The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-28
GOOD RECORD
 OF HI LADD Bridgeport Star is Grand Old Man of This League In Eleven Years He Has Been Under Average of
 300 Only Once
Waterbury Republican.


 Some men have risen to fame ln the Connecticut league and some have dropped to shame in the circuit. But there is one person that was famous before he entered the Conn" league, has swallowed in fame since, and to- the league, your old friend, "Hi" Ladd. says the Springfield Republican in this story of his life. Every sea son brings around a bunch of young sters to the Bridgeport club, but the day hasn't come yet when old Hiram is swatter. He has been swatting since he came to this sacred circuit back in 1900, and he has been swat ting, swatting with wonderful consis- tency every year. Consider the artist who has batted above the 300 mark been connected with it; who eleven years ago led the sluggers and who ten years later was runner up to the champion batsman of the Connecticut Ieaguel That is "Hi" Ladd.
 Few, are the visiting players to Hampden park season after season who have the respect of the fans that Brother Ladd has. All this he has earned by good ball playing, and as time rolls on and slows him up bit, but does not dim his batting average, the rooters are all the more cheerful
 
 long tearing wallops. The fans in this city like to see Ladd come to bat with men on bases, even if he IS one of the despised set. They like to see a consistent hitter do something, and while they would rather have the hit what pleased to note the telling stroke of the time-honored veteran. Ladd, in a pinch, against Springfield pitchers anyway, has meant action and all true lovers of baseball like the stir and the commotion of the real goods. "Hf' is a generator of action. Hampden parkers know Hiram and when he comes to the wicket he gen. orally is saluted in a friendly man ner.
 Uncle Hiram is no chicken. This he admits. He was playing ball long and he was a player highly esteemed by thousands in the century before this one. He is an old boy, but not an old man. In years he is forty one anyway, and the records of hIs birthplace, at Willimantic say 1870 was the year he struck that town. Hi- ram admits that he is forty-one and laughs at those who think he is giv- ing himself short measure in the time account. But whether he is forty one or ninety-one, the fact is he is as good as many of the players of
 
 baseball that many a man of twenty one is 100 on the diamond, while an- other fellow closer to ninety is nine- teen on the diamond. Results count and that is why MT Ladd of 1911 is worth so much to the Bridgeport club, and why the good things he does in the Springfield games are so well appreciated by fans in this city.
 In point of service, Ladd is the veteran of the league, and in point of continued ability he is in a class by himself. The first year he join ed the Connecticut circuit just elev- en years ago, with Derby, he led the league in batting, with such high mark of .371. Dannie Murphy, Con- nie Mack's gem, was then with Nor wich, and he was just two points be- hind Ladd. Another season Hiram was the virtual leader with a mark of .341 in 1907, but two other fellows who batted in less than thirty games had higher marks. Four times he has been runner-up to the champion hitter. Pat Dougherty beat Hi out for first place in 1901. Claude Ross man in 1903 beat Ladd for first place. In 1906 and last year Hi Ladd was the second best batsman of the lea que. This is certainly a fine record and the Connecticut league has had some star batsmen, too, since Ladd joined it. A few of them who have since risen to the big show are Pat Dougherty, Claude Rossman, Denny Murphy, Ferris, Parent, Hummel, Batch, Altizer Conroy and some more, not to mention the pitchers of na- tional esteem. The following is Hi ed the Connecticut league in 1900:
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