Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-02-07
LEFT ; HANDLERS MYSTERIES
Greatest Base Ball Puzzle is Why
Sinister-Armed Twirlers Often
Make Best Batters.
RICHMOND FATHER OF TRIBE


NEW YORK. Feb s.-one OF the mex
pllcable mysteries Of base ball is how
and why so many left-handed pitchers
become famous as great batsmen after
their days OF usefulness as hurlers are
over. And. on the other hand, base bali
history gives the names of very few
right-handers that became noted as will
low 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, De Lee Richmond. was a famous
swatsman, and was used In the outfIeld
by several teams because OF his ability
to hit the ball and hit It hard. Mike"
Herman. the great hitter of the New
York Giants back in the sos and 's0s, was
signed by the New York MANAGEMENT be-
cause Of hts wonderful hurting for the
Jersey City club, then a member Of the
old Eastern league. Herman didn't do
much pitching for the Giants, for his
pitching arm went wrong early in the
season Of 1856. but his batting eye made 1t
possible for Mike to hold his Job. In a
short time he was. fixture on the team.
and for many years afterward was con-
sidered one Of the best batsmen in the
country.
BETTER Batter Than pitcher.
Cap" Anson of the Chicago Nationals
brought George Van Haltren ali the way
from California. believing he had in him
the greatest left-hander the game ever
mad. George lasted about three seasons
In the pitchr's position. batting much bet
ter than he pitched during the time He
came to the front as . finished batsman
while a member OF thelNew York Giants;
In 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 batsman pushed into the
game by the pitching route was Jess Bur
kett, the man who led the National
league Tor three seasons. He received
his first Job with the New York Giants
through his ability to pitch. having
stacked up wonderful pitching for Wor-
cester. then in the old Atlantic league In
1883. Burkett was a strictly left-handed
person, 40 much so that he had heaped
upon him the appelIation OF the Human
Crab" However Burkstt failed as a
pitcher, but he could swat the ball in a
manner most delightful. In three sea-
sons OF his career Burkett batted 800 and
over.
Greatest In His Line.
Elmer Smith OF Cincinnati was consid-
cred one Of the greatest left-handers in
the game from 1887 until 1892, and he was
wonderful hurler. In 1898 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
base ball career. for by his effective hit
ting he held good jobs for many years
on some of the big teams. notably Pitts
burgh 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 batter he stuck in the
game for years and years.
When ICY" Seymour was first discov-
cred he was a pitcher OF no mean repu-
tation, and New York signed him as
such. ICY" wasted about five years in
trying to be a pitcher. He possessed a
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 eurves.of ali
Manhattan hurlers TO the four winds
when member or the. Cincinnati Reds
the team that the New York manage
ment dumped "Cy' on with an n. q.
tag attached to him. After starring for
Cincinnati for several seasons and hitting
a 800 clip Seymour came back to old
New York. where he ended his big league
career as a regular player For seven
seasons he battsd 800 and better
Donlin from Bush League.
Mike" Donlin was taken out of bush
league out IN California during the sea-
son OF 1879 by the ST. Louis Nationals.
DOnlin didn't pan out as a hurler; in one
game he passed nine men 10 first and
HIT few more, but he made four base
hits. and this gave Tebeau his cue. The
young recruit could hit, and so Patsey
tried young Mike in the infieId. He made
four errors at short in one game. When
he was tried at first he wasn't there.
but in the meantime Doniln was sVattins
the bail in ali directions. Patsey got
desperate and tried Mike In the outfield.
He held. hut Il was because he showed
the stuff that pleased his manager Dom
I'm made thirteen errors In less than fifty
games IN center field. about twice "a
many errors as a finished outfieldeI
would make in three times that many
games. but what would any manager dc
with young bear who could swat the
BAN for SO IN his first season in the
"big show?
Other notable examples are Theodors
Britenstein. Jesse TannehiIl, Jake Wei
mer. sam Crawford and Harvey