The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-09-10
AT Vancouyer-Seatue /, Vancou- ,
vcr Z,
GREAT BATTER
is SNOOGRASS
(By Sam Crane.J

IAHl
New York, Sept Sept 9.-Fred
SnodGrass Of the Giants is probably
the most talked about baseball player
In the country today an this notori-
ETY. has come To the young Californian
rather suddenly, and Is due to his
being the leading battor OF the two
big leagues. the high favor that car.
Tles with II the additional prestige Of
being the premier swatter OF The
land
Not young player having his first
season as a regular on the big league
team should have the ability as d
batter. let alone the temerity TO cope
with such famous sluEgerS and cham
plon hitters as Hans Wagner. Ty
Cobb and Larry Lajoie, was so sur
priSing hat fandom the world over
was dazcd at first when the new ba,-
ting phenom flashed over the base
ball armament When 1t was seen,
though, that the new applicant for
the batting supremacy was not
mere flash OF temporary brllIIancy. but
gave promise OF becoming a fixed
star, IT dawned on the baseball pub
lie that the youthful asplrant was
worth being considered as n real con-
tender with the famous stas who
had preceded him, and who were
thought TO have a mortgage on tho
tollest batting averages that were
possible
Baseball has been full of surpris-
cS this season and Snodgrass' rapid
rise to fame Is only filling out the
quota of startling sensations of the
year of 1910.
And there will be more.
Snodsrass does not give the least
evidence of becoming busted
phenom." that bane of so many bril-
liant youngsters who have promised
so much and done so little when the
crucial test arrived Snodgrass has
nerve and confidence. two most es-
sential qualities, 20 enable him 70
hold his own, II not to do even bet
ter than his present high record.
Combined with nerve and confidence
he has youth and strength on his side,
a good eye, the ability TO judge dis
lance and a snap wrist movement to
his swing at the ball that has always
brought forth the best results in bat
ting.
Flelders cannot LAY for Snodgrass
with any degree OF certainty. He has
the happy faculty OF hitting EN-
where they amt" so happily ex-
pressed by Willie Keeler In answer
TO the question propounded to him
What makes a good hltter?"
Snodgrass Is just as liable to place
sizzling liner to right as he IS II
sting the ball To left OF TO center
He hits either high or low ball with
apparently equal ease, but his surest
hits and the most deadly are made
from in-balls around his shins tSat
he shoots past third base or in tho
left field direction with unstopable
speed.
These are called by him "Shin skin
Ders, and they are surely well name1
and foroibly and well express the al
most incredible swiftness with which
they are propelled off his bat
No pitchers as yet this season have
been able TO head the young bats
man Off Some Of the twirlers have
struck him out, but as he has al
ways come back with a safe drive
that proves no pitcher has anything
on him. Snodgrass just dotes on
southpaws. and rIght-hand pitchers
do not seem to bother him much
more.
Just now the young batting phenom
leads Ty Cobb, his nearest rival. for
the premier honors, and the ownership
OF the auto TO be given to the best
batter of the two big leagues, by
more than % points In percentage.
Snodgrass presen- average is about
.i05, while Cobb's is around $50. The
youthful Giant too, for the last three
weeks has averaged nearly a hit in
every two times at bat. and that
shows the remarkable pace he is set
ting. When the Giants go on their
next trip he may fall off a hit. but
heretofore this season he has batted
lWlly as well on the road as nt home
The rules under which the auto is
TO bo presented require that q play.
er, to be entitled to a chance TO
have his batting average considered,
must have been at bat at least $50
times. SnodgTass has at present time
only had few more than 200 times
up, but as the Giants have still over
bO more games to play. there is lit
tie doubt of his being able to quail
fy
Snodgrass was engaged by Manager
McGraw rs catcher while tho Clans
were on a spring training trip to Los
Angeles, Cal, where the youngster
was playing with local college team
That was four years ago. No chance
presented itself for Snodgrass TO be.
come regular catcher, but he was
held, nevertheless and McGraw's
Judgment OF the youngsters ility
was not misplaced