The Detroit times., 1910-03-24

SAN ANTONIO. Texas. March "a
When they get TO talking OF great
baseball players. past and present. the
Tigers always have to allow the last
word to Jim Delehanty. It's been a
good many years now since the
mansled corpse OF Jim's big brother
ED went over the cliff at Niagara In
the middle OF the tumbling waters.
and some folks have been fitted with
memories so short that they have for
gotten Eds records. To Jim, how
ever. they will be always fresh. For
Ed was. and still is. Jims big hero
The man who led the American and
National league batters for so many
seasons was the model OF the boy Jim
and remains so TO this day. And woe
to the man who would try 10 argue
with Jim that Wagner or any other
man Is the equal OF what Ed Dele
hanty was once. The one representa-
tive OF the famous Delehanty family
still remaining in the big leagues VIII
come across with statistics and an ar
ray OF incident which is sure TO put
10 rout any sort OF opposition.
Il wonder II any of these people
who talk about Wagners batting rec
ord know that Ed Delehanty, In 10
years In the National and American
leagues. batted for grand average
OF .377?" inquiries Jim. There was a
batter! And his hits Melted him two
or more bases almost as often AS
they did only one.
Could Blunt EN- Too.
And perhaps he couldn't hunt, He
always had the third-baseman backed
away out into left field, for that was
the only way they could hope 10 get
him on ground ball. and many Is
the time that he used TO out-game
them and just dump IL down.
And some OF them say that Ed
wasn't fast, Why there was lot or
fuss made last fall over Ty Cobb's
wonderful record on the sacks. IL
was q good record too-a grand rec
ord. I'm free to admit. But Ed Dele
hanty stole II bases one year-prac-
tically tieing Cobb-and was always
well up in this department OF the
game He used TO say he stole those
bases when they weren't looking II
was true that he was such a big
strong man. they couldn't get il
through their heads that he was a
| dangerous runner"
Il never expect TO see batting
feat like the one Delehanty had one
day in Chicago" said Charlie O'Leary
when Del" got through. 1T was the
one that set the worlds record for
the big leagues or any other league,
guess. Four home runs and single
out OF five times at bat was the mark
Delehanty set that day. | was a little
kid but I'll remember II to my DYING
minute. And the single he got was
harder hit ball than any OF his home
runs"
A Friend Of the Youngster.
The first time | ever saw Ed Dele
hanty was when the Washington clut
1 dropped In TO play series at st
! Louis" IL was Tom Jones, adding hi:
hit 10 the Delehanty eulogy. I'm the
| first inning OF the game had the bad
/ luck to spike Billy Keister. then 9
member Of the Washington club. He
was always nagger and he thought
/ II gave him an advantage over me,
| suppose, so he started In TO make life
burden. He'd come over and coach
at first base, calling me a fresh kic
! and asking me II was trying 10 make
reputation by spiking veteran bal
players. | tried my best TO keep my
| temper. but felt myself slipping
| ED Delehanty must have seen the
trouble and along In the middle o
the game he came to me and said
| Kid. don't you mind a thing that wine
bag says. II he makes another crack
90 back at him hard You'll never
regret IL. II you don't, they'll be or
you like that. all the time you're II
the league
The next time Keister came dowr
my way I went out and met him.
| told him that one more word from
his trap would cost him about thre,
teeth and | said | wouldn't wait til
after the game but would start some
thing right there on the field. Tha
was the way | took Ed Delehanty':
advice. And would you believe 1t
Keister shut up like a jack-knife ant
ever after that was as pleasant to me
as IL we'd always been pals.
Ed Delehanty was the young bal
players friend"
Pitcher Can't Fool EN-.
The zest with which Edgar Willet
has attacked the job OF getting him
self into shape after the winters let
up is occasioned by his thorough
recognition of the fact that a pitcher
must have endurance TO go the route
Edgar means TO be in shape to take
his regular turn with Mullln at the
very start OF the season. In addition
TO the work he has been doing at the