New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-02-04

II will he seen from this IA hle that Lee
Tannehill. OF the Chicago White SoX leads
the shortstors NJ both leagues. under both
methods Of computing the averages. This
will sometimes happen. hut there are slar-
ing exceptions noted. as in the case OF Bush.
II is possible. considering the manner In
which the figures are made up now. for q
man to play safe by handling hard
chances in such way as to escape the
charge Of an error in the box score. Play
ers have often been accused OF looking after
their own averages rather than the inter
ests OF their club. 4 man who PLAYS
ground balls safely when he might have
gone after them and registered an assist Is
subordinating the good Of the club 10 hs
own personal glory. II player loafs on
hard chance he gets credit for IL by being
exempted from an error.
When an infelder with the wonderful
ability of owen Bush goes after difficult
chances and works hard all the Zine he
necessarily misses a number OF Grounders
and is charged with errors which would
not be credited against another player who
could not come anywhere near the tall.
Under the present system all thls counts
against Bush and brings him down in tie
list The number of grounders which he
handles perfectly and which are totally be-
yond the ability Of the average inaelder to
geb does not show in the figures
IL the average number of chances Per
game were taken as the basis for rating
the players, it would act as a stimulus and
cause Che men to exert themselves In
handling difficult grounders All this would
rebound TO the benefit of the club and the
glory OF the player. while the loafer woLld
be revealed in his true colors
Howe prefers not to eliminate the old
method entirely as it would prove useful
in determining a players value to the club
as a fielder. That a mans true ability can
be determined by the present method alone
Howe denies.
The proposed system is open to criticism
as It puts a premium on opportunities when
one player may receive and another he de-
MED. Theoretically two players might play
In 100 games during a season, one handling
$50 chances perfectly and the other accept
ing $50 chances but making 30 errors, yet
both would receive the same rating under
Howe's system, although there would bo
no comparison between the fielding ability
| of the two men, Errors are not considered
by Howe. so the present system would have
to he retained, although the new method
would give an interesting line on certain
features OF an infielder's work.
Gabby Street, the star catcher OF the
Washington Senators and the only one OF
the few receivers I'm the league who care
TO handle Walter Johnson's swift benders
regularly. is out TO make a new catching
record. Before the curtain drops on the
season of 1912 Street hopes TO have reached
the 1000 mark in the number of games nc
has caught In the nine years which M
has been playing baseball he mas stood be-
hind the plate in exactly 93l games This
does not include the number OF games IN
which he has performed a pinch hitter,
a first baseman and the like.
Street started playing I'm organized base
ball in 1903 with the Hopkinsville team. OF
the * /. T. League, catching u games
that year. With Terre Haute. of the Cea-
tra League. in 1904 he saw service i'm l3O
games before Joining the Cincinnati Reds.
where he participated in u more. making
142 for the season. The following year ne
was shifted from Cincinnati TO Boston. and
loafed along, catching in 30 contests. I'm.
jured fingers keeping him out of the game
He was shunted back to the minors and
in 1906 had caught 10 games for the San
Francisco team. OF the Pacific Coast
League, before the earthquake came and
put cessation TO hostlities. After the big
| disaster Street came East and caught "
games for the Williamsport team. of the
| Tri-State League, and the following year
went back TO San Francisco and took part
in l5i games. Washington bought him n,
! 1908. and he has remained in the capital
! ever since His record with the Senator's
has been l2s games in 1908. 1877 in 1909. 50 in
1910 and Il in 1911