Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-19
WILLIAM BERGEN AMONG BEST
TWENTIETH CENTURY CATCHERS
Almost as Good Receiver as His Brother
Marty Were in National League
for Fifteen Years.

with Brooklyn, being in 1905 sent to
the Providence club of the Eastern
League. He never came back to the
National League, which he entered a
year before Bergen, in 1900 going to
Pittsburgh from Wheeling. Pittsburgh
turned him over to Cincinnati i'll 1902.
Which chased him to Brooklyn i'll 1904.
When Bergen Joined Brooklyn the
catching department of the team con-
sisted of Louis Ritter and Fred Jack
lltsch. However, Bergen was called
upon to do most of the work, the other
two catchers being employed in the in
field on numerous occasions. In 1906
Jacklitsch was released to Providence
and Ritter and Bergen now divided
the work between them during the
next four years. They were a steady
pair and the Brooklyn club was the
envy of the league because of it's re-
liable catchers. In 1909, however, Rit-
ter was sent to Kansas City, where lie
did good service in the American Assoc
citation until 1912, when he dropped
out
In 1907 Bergen witnessed the coming
of tho now famous left hand pitcher,
George iNapoleon) tucker. who was
drafted by Brooklyn from Augusta, of
the South Atlantic League. Nap had
some difficulty in getting started. He
pitched his first game April Is, against
Boston. and lost it, to 8, pitching
against Frank Pfeffer. III his second
game, August 20, lie was shut out, .
~
Lush, also a left-ha nder, on the rub
Der. This was Maps first game at
Brooklyn, and the result was q. sad
disappointment to him. After pitching
were lost, Rucker finally gained his
first victory by shutting out the Chi
cago Cubs. at Brooklyn, May II. by a
score of l. to Q. Chic Fraser did the
his bearings. and became a winner
right through.
Held Hitless and Runless.
The following year, 1908, Nap per-
formed the comparatively rare feat of
shutting out a team without Il hit Or
run. This occurred in game against
Boston September ). Bergen being the
catcher Rucker did not give base
on balls. but struck out IA batsmcn
Three Boston runners reached first
base, all OH errors. Pat Flahcrty pitch
cd for Boston, and the score was 6 to
0 in favor of Fucker In tanning IA
men, Rucker established the strikeout
record of that season in the National
League. The previous mark was IL
made by MathewSon, Overall ana
Rucker himself. fucker had "a knack
of striking out men recklessly, and on
June % met George McQuillan OF the
Phillies. who was nearly as reckless
Nap tanning II and McQuillan 8.
In the same year, 1903. Bergen saw
the name of Poe Corbett wiped off the
reserve list Of the Brooklyn club.
when st. Louis turned him over to
Brooklyn. Joe remained in California
after he quit st. Louis. He is d
brother of James J. Corbett, ex-cham-
pion heavyweight fighter.
1t is not generally known that the
mpion's name was on the Balti-
more clubs list one whole season, yet
it is fact Jim prided himself on be-
ing pretty fair ball player, first base
being his favorite position: He whip
ped Charley Mitchell at Jacksonville,
Fla. January 25, 1894. and the next
day the Baltimore club, then a MEM
Der of the National League. Ned Han
lon being the manager of its team, put
in a claim for his services. Claiming
a. player in those days was acquiring
sole right to negotiate for his serv-
ice But Jim never reported.
In 1909 Bergen was among the
Brooklyn players. who welcomed Zach
Wheat and also Elmer Knetzer into
fast company. Both recruits, Wheat
coming from Mobile and knetzer from
Lawrence. Joined the Brooklyns late IN
the season, and both made good Ber
gen also witnessed the fight of Carl
Lungren from Chicago to Brooklyn to
Toronto. Lungren did not stay long
enough in Brooklyn to eat a meal.
Erwin's Home Run Swat.
With Ritter gone, Bergen in 1909 was
helped behind the bat by Joe Dunn,
who came from Evansville, and Dr.
Bill Marshall, who came from the Chi
cago National League club. In that
year Harry Lumley was the manager,
succeeding Patsy Donovan. Bill Dah-
len became the head of the Brooklyn
team in 1910, and Bergen lost caste.
He was still the catcher as of yore. but
his batting was poor He had never
been 4 heavy man with tho bat, but
now h6 seldom reached. first -basA Dali.