Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-26


Grover Cleveland Alexander of the
Ihillies, each Of whom won twenty
eight games in 1911. Coombs, how
ever, lost twelve and Alexander thir
! teen, so their standing for the year
! vas not nearly SO good as Woods is
now. No one imagines that Wood
viii not better his average in the re,
naming thirty games of the season.
| In short. with fair luck, Wood is not
unlikely to set a new big league rec,
! ord this year.
! Only one pitcher in either league
/ finished the season last year with
as good a percentage as Wood has
how. That was Covington Of Detroit,
but as he figured in only eight won,
and-IOst games it would be hardly
fair with Wood to compare his aver,
age with that of the Detroit man.
In thrty-siX games this year Wood
has made thirty hits in 104 times at
bat for an average of .2SS. Eleven
OF his hits have been for two bases,
one was a three-bagger and one was
a home run. He has four sacrifice
hits to his credit, and has scored
eleven runs. In the field he has made
but four errors while making thirty
two putouts and ninety-one assists.
This gives him a fielding average OF
1863
When a first year student at the
University of Kansas, he joined the
Baseball team representing the town
OF Hutchinson, Kan. That was be-
fore he was seventeen years of age,
but despite his youth his showing
with the Hutchinson team secured for
him an offer from the Kansas City
club Q the American Association.
Baseball was so attractive that Joe
turned from law, at which his father
and brother had both been successful,
and gave his attention to become a
baseball player.
Taught Himself to Pitch.
Upon being interviewed the other
day, Wood said, in answer to a query
as to how he mastered the knack of
curvlng a ball: When / was seven
years old i could, curve a baseball,
I and~ have never been shown any.
thing about pitching. suppose base
tail is a natural gift, for l have de
vised and developed every shoot and
curve that / use. All through my
school days | played ball, and while
often assigned to other positions, |
was usually called upon to pitch the
important games"
1t has often been said that Wood is
trifle too light for a pitcher, but
that is not so. He stands 5 feet liz
inches and weighs 16S pounds. 1t is
an ideal height and weight for an
athlete, especially a pitcher.
When Joe Wood was showing re-
markable quality with Kansas City
tour years ago RUDE Marquard was
doing surprising work for the Indian
apOlls team. At that time John |.
Taylor president of the Red Sox, was
looking for players to strengthen his
team. Fred Lake was sent West to
look over the two young phenoms and
ne strongly recommended Wood, but
| passed on Rube. The result was that
Wood reported for duty with the Bos-
ton outfit early in August. Through
out the baseball world Woods re-
markable speed became a subject of
discussion at once, but the young
pitcher was rot forced to extend him
self much.
Since coming to Boston Wood has
steadily improved, mastering a per-
feet drop ball and showing great
speed whenever the occasion demand
ed that kind of delivery. He has de-
veloped into one of the most scientific
pitchers in baseball Never being
troubled with sore arm and being
an exceptionally clean-living fellow,
Wood is always ready to take his
turn and do his best for the club
In addition to being a master pitch
or, Wood is an expert at all-around
playing. He fields his position bet
ter than almost any other man play
ing the game, especially when it comes
| TO covering the first bag. This fea-
ture, of his game is noticeable all the
more because pitchers of other clubs
are usually weak in this essential de-
partment. Woods hitting has been an
important factor in more than one
same which the SOX have won.