Evening journal., 1916-05-10
BROUTHERS, BARNES
HAD FEW EQUALS
Veteran Ball Players Of Years
Gone, Were Stars in
Their Days
SPALDING IN HIS
PRIME AT TIME

Let us put wreaths on the domes
of the living" as some gifted author
las suggested; but while honor!ng the
-obbs and the Alexanders and the
Iohnsons and the Kauffs. let us not
'orget the heroes Of the past. This
sees TO be an appropriate OCCASION
'or this is the anniversary Of the birth
u two OF the greatest men who ever
wore the livery Of big league servi-
.ude. We refer to the immortal Ross
Barnes and the Incompatible Dan
Brouthers. There may have been bet
Ter second basemen than Barnes, and
more exalted kings OF swat than
Brouthers. but II so. no old-time fan
,an be convinced OF 1t.
Barnes was born in Rocwford, ILL.,.
in 1850. ON the eighth Of May and on
the same date eight years later
Brouthers made his mundane debut at
Sylvan Lake. n. Y Roscoe Barnes was
only little shaver when baseball be-
gan to be played in his native town.
IN fact. the Forest Citys Of Rockford
we're the oldest aggregation Of base
1all players in the West. and ii was
with this club that Barnes. Spalding,
Anson and other great players of the
early days got their start. In 1872
Ross joined the Boston club OF the old
National Association and helped that
cam to win four straight pennants.
He batted .404 i'm 1872. 443 in 1873,
1858 in 1874. and 1856 i'm 1875. When
the National League was launched In
1876. Barnes went TO Chicago with
Al Spalding. Deacon Jim White and
Cal McVey. these four deserters from
the Boston club constituting the
original Big Four" of the diamond.
Barnes led all the pennant-winning
teammates in batting .403. Barnes
was not only a great batsman. but he
was easily the supreme second sacker
Of his time. According to the vet
Grams. Ross was much Of the same
style of player as Johnny Eyers when
the Trojan was at his best with the
Cubs. Barnes retired from the dia-
mond in 1881 and was a broker, boni-
face and bookkeeper until his death
a little more than a year ago.
Dan Brouthers. whose real from
name was Dennis. got his baseball
start at Warpington's Falls, \. Y. anC
made that town famous wherever
the baseball language is spoken. In
the late '7O's he played with Troy
then in the National League but he
didn't become famous until 1881. when
he joined the Buffalo Nationals. lie
was with Buffalo FIVE seasons, and not
only led all the first-sackers Of the
league in fielding his position in 1882
but for two seasons led the league In
batting. His batting averages for tho
five years we're: .31S, 1867, .371, 1926
and 1858.
In 1885 Dan went to the Detroit
Nationals. batting $40 that year. AIS
in 1887, and .3O6 in 1888. The Detroit
Nationals, batting $40 that year. AIS
in 1887. and 306 in 1883. The Detroit
team then disbanded. and Dan Joined
the Bostons. leading the league in
batting in 1889 with an average o.
.373. In 1890 Brouthers went over 4
the Players League, batting .345 bu
in 1891 the great swatter was back OF
the initial bag for Boston. He batteC
.349 that year. Dan then spent two
seasons in Brooklyn. swatting 1886 anC
.34s. In 1894 the Wappinger's FALL
terror played with the Baltimor'
Orioles. and batted .344 In 1885,
for the first time since 1880. DemoI
Dams batting average fell below th'
800 mark. He came back the followin
year with Philadelphia, batting .33'
That practically marked the end of tn
career OF the greatest swattcr of hi
time. For fifteen years Dan had bate
way over the 900 mark. and he wa
nearing 40 when at last his old ba
failed him. Brouthers made the long
est drive in the history of the game
for he once poled ball that travelel
1,3Oe feet before IL stopped rolling.