The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-16
COULD 1902 PIRATES BEAT
ATHLETICS TO A FRAGILE

i; In 1902 less runs were scored
. against the Pittsburgh club than any
other club in the league. According
to President Dreyfuss. there wasn't a
hurler mong the five mentioned
above who couldn't put the ball
through "A knothole" whenever he
wanted to do SO. Less bases on balls
were issued by the Corsair staff than
by any other five in the business.
In 1902 81 Dat of whitewash were
administered by Clarke and his band,
en- times by the other fellows.
During that season ~ games were
won by the locals in the last inning.
OF the 36 games lost. 80 We're single
figure defeats. ii of them being lost
by Il single III
So much for the pitchers. Now
for the other departments. The Pr
rate infield Of 1902 was composed
Of Bransfeld. Ritchev. Leach, Wag-
ner. and Conroy. IIonus and Conroy
both playing short at different times
during the season.
Against Branstield the Athletics
have either McInnes or Davis to Of
fer. In 1902 Rranstield batted .3OS
and tielded .9S6 . In 1911 McInnes
batted 1921. and Davis 1876. In 1902
Ritchey batted .275; in 1871 Collins
hatted .S5S. In 1909 Leach battcd
$50: in 1911 Baker hated 1914.
Barry. who covered the short field
for the Athletics, finished the season
with "A batting average of .25S. Con
roy. for the Pirates Of 1902. batted
.35S. and Wagner. who a%lterna,ed at
short and in the outtield, turned in a
mark of 1929.
Had n Great OutGcld.
In the outtield the old Pirates had
Beaumont, Clarke. Wagner. Lefty.
Davis and Jimmy Sebring. The pres
ent-day Athletics have Murphy. Lord
and Oldring. Surely the C'orsairs had
the edge in this department.
In 1911 Murphy hatted 1871. Lord
,304, and Oldring .2a+. In 1902 Beau
mont hattcd 1851. Sehring .SsS. Clarke
who played different positions with
this team. turned in a swatting mark
of .s96 for So games.
The old Pirates had thinner and
O'Connor for catchers. They were far
and above Thomas and Lapp. thinner
batted .26s. while O'Connor's mark
was .2a2. For the Athletics. Thomas
batted ESQ and Lapp .a47.
But it was not in batting that the
Corsairs of nine years g excelled.
In fact. they didn't excel at all in this
department.. as the above figures will
show. The Athletics swattinE aver.
age as a team was .293. while that of
the Pirates Of 1902 was only .2S6. But
in almost every other department the
Corsairs had the edge.
Take he base-stealine activities of
the 1902 team. for instance. Here
are the figures: Beaumont. SO: Con-
Branstield. "a; Davis. 90 in SO games:
Leach. %: Ritchey. II. At that time
the Pirates were the leading base
stealing aggregation in the business.
Their club fielding average for the
season was .a5S. better than the .Ath-
letics have eve shown.
Drcyfuss Gives His Opinion.
AS stated above. President Dreyfuss
isn't given to making e~xtravagant
claims for his players. past or pres.
ent. But he does insist that tho men
who constituted his 1902 team were
better than the present day Mack
mcn Said Mr.. Drcyfuss:
In his prime. Bransfield was head
and shoulders above either Harry Da-
Wis or McInnes . Kitty was a sure
sticker. a sensational fielder. and one
of the best all-around workers I have
eve known.
Eddie Collins is a star at second.
but he Is not as good as Ritchey used
" wv al ~ NV 'SNNSt SSSotlN
Q rthan Ritchey cvnr lived. Claude
was sure death on ground balls and
liners: he could get them on either
side Of him with ease. and Collins
will never see the day when he is as
good as Little All Right was in 1902.
Tommy Leach, at third. was the
most sensational third sacker of his
day. He was much better than Bak-
err; he was a better man in the field.
and on bases he was IL terror to the
opposing team. III my opinion, Leach
lowered head and shoulders above
Baker.
AT short. Wagner. OF course. was
not to he compared with Barry. FIo-
nus Is in a class by himself. Wild
Conroy was as good a ma in that po-
sition as Barry"
Then President Barney went on to
compare the two outields. Ills ar
gument that Beaumont. Clarke. Wag-
ner. Sebring. and Lefty Davis were
superior to Oldring.. Lord and MUIR
ply will not De disputed. eve by the
Athletics most ardent admirers.