Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-08-20
NEW RECORDS IN BASE BALL
Batters in Both National and Amer.
lean Are Showing Up Well.
LUDERUS IS BEING WATCHED
Many of the Players in the Major
Leagues Are Striving 20 Beat
Their own Records or
Those of Others.

NEW YORK, Aug. 12.-When the base
ball season closes in October the fans will
probably have new batting records to dis
cuss. Judging from the way the batters in
both the American and National leagues
are hitting the ball this year new records
are sure to be made. During the present
season an unprecedented number of extra
base drives have been made. There is
every reason to believe that new records
will be established for two-baggers and
three-base drives as we'll as for home runs.
Since there Is something magical in the
term home run" naturally the fans
throughout the country are interested in
the player who manages to get the great
est number of four-base drives during the
season.
At the present time enthusiasts all over
the country are watching the bat work OF
young Fred Lhderus, the Phillies' first
baseman, who. by his batting this year
has become famous as the noted Cobb
or Hans Wagner Luderus is after the
home run record made in 1899 by Buck Free
man OF the Washington Nationals Free
man that year established the modern
home run record by making twenty-five
homers. The National league clubs have
finished little more than half their sched-
ule and during that time the Philadelphia
player has scored more than half the num-
Der needed TO break the old figures
Socks seybold holds the American
league record for home runs He estab-
llshed It in 1902 The former Athletic, who
Is now playing ball in the American asso-
citation, In that year made sixteen. Luderus
is confident that he will be able to surpass
this record, Tim Jordan. former Brook
lyn player now with Toronto. made a
close approach to Seybolds record In 1906
He also repeated in 1905, Jordan in both
years made twelve homers Last season
Fred Beck Of the Boston Nationals and
Schultz Of the Cubs were tied for the home
run honors in the National league. They
each got ten.
Times Have Changed.
Luderus record, compared to those made
when base ball was in It's infancy" might
be called a ''joke." The game. however,
has changed much since then, especially
the batting and pitching. In the olden
times no-hit and no-run contests were UNI
known. Then, too, batters played a greater
part in the game than pitchers. The bat
ting records made In the days of Harry
Wright could never be duplicated as long
as pitchers like Mathewson. Brown, Adams.
Wiltse, Bender, Walsh Johnson Rucker
and host Of others are on the mound TO
put their best efforts into throwing balls
10 men at bat II Is a remarkable feat
today for batter 10 make two home runs
in one game, whereas In oiden times two
and three were not unusual.
However, It is fact that one man has
made seven hOmers I'm a single game. On
June r. 1867, Harry Wright, playing for
the Cincinnati club against the Holt club
OF Newport. KY. made that number
year later Lip Pike made six In one con-
test. AS late as 1874 Al Reach. Kleinfelder
and Potter earned the distinction OF max
ing five in a single contest They were
playing with the Athletics then. on May
3, 1866. this team made nineteen home runs
In q single game against club at New
Castle. Del The Philadelphians scored Isl
runs in the contest" In 1854 Muldoon OF