Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-02-09
LEFT HANDED
PITCHERS CAN
USUALLY HIT
Many SouthpaWS Have Stuck
in the Game on this AC-
count Alone

One OF the ineXphcabIe mysteries of
baseball is how and why SO many left
hand pitchers become famous as great
batsmen after their days of usefulness
as hurlers are over. And, on the 9TH
her hand, baseball history gives the
names of very few righthanders that
become noted as willow wielders and
hold jobs as such after their days of
effectiveness as boxmen We're over.
The very first lefthanded pitcher the
game ever had and the father of all
the tribe, De Lee Richmond, was a ia
nous swatsman, and was used in the
outfield by several teams because of
his ability to hit the ball and hit it
hard. Mike" Tiernan, the great hit
ter of the New York Giants back in
the sos and '90s, was signed by the
New York management because of his
wonderful hurting for the Jersey City
club, then a member of the old East
ern League. Herman didn't do much
! pitching for the Giants, for his pitch
ing arm went wrong early in the sea-
son of 1886, but his batting eye made
it possible for Mike to hold his job. In
short time he was a fixture on the
team and for many years afterward
was considered one of the best bats
men in the country.
| Cap" Arson of the Chicago Nation
ais brought George Van Haltren all
the way from California, believing he
had in him the greatest lefthander the
game ever had. George lasted about
three seasons in the pitchers posi-
ton, batting much better than he
pitched during the time. He came to
the front as a finished batsman while
member of the New York Giants; In
fact, he was their star hitter for many
years. Van lasted nearly a score of
years after he lost his pitching ability.
One of the games most famous bats
| men pushed into the game by the
pitching route was Jess Burkett, the
man who led the National League for
three seasons He received hts first
job with the New York Giants through
his ability to pitch, having stacked up
wonderful pitching for Worcester, then
in the old Atlantic League in 1889.
Burkett was strictly left-handed per-
son, SO much so that he had heaped
upon him the appellation of the "Hu.
man Crab" However, Burkett failed
as pitcher, but he could swat the ball
in manner most delightful In three
seasons of his career Burkett batted
400 and over -: '..".
Elmer Smith of Cincinnati was con.
sidered one of the greatest lefthand-
ers in the game from 1887 until 1892,
and he was wonderful hurler. In
1893 Elmer quit the pitching game and
took up swatting the ball as means
Of livelihood. It was the best move
he ever made during his baseball ca.
reer, for, by his effective hitting he
held good jobs for many years on some
of the big teams, notably Pittsburg
and Cincinnati Billy George was
signed by the New York Club as a |
pitcher back in the late SOS. Billy
was horrible pitcher, but as a bat
ter he stuck In the game for years
and years. ....-.-. =: ~
When "Cy" Seymour was first dis
covered he was a pitcher of no mean
reputation and New York signed him
as such. ICY" wasted about fivel
years in trying to be a pitcher. He
possessed batting eye that was
worth a mint of money to any team,
but New York didn't find it out until |
"Cy" opened their eyes to the fact by |
sWatting the curves of all Manhattan
hurlers to the four winds when all
member of the Cincinnati Reds-thel
team that the New York management |
dumped ICY" on with an N. G. tag at
tached to him. After starring for Gin
cinnati for several seasons and hitting
a 300 clip Seymour came back to old |
New York, where he ended his big |
league career as regular player. For
seven seasons he barted 800 and bet |
ter. +. ~....
Mike" Donlin was taken out of a |
bush league out In California during |
the season of 1899 by the st. Louis |
Nationals. Donlin didn't pan out as !
hurler; in one game he passed nine |
men to first and hit few more, but
he made four-base hits and this gave
Tebeau his cue. The young recruit I
could hit, and so Patsey tried young
Mike in the infield. He made four
errors at short in one game. When he |
was tried at first he wasn't there, but, !
in the meantime, Donlin was swattfng |
the ball in all directions Patsey got |
desperate and tried Mike in the out
field. He held, but it was because he !
showed the stuff that pleased his man.
ager. Donlin made Is errors in less
than so games in center field, about |
twice as many errors as a finished !
outfielder would make in three times |
that many games, but what would |
any manager do with a young bear
who could swat the ball for 1923 in his
first season in the big Show"
Other notable examples are Theo-
dore Breitenstein, Jesse TannehilI,
Jake Weimer, Sam Crawford and IIar-
yey.
Governor John M Slatban of Genrg-