catchers in 1891 when a men,
Der of the Giants with .944 for sixty-six
games. He practically made Amos Rusie,
for the big IIoosier could not pitch with
effect to anybody else. that season.
Malachi Kittredge, a short, stocky chap,
was the leading National league catcher
In 1899. He played with the Chicagos
and caught nnnopu Ntbo~. A.. - rY.-t-
Griffith. Kittredge caught sixty games
that year with an average Of 1921.
Chief thinner, an iron man who stood
the battering OF many crack pitchers with
the Clevelands, was the leader in 1894
when he caught eighty-elght games with
an average Of .sS5. That was the year that
Duke Farrell. who had previously earned
fame as a Chicago backstop, was a bright
star at the Polo grounds when the Giants,
under John M. Ward, won the Temple
cup from the Baltimores. Farrell caught
Rusie and Meekin. both speed merchants,
with and ease and grace that delighted
thousands of fans. many Of whom remem-
Der him to this day. Wilbert Robinson of
the Baldmores and John Clement Of the
Philadelphians were tied for first honors
in 1895, the former catching seventy-four
games and the latter eighty-four. Deacon
Jim Mcguire, another stone wall, carried
off the honors in 1913, when he caught
ninety-two games for the washingtons with
an average Of 1862. thinner again led the
league in 1901 when he officlated with the
wind pad and mitt in sixty-seven games for
the Pittsburgs, and Kittredge, then with
the Bostons. came back in the following
year with $3.50 for seventy-two games.
Jack Warner of the Giants was the
leagues leading catcher in 1903 and 1904, in
point Of fielding averages, and Frank
Bowerman, also of McGraw's team, held
the top rung Of the ladder in 1906 and
1907. Bergen of the Brooklyns was the
leader in 1908. He showed practically as
much skill then as that of his brother
Martin who caught eighty-two games for
the Bostons in 1897 and later committed
suicide. Roger Bresnahan will always be
remembered by New York fans as a hard
worker. He caught the great Mathewson
with skin and was the life of the New
York team. B~resnahan. in the opinion of
many, came nearer filling Buck Ewing's
place at the Polo grounds than any other
New York catcher. He was a suberb, all
around player, a great hitter and above
all a heady field marshal. 1t wa a sad
day for the Giants, many fans think, when
he was allowed to get away.
Charles A, Comiskey, owner of the Chi
cago White Sox, developed several famous
catchers, including Doc Bushong, Jack
Boyle and Billy Sullivan. Bushong caught
for Comiskey's st. Louis Browns. who won
several pennants In the old American as
ISOLATION. He handled Bobby Caruthers
and Long Dave Foutz and after. being
traded to the Brooklyns he continued to do
excellent work. Boyle succeeded Bushong
in st. Louis, and with Pitcher Silver King
as his leading partner in strategy he de-
veloped a remarkable battery. Sullivan,
still with the White Sox, was rated the
best catcher in the American league sew
eral years ago, but he may have gone back
a trifle.
Lou Criger, who will be with the High
landers this year. was a leading backstop
when with the Clevelands under Pat. Te-
beau and later with the Boston Red Sox
when they won the worlds championship,
but a serious spinal trouble put him out
OF the game after that for more than a
year. Finally recovering his health and
strength, Criger returned to base ball
and showed much of his former skill, but
in st. Louis last year he complained that
the climate did not agree with him and
welcomed the deal that transferred him to
TINS CIV. /
Ossle Shreckengost, who caught Rube
Waddell, Plank, Bender and other pitchers
for the Philadelphia Athletics, cannot be
left out of this story. Neither can Jack
O'Connor, who was a sterling backstop for
the Clevelands and Pittsburgs, and Morgan
who was famous as catcher of the
champion Boston American association
team under Arthur Irwin in 1891. The old
Nets of 1884 contributed Billy Holbert and
Reipschiager to the list of great catchers
and there were many other good ones. Suf-
flee it to say, though, that when you see
Of the star catchers in harness now
adays it is well to remember that they are
following in the footsteps OF men who were
just as amous and no doubt equally skill
full in every way.
PRINCETON ENTERS rowing GAME
Engage In intercollegiate Match,