The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-05-07
n.s Fielding Is 1918 for 1OS
Games; Halls Same for
Seven Years
gEERS HARDLY LIKELY
x 10 GET THE NEW YORKER
n Is Worth More to Boston
Which Needs Veteran First
Baseman Badly
BY RALPH l.. YONKER.

BY RALPH l.. YONkER.
Sam Crawford's experience at hrst
- IL not a. slight as one kouid
nasine. Judging from the reiuc-
2Snca with which Wahoo accepted
- honor of covering the hrst sack
4or the Tigers.
Some men are born first basement
1|onthpaws especially, are apt 10
1870 under this head. Hal Chase
N eleader of the ''Be-born-a-hrst-
nneman" movement. They found
ISt he couldn't be anything but
SG-Dacker.
sGome men achieve first-basing.
~ ponr those whom we hope Will
- under this head Is one EDDIE
3rnlow, formerly Tiger, now frovl-
once Grey. who II he achieves
nrht to be about ripe for the
(l11ors By the time the season starts
nslov was no first-baseman when
~ vas with the jungle clan last
6ason. but let US hope he Is acnie'-
3ng. s.v.
Then there are those who have
nrot-basing thrust upon them. WI
TO samuel 10 the most conspicuous
So6rvonage In this last class. Craw-
Snrd wasn't born a first-baseman,
hor did he hope to achieve 1t, but
~ has had 1t thrust upon him.
Whenever the Tigers regular nrst-
xackGrs are NAMED or injured or
nake applications to the old mems
$500. more commonly known In
kaneball a the American Associa-
Hon, Crawford Is showed into the
keneches of the first-sacker.
Manager Jennings planted him
fNere once this season but Crawford
6ulled himself up by the roots. aver
Blrt that he could not possibly be-
lone acclimated to the torrid zone
4n such q short time. BY dint OF
nuch persuasion, however, Land
EneApe Gardener Jennings re-planted
Crawford at first. patted the soft
o6rth around his feet and with melli-
nnous words gave life to the hope
that Sam could be premier sacker
$n ho wanted to be.
All this was done only after Man
Sanor Jennings had decided upon
DUhby veach for the first sask and
announced that he would cover 1t.
&UR Z few hours workout at the
hock showed Hughie that Sam was
fhS better man for the place and
"a Crawford was persuaded to re-
III may seem odd to those who are
0lnustomed to accept Hal Chase as
49, of the greatest hrst basemen In
&tSs world to know that In Sam
Ctiwtord's experience on the first
nok, extending over four years. he
EkSS fielding average that Is just
ono point less than was Chase's last
GQnGon.
eawford's grand fielding average
: nrst-baser Ia 1913, while Chase
bopted chances enough to give him
n Aotly the same average for seven
w hyS.
Altogether Crawford has played 10S
SG nes ct nrst base or over twothirds
y season. His biggest year was In
y when he held down the premier
~ Aion for 81 games and fielding
J. His best year was In 1909 when
IA was on first for q games and lead
tD 6rst basemen Of the league with
ksrX average Of 1893. he played IL
mes each In 1908 and 1909, getting
4 average Of .s69 in one year and
M In the other.
Cyawfor6's acceptance Of the diff
II n6nlt position that has been assigned
hn q commendable. Sam was will
q to Try anything once and 80 when
d Gamer fell down In his hitting
&21 tried out once at first base. The
hite Sox, against whom he played
ul rted the game. by hitting two diff
& he chances at him which was such
4 q Is they caused q disagreement at
q whether they should be scored a:
y n , or errors.
~ After that one game, Sam decided
St y he preferred even the sun fielt
" Arut base and Rondeau was tried
M ~ without success.
Doaking of Hal Chase, there seem.
y q ~ absolutely no chance Of gettin,
M for the Tigers, much as Presiden
win admits that he would like him
va koral days or a week ago whel
Esp horn started that Chase was to b,
~ q Aod. Navin said that he would 1Ik
81 - but had made no bid fot him an,
Va hit think that he could get him
N when Chance stepped of frs
~ and let Chase back there, tn
10 Dors Of trade died.
NJ Chase wouldn't be worth so nue.
n q 1the Tigers as to the Red Sox. Tn
b lnx must have FIRST baseman OF cal
n ~ quickly II they expect to hav
~ place ct all In the pennant race
N Ixoy can use . veteran like Chase 1
y III combination all right.
&g ut the Tigers would rather take
h y4pngstsr with the promise of d.