Evening journal., 1915-04-21
CRAWFORD HOPES TO
MAKE 5000 B|NCLES
Needs Only 237 SafetieS to
Equal Record Of Wagner
and Lajoie
WANTS MARK THAT
WILL BE PERMANENT

DETROIT. April 21.-Another cou-
pie of seasons will find Detroit in pos
session of a slugger who will have
charge of 5000 major league base
hits-it doesn't take any great amount
of baseball knowledge to figure the
athlete; there's only one Tiger to
whom that honor could go, and that is
Sam Crawford
The big outhelding star has been
with Detroit for twelve years. In the
seasons of 1904 TO 1914, inclusive,
Crawford made 2,OS1 hits, an average
of slightly better than 1S4 to a sea-
son. Crawford broke into major
league baseball in 1899 as a member
of the Cincinnati National League
team In about thirty games he made
thirty-two hits.
His years as a Tiger and the total
of his hits are tabulated thus: 1904,
141; 1905, 227; 1906, 1876; 1907.
1Ss; 1908. III; 1909. 1888; 1910,
167; 1911 217; 1912, 1889; 1913, 1873;
1914. 1888.
The statistics of modern day base
ball are somewhat deficient, but figur-
ing that the slugger made an aver
age of 1S4 hits season, which he un-
doubtedly did. it can be found that in
the seasons Of 1900 to 1908, inclusive.
he collected 1856 safe swats, thus
bringing the total fo- his career to
2,767.
Just ordinary hitting in the seasons
OF 1915 and 1916 will send "Wahoo
Sam" under the wire and onto the
heels Of Hans Wagner and Larry La
joie, the only other veterans to reach
the mark.
Crawford proposes setting a mark
that will stand for all time. He has set
upon $500 as the total for his hits.
and. reaching this mark, he win just
about put up mark for all hitters to
shoot at.
Harry Tuthill, trainer of the team,
says Crawford has at least five more
years to go as major league star.
"Unless meeting with an accident
there is no reason why Crawford
should not continue playing almost
indefinitely" declared Tuthill. Sam
takes better care of himself than any
other player in baseball; probably
better care of himself than any other
man in the country.
'He starts training for a season with
the beginning Of the year He elimi-
mates all pastries from his foodstuffs
he doesn't drink at any time: he never
.rtt nf.,fr
and seldom out of il; he lives regu
larly. eats regularly, and when Z
healthy man at the beginning keeps vi
a life like this there is no reason why
he should not continue playing base
ball almost as long as he wishes.
Crawford is an ideal player. He is
a player everyone looks upon Will
favor. and he carries the respect ci
teammates ana opposing players HI
is easily handled. and when mar
carrie sthis record there is nothing
to fear"
II Crawford makes good on hi
hopes the chances favor the creation
of record of more than $500 SAT-
hits.
Sam seems to have been improving
with age. In the last four seasons h,
has averaged 1876 1-2 hits a year
whereas in Detroit's trio of pennan
winning seasons he averaged frac
tion better than 1872 hits a season.
Il believe l can reach the $500
mark. While realizing. that about 7Ol
hits stand between me and the mark
with five more good years I should d.
much toward slicing this differenc
and with a reasonable amount o
luck | will eliminate it, declare,
Sam.