Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-01
OLD ROMAN WAS
 STAR FIRST sAckER.
Playing Differed from Accepted Style
 of His Day.

To the present generation of fans, Charles Com1Skey is the old Roman the owner of the Chicago White Sox, the man who controls the dest1n1es or Ed Walsh and a number of other first class ball players. In a vague way they know that Comiskey was great player, and that about lets most Of them out. But there is older or der of baseball enthusiasts that re- members Comiskey as the Hal Chase of his day. He is to them not so much the magGate as the first base man, captain, and manager, who led St. Louis to four pennants, and made the team the fighting terror 1t once was. As a first baseman. Con1ny was a pioneer. He invented new style, and though he never led the league in his position, he had an even great CT effect on the manner of playing the sack than Chase has ever had. He differed widely from the accepted style of the star first sacker.
 The great ones before him were Dan Brouthers, Dave Orr and Roger Con- nor. They were giants in size. mere targets at which infielders begged. says an exchange. They played the sack close and covered little ground. Confskey came along and started the fashion of playing deep. At first he was ridiculed. But in almost no time the fans awoke to the fact that he was covering twice the territory or his predecessors, and that, while he was not stationary target at which to throw. his infielders got the ball to him just as surely as if he were.
 By 1885 he had built up wonder full team. He had a fierce, aggressive out1eld, and his battery staff was un- exceptional. Latham, Gleason and Robinson, Welsh and O'Neal. with one of the pitchers were the outfeld. The twirlers were Foutz and Carruthers, while Bushong was his catching mainstay. This crew swept through the powerful American association and won four consecutive pennants. years they led in fielding, in all but in 1887 in batting. In base-running they easily topped the list Comiskey himself was no mean pflferer, taking 62 in 1887 and v in 1888. Latham, however, had him faded, stealing 124 in the season of 1888.
 Comiskey reckoned only about in the 25o class as batter, though in a pinch hitter dangerous with men on; He batted himself fourth, just behind Latham, either Foutz or Carruthers coming fifth During the 10 years he many other stars, Hudson, Silver King, Chamberlin, Jack Stivetts Breftenstein and even for a little while Clark Griffith. The first break in the organization came in 1889. when Foutz Carruthers and Bushong went to Brooklyn. In the next year the brotherhood war blew the team asunder. Con1iskey himself revolting and with Latham, O'Neal ana Boyle joining Chicago in the Players League
 Next year he was back in St. Louis and with but McGsarthy and Boyle of his old team, built up an organization that made d fierce pennant fight los ing to Boston by narrow margin. The years after that-1S92-saw him as pilot of the Reds. where ne had about the same success as every other Cincinnati manager He struck with the Reds four years, when he made start as an owner by buying in on the St Paul team. In his first year at St Paul he played in 13 games. but this was his swan song a player. From then on he was naagnate, and his 14 years service as a player was A v,j dad