The Washington herald., 1911-01-02
BY GEORGE r.. DEWITT,
EDITOR WHO'S WHO IN BAsFR.Jd.

EDITOR WHO'S WHO IN BASEBALL"
Copyright by National Weekly Letter Bureau lsfo.)
Ten times in fourteen years Charles W.
Bennett led catchers of the National
League in fielding. The nearest approach
| to this that records show is the case OF
Warner. who led twice in the National
and once in the American League. Six
| other catchers have led twice each. II
is upon that record that the old-timers
claim that Bennett was the greatest
catcher that the game has ever known.
His lead began in 1881, and the last year
in which he led was 1895, the year be-
fore he suffered the dreadful railway ac-
cident by which he lost both legs. He
belonged to what may be called the mid
die period Of the game. Many are the
stories that are told of the persistence
with which he caught, day in and day
out. with only the protection Of gloves
with the fingers cut or. and handled
some OF the swiftest pitching in. his
long career. In his day he was regarded
as hero, and his following was most
loyal. Bennett began with the old Ne
shannocks, with whom he played in 1873
and 1876; Etnas, of Detroit, in 1876; one
game with Athletics in 1877 and the rest of
he played in 1878; Worcester In 1879: with
the Hop Bitters team to Cuba in the
winter of 1S79-1SS0; New Orleans in 1880:
Worcester in 1880: Detroit Nationals in
ISIS; Boston Nationals In 1889; Boston
Players League in 1880, and Boston Ma
tionals in 1s91-2-3. During this time Ben
nett handled the pitching of the leaders
Of the league. Derby. Whitney Getzein.
Weidman, Stiverts. Clarkson. Fred Shaw.
Conway, and Lady Baldwin He caught
in the world series of 1887, when his team
won the championship from St. Louis.
his batting record of 36S helping some.
In three other years his batting was over
30l-.3m in 1881, .304 in 1882 and .301 in 1883.
And the last three years he caught with
Boston that team won the league cham
pionship.
Great Early Catchers.
The best part of Jim Whites career
as a great early catcher was spent be-
fore the National League was formed in
1876 He led three times in all, but the
first two were in 1S71 and 1875. He stands.
however. as the leading catcher in the
first year Of the existence Of the league.
He caught Pabor. Pratt, and Matthews
with the Forest City club, of Cleveland;
Spaldng throughout the championship
years of Boston from 1872 to 1879. and
went with him to the Chicago Nationals
in 1876. He went back to Boston in 1877,
and the championship went there that
year. too. With Cincinnati the next
three years. Buffalo the next five years,
Detroit the next three, and 1889 with Pitts
burg. His name is to be seen on six
champion teams in the league and once
on the world champion Detroits in 1887.
In his later years he played on the bases,
but his fame lives as a leading catcher.
For seven years after the National
League was formed White batted over
900, and seven times before that.
Another two-time leader OF the league
catchers Of early days is Charlie Sny-
der, who lead in 1877 and 1878, the former
year with Louisville and the latter with
Boston. Good as Snyder's National
League record as a catcher is, it by no
means gives the full measure of man as
one of the foremost of the early ball
players. After twenty years service on
the ball field. when he first began to
play in 1873 with the Creighton's, of
Washington, he retired with the enviable
reputation of never even once having
been censured by an umpire. His first lead
was with the Louisville team in the in
glorious year of 1877. When Craver.
Nichols, Devlin. and Hall were playing
into the hands of the poolrooms Sny-
der, behind the bat, was winning the
leading place among catchers by his
CdpduIes anu pldylHS.
He was handling the terrific pitching OF
Devlin, who, crooked. as he turned out
to be. could pitch with a speed that few
beside Snyder could hold. Then next
year he led the catchers while handling
Bond for the Boston Nationals. While
the records CT the National League end
there. so far as Snyder is concerned, his
work IN the old American Association
eclipsed even that enviable honor. He
caught for Cincinnati in 1SS2. when 1t
won the first pennant Of the old associa-
tion, and did the finest sort Of work with
them until he went to Cleveland in 1883
One prominent writer goes SO far as to
say of Snyder's work behind the bat
that in those days he was turning
tricks behind the bat that modern CATCH
ers have yet to learn"
The honor place in the next two years
Is taken by old "Silver" Flint, with Chi
cago in 1873 and 1879. It was .-Silver's"
great work catching the only Nolan
On the Indianapolis team that gave him
a place on the Chicago team in 1879, where
he remained until the end OF 1890 His
name appears In the Ave championship
years that Chicago enjoyed. and In two
world series, winning that Of 1sa6 Had
Flint been - strong In batting a he was