Evening star., 1915-02-07
HIT INTO DOUBLES
Cravath and Miehoff Bring
About 21 Duplex Killings.
PLAYS FIRST ANALYSIS
Phillies Responsible for Most,
While Brooklyn Has
the Fewest.
PLAYS FIRST ANALYSIS
BY ERNEST ]. LANIGAN.

"Gavvy" Cravath of the Phillies, a
slow mover. and Bert Niehoff of the
Reds, rapid traveller. ran a dead heat
in the National League last season, so
far as whaling into double plays was
concerned. Each banged into twenty
one duplex killings. Figures of this kind
never were collected before, SO no one
can tell whether any new record was
established. Niehoff's aptitude for hit
ting into two-ply retirements was oc-
casioned, according to a Cincinnati ex-
pert, whose opinion was asked, by the
state of mind he was in from the an
Cling the Federals were doing after
him. Fans can readily understand why
Cravath, who is no ten-second man
and who drives the ball with terrific
force. smote into SO many double plays.
Out of thirty-seven National LeaguerS
who took part in 130 or more games
last season. a trifie over one-third-
thirteen, to be exact-avoided reaching
double figures in the number of double
plays hit into. Paskert of the Phillies,
mixed up in 1872 conflicts, banged into
only three double plays; Schmidt of
Boston. playing in 147 games, and Hug
gins of st. Louis, playing in Jas gAmee,
into four; and Doyle of New York,
playing in 143 games; SAFER of Chi
|cago, playing in 153 games, and Carey
of Pittsburgh, playing in 1856 games,
into five. Capt. John Evers of the
world champion Braves, taking part in
139 diamond debates, smashed into half
a dozen dual telescopings.
Is Matter of Luck.
The Trojan was asked whether the
hitting into double plays was a matter
of bad luck or of good luck in avoiding
doing SO. and his reply. in a personal
letter to the writer. was as follows:
I'm a case of slugger or hard hitter it
is really matter of luck, but today
in big league base ball that particular
play has become one of science. In 9TH
err words. l know many players who
can avoid doing so if it means the
winning or losing of a game, or the
scoring of a run in tight or close
game. To give you an idea how this
works out, last year. II Boston, Maran-
vile, Smith and myself doubled Good
of Chicago twice and Carey of Pitts
burgh once, for the first time in their
base ball careers, as they said. You
know both of them well. as they are
considered about the fastest men in
base ball. l would consider this case
as a matter of luck The ball had to
be hit almost perfectly in order to get
them"
into last year, three were in games
against the Cardinals. In the series
with the Hugginsites. Evers' side part
ner, Walter Maranville. hit into ten
the season. smashed into twenty double
assassinations. Other men besides
Cravath. Maranville and Niehoff who
hit into ten or more double plays were
Lobert, Becker: Magee ana Byrnc OF
Magee and Miller of st Louis; Zim-
norman. Sweeney, Schultz. Leach,
Good and Corriden of Chicago; Moran
of Cincinnati and Boston; smith OF
Broklyn and Boston: Burns. Snodgrass,
Fletcher and Meyers of New York;
Gowdy of Boston; Konetchy, Wagner,
Gibson and Viox of Pittsburgh, and
Cutshaw of Brooklyn.
The Phillies hit into the most double
nlays the Superbas into the fewest.
The figures follow:
Record of Each Team.
Philadelphia. 123-Cravath. 81: Lobert, 10:
Becker. IL; Masee, 10; Byrne, 10: Luderus, 8:
KIllifer, .: Irelan 6: Martin. >: Doom, 4; Alex
ander. A. Ri1ey 3: Mayer, 8: Paskert. B: Reed, |
?: Burns =: Ocschger /; Mattsen. /: Hilley. /: |
Marshall l. and Murphy. I.
st Louis l2o-wilsoD. "A: Beck. l3: Snyder. !,
-: Masee -: Miller. II; Butler. 9: wingo. s: !
Dolan. 5; Cruise. ); Dresser. 4: Gather. :; Hug
gins 4: Riggert, 3: Sallee. ;; Doak, B; Nash, );
Eriner Whitted, .: Robinson. ., and Pcrdue, l. |
chicago. 1I5-Zimmerman. 10: Sweeney. l.;
Schultz IL: Leach, IL: Good. 10; Corriden, 10; |
Archer. o. Bresnahan. 4: Knisely, 3; Safer, 8: |
Pbeian' 4: Lavender, 8; Cheney. 3: Johnston. 2: !
Vaughn, 2: Derrick, .; Williams. .; Humphries, |
>. Rates, /; Bues, /. and Hargrave, 1.
Cincinnati, 112-Niehof, 21; Moran, 9: Clarke, !
o: Gonzales. S: Herzoc, I: Groh. q Daniels, 8:
Tyon,nley :: Rates :: Benton. =: Hohiitzei. 4: |
K,lIg- ;; Miller. :: Mar-aa~. =: N"n kolnit:,