Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-30
STAR CATCHERS
WERE VERY SCARCE
Charley Bennett CIasSed Up
With the Best of
Them.
WAS A MASTER BACK
IN THE EARLY DAYS
Tor Ten Years Champion of the
National League-Liked Elk
hibition Games
BY JOHN b. GRUBER.

Considering the great number Of back.
stops in the ranks of base ball since the
inception Of The game. the really first
class catchers can be counted on the
fingers OF both hands. Among them
stands Charley Bennett who fiourished
between 1874 and 1894. lie was not only
a great catcher. hut a clever batsmau
and a good all-around PLAYER lie took
good care Of Ills physical, makeup and Of
his personal reputation lie never dis
sipated. and no one ever heard OF him
missing game on that account. He was
a domestic man. and after tine close Of
the season went horne and stayed there
during the winter except for two weeks
or 4 month. which ne spent with friends
hunting in the west. generally in the
state OF Kansas He was on one Of
these trips during the winter Of 1Sa3-9i
with John GARRISON the noted pitcher
or their way from Kansas City 70 Will
Eamsburg Bennett. January .. 1894. got
on u Wellsvillc. Kan. to speak 10 =
friend and when he attempted 10 board
the moving train. fell under the wheels
anC had both legs cut off This put an
end 10 his base ball career, and took
one or the brightest stars out OF the
game. For fifteen seasons, one at Mil
wankee. one ar Worcester. eight at De
troit and five at Boston, he caught in
the National League, and n ten OF these
he was the champ ion catcher.
Bennett was born at New Castle. Pa
November -. 1s.6. and began his base
ball life with the Nechannock team OF
that town as catcher and third base
man. He was with the Ncchannncks III
1871 1910 and near the end OF the latter
F.f trcIf
In 1877 he was given q trial by the Ath-
letics of Philadelphia. but after playing
one game vas let go and signed with
tn Milwaukee team. That team III 1Si
was independent organization, al
though connected with the League ALL
ance. But in 1878 Milwaukee entered the
National League, and Bennett remained
a member Of the team IL was the nrst,
last and only year that Milwaukee had a
team in the National League, and It's
team finished sixth or last in the race.
there being only six clubs in the organi-
Zation- The pitcher Of the team was ia
NOUS Buck Weaver. and among other
noted PLAYERS were Johnny Peters. Abne-
DaIrymple and Jake Goodman. Dalrympie
that year led the National League bat
ters with a percentage OF BOB.
In 1879 Frank g. Bancroft. at present
business manager of the Cincinnati club
placed an independent team in Worces-
tes, Mass. In 1880 he entered his team
in the National League, taking the place
of the disbanded Syracuse CLUB Ban
croft in 1879 engaged Bennett as catcher,
along with Al Bushons. One of the
pitchers of the Worcesters that year was
Lee Richmond. a left-hander. and The
iirt twirler 10 shut out a team without
:. IT or run Bancroft arranged Il
game with the Chicago National League
team and il took place at Worcester
June =. Arthur Irwin was then playing
vita the Our Boys. an amateur team In
Boston. and Bancroft added him to his
Ist Of players. He also engaged the bat
terry OF Brown University. Richmond and
Winslow- The college pitcher had the
White Stockings completely at his
mercy the Worcesters winning ii TO y.
and the Chicagos not getting even SO
much as a scratch hit Only one man
reached first base. This feat caused
much surprise in tine base ball world, and
much jubilation in Worcester. The fans
there called attention to the fact that II
was performed not only against one
Of the strongest batting teams in the
country headed by the redoubtab!e An
son but III spite of the adjustment OF
the out-on foul bound rule, which gave
oatsmen more chances at bat and so in
cTeasng the batting
1t was the first year that the rule re-
curing the fielder to catch a foul on the
iiy TO put out a batSman. was in vogue.
In previous years a batsman was out Il
a foul ball was caught on the first
bound In the following year, 1880. Worces-
ter then being a member OF the Ma
tional League. Richmond repeated the
performance OF 1879 by shutting out the
t'icyelands. i To - not man reaching
fTst base. Richmond had but short
career on the diamond. Worcester with
drew from the National League after the
season Of 1882. and Richmond withdrew
from the game and began the practice Of
a physician in Cleveland.