The Mankato free press., 1915-02-05

SOUThPAWSW
COULD hit HARD
Many Famous Loft nanters 3d.
came Famous 0atters.
RICHMOND WAS THE FIRST.

Original Portsids Fiinset Remained In
Game For swattins Ability Long
After He Ceased to Pitch--Gsorss
Van HsItren Another Example.
Mike oonlin Started as 6osman.
One of the inexplicable mysteries OF
baseball Is how and why SO many left
handed pitchers become famous as
great batsmen after their days OF use
fulness as hnrlers are over. And ON
.he other hand. baseball history gives
the names OF very few right handlers
, that became noted as willow wielders
and held jobs as such after their days
Of effectiveness as boxmen were over.
The very first left handed pitcher the
game ever had and the father OF all
the tribe. DIR. Lee Richmond. was
famous swatsman and was used in the
Outfield by several teams because OF
his ability TO hit the ball and hit Il
hard. Mike Tiernan, the great hitter
! Of the New York Giants back In the
eighties and nlneties, was signed by
the New York management because Of
his wonderful hurting for the Jersey
City club, then a member OF the old
Eastern league. Tiernan didn't do
much pitching for the Giants, for his
pitching arm went wrong early I'm the
season OF 1886. but his batting eye
made il possible for Mike to hold his
job. la a short time he was a fixture
on the team and for many years after
ward was considered one or the best
bstsmen in the country.
Cap Anson OF the: Chicago Nationals
| brought George Van Halten all the
way from California. believing he had
In 'hlm the greatest lefthander the
game ever had. George lasted about
three seasons I'm the pitchers position.
batting much better than he pitched
during the time. He came TO the front
rs n finished batsman while a member
Of the New York Giants: i'm fact. he
was their star hitter for many years.
Van lasted nearly score OF years in
the game after he lost his pitching
ability -.
One OF the games most famous bats
men pushed into the game by The pitch.
ing route was Jesse Burketr, the man
who led the National league for three
seasons. He received his first job with
the New York Giants through his abili-
~ to pitch. having stacked up wonder.
ful pitching for Worcester. then In the
| old Atlantic league In 1889 Burkett
was strictly left handed person. so
much so that he had heaped upon him
the appelation OF the Human Crab
However, Burkett failed as pitcher.
but he could swat the bali In manner
most delightful. In three seasons or
his career Burkett batted 400 and over.
Elmer Smith OF Cincinnati was con
sidered one OF the greatest left handlers
In the game from 1887 until 1892. and
he was a wonderful hurler In 1893
Elmer quit the pitching game and took
mp swatting the ball as means ot
livelihood. Ii was the best move he
ever made during his baseball career.
for by his effective hitting he held
the big teams, notably Pittsburgh sud
Cincinnati. Billy George was signed
by the New York club as n pitcher
back In the late eighties. Billy was n
horrible pitcher, but as a batter he
stuck i'm the game for years and years.
When Cy Seymour was first discov-
cred he was a pitcher OF no mean rep
utation. and New York signed him as
such. Cy wasted about five years i'm
trying to be pitcher He possessed a
batting eye that was worth a mint or
money to any team, but New York
didn't find ii out until Cy opened their
eyes to the fact by swatting the curves
OF all Manhattan hurlers 10 the four
winds when n member OF the Cincin-
natl Reds. the team that the New
York management dumped Cy on with
an n. @. tag attached to him. After
starring for Cincinnati for several sea
sons and hitting n 300 clip Seymour
came back to old New York. where he
ended his big league career rs q reg
ular player. For seven seasons he bat
ted 300 and better.
Mike Donlin was taken out OF a bush
league out In California during the sea
son of 1890 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 Tebcan his
cue. The young recruit could hit. and
so Patsey tried young Mike in the In
field. He made four errors at short In
one game When he was tried at first
he wasn't there. but I'm the meantime
Donlin was swatting the ball in all III.
rections.
Patsey got desperate and tried Mike
In the outfield. He held. but Il was
because he showed the stun that pleas.
ed his manager. Donlin made thir-
teen errors in less than fifty games In
center field. about twice ms many er-
rors as finished outfelder would
make In three times that many games.
hut what would any manager do with
n young bear who eould swat the ball
for .320 In his FIRST season In the "big
show
Other notable examples are Theodore
Breitenstein. Jesse TannehiIl. Jake Wei
mer. Sam Crawford and Harvey.