The Washington herald., 1915-01-28
Wally Smith Released
To indianapolis Club
Utility Player of Nationals
Sent to American Associa-
tion-Hopper a Promising
Recruit
OTHER SPORT COMMENT
By WILLIAM PEET.


wally Smith. who played in the utility
roles for the Nationals, has at last found
berth in a minor league Smith will
guard one of the hot positions in the
infeld of the indianapolis club, of the
American Association.
Smith has been fired around quite a
good deal here Of late, Manager Griffith
letting the hefty infielder go to the =
lanta club of the South Atlantic Leag6e,
only to have Manager Billy Smith. of the
Crackers, return him. The "Old Fox"
yesterday closed a deal with the AmeTi-
can Association club for the purchase of
Smith. and the big fielder will cast his
lot with the Indianapolis club for 1915.
Booth" Hopper. the young pitcher se-
cured by Washington in a trade for
Tommy Long, is claimed to be the most
promising recruit on the roster of the
club that will leave for Charlottesville
this spring. as his following record
shows:
was with New Haven in the Eastern As
sociatiOn, being secured from the ST.
Louis Cardinals. In 1912 he closed the
season with New Haven, having a very
successful one, ranking among the best
pitchers in the league. He closed the
season, winning twelve games and losing
seven, which netted him an average Of
Sc, being with New Haven only part OF
the season. He also gave forty bases on
balls and famed siXty-six men.
The next Season Hopper Jared better
than that of the first. His great feat
was pitching two no-hit games against
Pittsfeld, and his work almost en-
ablcd New Haven to win the pennant.
In that year he led the league in pitch
ing, winning nineteen games and losing
nine. He also allowed l29 bases on balls
and famed 1S men.
The st. Louis Cardinals recalled him.
and while he was only given a chance to
work in a few major league games he
showed promise by holding the New York
Giants to five hits. although being beaten
by MathewsOn. > to 0. The beginning of
the season he was sold to the st. Paul
club. of tine American Association. where
he finished the season. winning nine
games and losing sixteen. His team alb
solutely finished last. winning but a small
percentage of games, which indicates that
his record was far ahead of that Of his
team.
When the new owners OF the Yanks
asked that the American League give
them Pipp-a player almost unknown
in the big league circles at that time
for first base. they evidently did so on
the advice of some one who knew. That
was weeks before Bill Donovan was
named as manager. but he must have
had a hand in It. Listen:
Pipp in many ways has the most re-
markabIe record ever made in a first
class minor league. The official figures
which has just appeared in John Foster 5
book of records show that he hit the ball
for Rochester last season for a total OF
80 bases-a greater number than were
hit by any. other player in the lnterna-
tiOnal League. Moreover. the figure eX-
ceeds by far that of any player in either
the National or American League.
This big number was made possible by
the unusual number OF extra base hits
poled by Pipp. which would carry out
Donovan's contention that he is a long
hitter as well as a steady one.
In 1Ji games Pipp made lI3 hits. OF
these eighteen were two baggers. twenty
seven were triples, and fifteen home runs,
The rest. of course. were singles. This
extraordinary number OF long smashes
brought the number of total bases up to
go And that on 173 hits!