The Detroit times., 1910-01-10
IlGERs' RECRUITS
DID FINE WORK
IHR0UGH 1908
Record Book, Just Published, Per-
uits Close Line on All the New
Material Secured by the
Management.
Lister, the Williamsport First Base
man, and Hardin, the Three /.
League Pitcher, Conspicuous.

Some class 10 those Tigerette re-
criiits. eh?
or course, we've known all that,
in the personal opinions which nave
been given to the fans from time 10
time as the purchases were announced
and commented on.
But nov. for the first time. We get
\ an opportunity of looking over the
dope In real figures. And the figures
are just as favorable in the main, az
were the general opinions of the scouts
who selected the men and the team
mates and other experts whose YER
diets have been quoted.
The opportunity TO summarize The
s work OF the newly-elected denizens OF
the jungle comes in the arrival at my
desk OF the 1910 issue of the SpaldlnS
Record Book, which, edited by John
H.. Foster. includes tc as complete 4
degree as is possible the record of
/. every man who participated in league
ball during last season.
Getting a Lire On EN-.
In the compilation given in another
column is included the batting and
felding record of every one OF the
Tiger recruits, with the exception or
\ Smith, the big New York pitcher. VINO
comes direct from independent ball
TO the big league for trial, and on
whom naturally there Is no dope ex
tant. The general record is sum
married. by the tabulated performances
OF the six new pitchers, insofar as
the data was obtainable from the sec
Tetaries of the various leagues IN
which they played. An interesting
feature OF the latter table is the ap.
pearance OF each pitchers percent Of
victories. followed by the seasons
percentage OF his team. As a rule,
Q good line on the class of the pitcher
81 afforded by this method
Minnie Hardin, whose signed con-
tract arrived AZ the baseball oihsc
while the accompanying table was
being compiled, appears strongest ot
all the pitchers in the contingent OF
newcomers, when the figures are con
eidered. He won more than 30 per
/. cent OF his games last year and struck
out 235 batsmen in the 81 games with
which he is credited as being the re.
sponsible pitcher. When one recalls
that he was also the leading pitcher
& OF pennant-winning team and had
consequently to win large share ol
his games from the star pitchers OF
his opponents, his success loses li'-
Z tLe In the telling. The same thing is
applicable TO a great extent TO Brown
ing. OF San. Francisco. The latte
has been advertised as a 125-pound
wonder He weighs about l5O, but he
wasn't accumulating much weight
during the season, for he appeared on
the slab In no less than 81 games,
which Is surely toiling some. He sure
must be a wiry youngster.
Stroud's record is incomplete in tho
returns, though the handsome gam
which he made in his individual rec
ord as compared with that OF his club.
shows his real ability. WilIiamsport
was not a pennant winner and Strold
had to have class to total up that list
p< victories.
Look at Lister.
In the batting and fielding depart
ment none Of the pitchers show up in
very striking fashion. But IL would Lc
q tough task for anybody TO pick oGt
OF the whole record book a finer sea-
sons record than that made by Po:a
Lister, VINO Is likely to give Tom
Jones some battle for that first base
poaition. Any time a toung man
scores SO runs: makes 144 hits. in
cluding &c doubles, 1S triples and a
couple OF homerg; steals II sacks ant
sacrifices 2S times, he's a bird. and
don't forget that ne fielded .9S2. which
1s only little short Of absolute per-
fection.
Nor is Ness, the other colt first
sacker, Far behind. He didn't hit so
lard as Lister LIT he thumped away
at better than 800 clip and fielde9
.991- Just think of it,
And there was Del Drake with bet
ter than a 800 batting average and q
buach OF nice inside play. And Sim
mond and Kirk. present with the
bludgeon. And little Ball, from or
at Adrian. with % runs. 14l hits and
65 stolen bases to his credit i'm the
South Michigan. to say nothing of
some other CLASSY work
Oh. there will be some fun looking
them over this spring and the fans
cam rest assured that II is going 10
take some grand bali by the veteran
corps TO keep their 1909 lineup intac.
against the inroads OF this swell bunch
of new material.