Evening journal., 1911-03-21
PRIZE FOR MOST
VALUABLE PLAYER
Jennings Believes Batting Av-
erageS Are Not the Test
Of Players Worth
GIVES MANY ARGUMENTS
TO SUPPORT CONTENTION

Batting averages are by no means
true test of ball players ability and
altogether 100 much attention is pait
10 thcm by the public says Hughes
Jennings. boss of the Tigers There
are many cases where a man who
hits but 275 is more valuable TO his
cn,b ,,,au one who clubs the ball over
tho 500 mark.
soften the slugger who is out &C
make record thinks more or MS OWL
average than he does of the success
~ the club He is apt to go TO the
nlate figuring that he must get hit
and not that the team needs a run.
a man who is lighting for the sue
cess of the club is glad to score
run OF advance man by any means
whether it be a fielder's tumble a
Wild throw or a clean base hit.
when he comes up in a pinch be
will disregard himself and figure only
on helping the outfit that employs MIN
90 beat the other fellows. Anytnihe
that serves this purpose VIII suit MIN
Il believe that the idea OF givlne
piayers bonuses for hitting over .auo i
q mistake. Sherwood Magee Is 10 gel
eome extra money II he maintaini
This average. / understand, this beint
a part of the new three-year CONTRACT
that he has just signed. It viii o'
nothing more than human nature J.
eherwood thinks more about hitting
we'll and getting the additional casf
than he does of advancing the gen
sraI welfare OF the Phillies. O
course. a man who gets his is helpint
hts club. but there are times when Ch'
strategic scheme calls for something
else than slsmming the ball
sSuppose a man Is ordered up t'
sacrifice. OF course. he must make
q bluff at going through with the pla.
unless he wants TO get in lot o
frouble with the manager. But IL i
an easy matter for good hitter t'
foul OF a couple of bunts and thef
take a crack at the ball.
~cive me the player who Is hust
ling and fighting all the time in pre-
ference to the one who goes up to the
rubber bent solely on boosting hii
average. A man may hit hard ant
vet be a clog on the bases. Perhaps
he gets a batting figure Of $50 an'
doesn't steal ten sacks a year no
sacrifice a half dozen men along
1t is impossible to measure In colt
figures mans worth to his club
There are so many things that tn
averages do not show. The object o
the game is to make more runs tina
the other fellows, no matter how 20
get those runs.
For the reasons l have given,
seems to me that the offer Of pri7
automobile to the players who are
-~f6e most value TO their clubs Is
much better one than that Of last ses
SON. when batting averages only wer
taken into consideration. This ne'
scheme will encourage team worE
fighting spirit and loyalty. There vii
be no chance for loafer or shirke
10 get into the competition now wheth
or he can hit the ball or not.
Anything that makes for team
work makes for the good Of the gam
and for that reason I am in favor o
the proposition advanced this season
believe that the sporting writer
who are called on TO vote on the pro
position are big enough men TO elimi
nate their personal prejudices and Z
support the player whom they honest
" believe is entitled to the prize
whether they happen TO admire hin
personally or not"