The Hawaiian gazette., 1914-04-03
oldtimers Were Not Counted
Much Unless They Could
Hurl Every Day.

II must make the veteran fans and
the old time twirlers giggle Bit be-
hind their goatees when sporting
scribcs Of the present day attach the
title Of iron man TO every finger
/ whose name figures in upward Of thir-
I, ty-hve games each scason.
In this day and age, fandom slips
the laurel to and goes into raphires
over 1.-THE remarkable endurance pow
ers" shown by Ed Ruelbaeh, "B'g
Ed" Walsh, Walter Johnson, Jack
Cocmts. "Rabe-s Matquard and few
others who have worked in about fsrty
games a season aud emerged W Oh q
rather healthy winning percentage.
But in the days that are gone a
pitcher was considered a mighty lazy
ond useless bloke if he didn Z work in
at least fifty games land fifty gamss
in those days meant fifty complate
games. Tn these days IL quite often
happens that a pitcher whose name fig
urcs IN forty eames worked in only
about thirty full games, and that in
the other ten games be worked only an
inning or two as n relief pitcher.
Gazing back along the trail that
leads to the yesterday Of baseball, one
| finds some achievements by the old,
time pitchers that ovcrshadows even
tho remarkable present day perform
anees Of Christy Mathewson, Waiter
johnson and the other pitching stars
of this period.
Pitched Every Day.
Back in 1884 Charles Rldbourne, the
wonderful Providence pitcher. worked
| in seventy-two gsmes--pitched ofteaed
than once every other day----and fin.
ished the season with a winning per
centage of 1873. A year later John
tlarkson, another of the great old-tine
pitchers, twirlcd !, seventy, games for
Chicago, getting q rFting Of 100. Four
ed Radhournc's record for the numb, "
of games pitched in one season by
twirling seventy.two for percentage
, of 1886. OK
But even more. wonderful than thesa
performances is that of A. G.. SSalding.
Spaldings record for consistent win
ming in the pitcher's box, and for en-.
durance powers as n pitcher, perhaps
never will be eqqallen. He led the
league fer FIVE successive years. Here
is his record:
Season Club. Games Fit he'd. p
1872 Boston 49,. AZ $50
1873 Boston. ..a. go .729
1sT4--Boston -. go Ill
1875--Boston !. s.s.. SO 800
| 1S76-Chicago -. so .T88
His record of 500, made in 1875, is
the highest ever turned in by pitcher
After obtaining those recor g, on
must admit that there seems to be some
| justification for the continual co.rakinp
Of the old-tmers that "baseball tcdty
ain I what II ulster be when we was
young fellers. -
what ward Did.
John M. Ward, now business man
ager Of the Brooklyn Federal League
team, pitching for Providence in 1879,
worked in sixty-fve games for an av-
erage Of .702. James Il. Whitney of
Boston led the National League pitch
ers in 1888 with an average of 1888 for
sixty-two games,
HfBill'' Hutchinson of Chicago was
the last of the sttruck horse" pitchers
Of the early days. In 1891 he averaged
| 500 for sixty.three games,
| In the days before the Brotherhood
war--which resulted in the lettering
Of PLAYERS eonditions--mOst Of the
major league clubs carried only two
Irregular pitchers. Some, during certaiu
portions of the season, carried only
one, an inRelder or outfelder relieving
J him occasionally. On these occasions
4 the regular pitcher got rest" by
taking the place Of the fielder who sub
stitnted for him.