The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1910-08-11

| Where Being hit by Ball Affects
Playing Ability.
When Frank Chance. manager of the
Chicago Nationals, was struck ON the
head by ii ball hurled by Pitcher Gas
! per of Cincinnati recently it recalled
the fact that many star baseball play
ers have lost their effectiveness through
being hit by thrown balls.
That more batsmen are not injured
by being hit by pitched balls speaks
well for the skill of the present day
| pitcher. liz the old days the pitcher
would not infrequently let one go
straight at the batters head in order
to drive him away from the plate
| Such proceeding is rare nowadays
| Working the edges of the plate seems
| to have proved more effective. Never
! theless the fire the batter faces is dan
gerous.
One of the worst cases of head hit
ting was that of Hugh Jennings. now
manager of the Detroit club. icy Amos
Rusie Jennings, with Baltimore then.
was noted for his close hugging of
the plate and his willingness to ac-
cept a base by being hit by the pitch
er. He relied upon his quickness of
eye to minimize the effect of the blow.
Rusie had wide. jumping curve ball.
Jennings was willing TO turn his
shoulder. accept a DETECTING blow or
let 1t hit his shirt front or the slack
of his knickerbOckers He could do
this with pitchers of average curve. 4
but Rusie's "urve was too sharp in the
break and roo fast for him TO avoid
Jennings stood close and got one full
in the head. He fell fat For four
days his life was despaired of, but
powerful constitution pulled him
through. though he never was the
same nervy man again at the plate.
and it was months before he could
play.
Jennings. by the way. is an extreme
" durable person. While at Cornell
he Owed face first against the concrete
bottom of an empty swimming tank.
The man is a marvel of vitality and
energy. He sustained two shocks that
would have killed the average man.
yet he is as full of energy today as a
dynamo.
Roderick Wallace, the famous infield-
er of the Browns. had his batting eff
cheney seriously and permanently i'm
paired twelve years ago when he was
hit in the head by ball thrown by
"Chick" Fraser. who was then with
the Louisville club. Wallace was
knocked fiat. and 1t was many days
before he went TO bat again. A con-
stitution of iron enabled him TO with
stand the shock. but he never was
quite the same hitter afterward.
Dan Hoffman, the center fielder of
the Browns. was the victim of a fear
full blow at the hands of Jesse Tame
hill, then with Boston. some years
ago. Hoffman was ut the time deemed
the most promising young player in
the American league. He was having
his first season. and a brilliant one ii
was. One day he made triple. a dou-
BILE and single against Tannehill in
three trips TO the plate. The fourth
time up Tannehill hit him terrific
blow over the right eye. Ii almost
killed the trained and muscular young
athlete Hoffman lay as If dead. and
1t was four days before he recovered
consciousness. Then his nerves were
ruined. From TO pounds he declined
to 12S. He could NOT sleep or eat for
six months. and the following season
he had to get along as best he could |
with only one eye Hoffman says that !
it has taken him six years TO get back |
his full strength. He has never been |
able to hit left handed pitchers since
the day he was hurt. Now. six years
after Hoffman is at the mercy of the
average left handed pitcher.
Johnnie Lush. the star pitcher of the
Cardinals was hit by Andy Coakley on |
the neck and all bur killed His neck |
has never been straight since that |
time. and for years his health was Sc
riously impaired.
Roger Bresnahan was hit and severe !
ly hurt by Jack Taylor in 1904 For !
long time after this injury Bresna !
han wore n semi-mask that protected I
the exposed side of his head against |
the pitcher.
Hundreds of lesser lights have been /
hit and injured to degree less seri- |
Gus than those mentioned. 1t all goes |
to show that baseball is not without |
its great dangers. especially to men at |
the bat Most of the injuries on the |
field have come about through COLI |
sions between fielders. such as the one |
that cost the life of Hub" Collins. |
Collins fatai collision was with Harry /
Stovey at Boston many years ago.
Batted balls injure very few play
ers. though the way men hit them
about in practice would often make
one wonder that accidents are not
more frequent. The most notable ac-
cident of this sort was when Schriyer
VI Pittsburg hit William Hart OF the
same club on the chin with ball bat
ted in practice. The drive shattered
Harris jaw. 1t was wired up again.
Hart is now fifty years old and is rat
ed high among the pitchers Of the