The Washington times., 1915-03-10
Season Of 1914 May Be Re.
membered as One When
Many Slipped.

In spite of the fact that not many
old-time favoritcs passed out of the big
leagues last season. as many of the old
boys found haven of rest in tho Fed
eral League. vet 1914 may long be rc-
membercd as the year in which some of
the greatest stars in the baseball firma-
mcnt began to fade from the spotlight.
Befor, proceeding any further. We will
say that the Federal League is ma
;or league. according to Jim Gilmore
and Hi Brewer. and a minor league
according to Cozey Dolan or Ban John
son.
ono OF the saddest events in the sad
year Of 1914 was the double flop of Hans
Wagner and Larry Lajoie from the top
row of the sons of swats to the medl-
ocrc division. lowering AROUND the .25l
mark. After batting 900 or better Tor
seventeen straight seasons, Hans fell to
.252. while Nap. with swat average OF
$40 for nineteen wears, fell from .3ii5 In
1913 to .25G in 1914.
They look to Larry TO fill that Lddie
Collins hole in the Mackian infeld, ana
the big Frcnchman is expected to pun'h
the leather In his old 800 style nest sea-
son When player Of lajoic's abilit!
drops tC a ."56 average 1t is not because
!, of his ail-cnd surroundings. Larry VIII
be forty next season and Wagner torty'
one.
The real veteran Of the pastilne
Rhodv Wallace, perhaps played hi
last major league game in 1914. Rhod!
Wallace of the Browns started IN I'M
hig leagues year before Lajoie and
two before Wagner. His first engage
ment was as pitcher with the oi'
| Cleveland Nationals in 1888, so las
| twentieth year under the big tent
Rhoderick hit .2l? in tWcnty-s!N games
an injury preventing him from takini
part in moro.
Perhaps some folks include the won
derful pitching pair. Bender and Plank
| as old-t'mcrs, who passed over thei
| former laurcls last season. cannot agree
with them. The latest baseball guide
shows that CHIEF Bender pitching per
centagc of 1914 has only been surpasset
<Wice in the fifteen years Of the Amcrl
can Leagues history.
The three best pitching percentages
in the Ban Johnson league arc Wood
Boston. 1912. .S12: Donovan. Detroit
1907, .S62. and Bender. Athletics, 1914
$50 Despite the Indians lambastn& il
his one worlds series game he mus
still have souething to win $50 pc,
| cent OF MS games ana run IL StIHlS
of fifteen straight victories.
! As to Plank. he also VOL we'll Ovcl
two-tnirds OF his games last season, and
! the worlds series game In which BIZ
James defeated him. / to in the nintl
inning, was one of the greatest pitchint
fcats of his lors and honorable career
One of tho pitching wizards Of base
ball who may have completed his ca
recr last Season. though We hope not
is G.. Napoleon Rucker of the Brookly,
Superbas. Maps arm was in very ba'
shape for most of last season, and hi
many friends are dubious whether III
can ever come back. 1t would bc on
of the saddest careers OF baseball
should a pitcher of Fuckers abilit.
close his career without ever havin;
played on a first division team.
And Charley IIerzog says there Is ~
lick in baseball. once upon a tim
Connie Mack had II chance to choose
pitcher from the Augusta South Attain
tic Lc2GUe club His choice rested he
tween Rurker and Holmes, and Conni
selected Holmes.
| Perhaps no club had as many Vetcr
iHns " no started to skid back all at tn
same time as the Giants had to put u
with last season. A full half dozen u
lMcGrsw's $ stalwarts. in fact. tho nurl"u
Iof tho club. all started to skid togethcr
lThc list included III" entire Fig VI com
l. -fon-Mathe "son, Marquard, Mcrkl'