The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-10
PAYS TRIBUTE ID
 WILLIAM KELLER Was the King of All the Scien-
 tific Batsmen. QUITS THE GAME RICH Success of the Former Yankee Out fielder Due Entirely to His
 Great and Unerring Eye
 on Balls md Strikes.
QUITS THE GAME RICH
From the New York Globe.

From the New York Globe.
 He was the king of right felders. He stood alone in the game. When he was playing with Ned Hanlon over in
 Brooklyn he was regarded by all ball players as the most scientific batter in baseball. Looking from any angle, bat ting, fielding, and base running and brain matter, it is doubtful if there ever was a more valuable man to a baseball team than William Keeler, who has been given his unconditional release by the New York Americans.
 | Bill hasn't decided on his future plans, but don't be bit alarmed if he puts his little bat <n his shoulder and helps Bill Dahlen out in Brooklyn. Then don't be surprised if Wee Willie" is seen strutting around the Polo Grounds. Unquestionably much of Kee1er's suc- cess in batting was due to his great eye. He would stand up there in his own way with that rolling pin and |. never move away from the dish. If he got one he liked he took crack at it. Fielders for years tried to find out his weakness and how to arrange the in and out field in order to stop him from making base hits and breaking up ball | games It was no use. One day there was a game which Tim Hurst was um- piring. Keeler let one go and Hurst called ball. The catcher made a roar, claiming a strike.
 | How can you call anything like that | a haIJ7" was the o11astfop mt fo r,i,, Anything that Keeler doesn't strike at is ball?' was Hurst's rejoinder That's the regard umpires had of Bill and his good eye in gauging deliveries | We all know what the answer was Keeler gave when he was. askd the secret of his hitting ability. It was T hit them where thy aint"
 q never saw a ball player who could go up and hit all kinds of pitching like | Keeler could" said Hughey Jennings one day. He had four hits one day | in Detroit. One was slammed in right | field, the next one over second base and the other just past the third sack, and keeler kept to form as a scientific batter by laying one down and beat ing it out. He was a wonder" Since Willie has been on the hill top. where he went in 1908, he has been of great service to the Yankees He has done great deal for the American league and for this reason Frank Far rell, the owner of the New York Amer leans, game him the unconditional re- lease in order that he could do as he pleased. It Is the intention of Stalling to have nothing but young blood around the Broadway grounds. Keeler admits that they have been beating | him step or two the past two years and that he could discover that he wasn't as fast as he used to be. But wouldn't he be a very handy one to have around?
 Tom Lynch had the following to say about Keelcr at the baseball meeting at the Waldorf:
 There is one of the gentlemen of bseball, and I had him tabbed that way all the time. There is no use telling what a good ball player he was. 1 would like to get a man like keeler to umpire for me- and when he leaves the game he can come to me and say the word and he can have the job"
 It may be that Keeler will consider that sort of a position.
 We have told over and over aeain how keeler stands in the financial line. He has his money invested In real es- tate in Brooklyn, and was one
 player who thought that the day would come when bank roll would be the proper thing.