The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-01-08
PASSING OF TOMMY LEACH
Baseball Patriarch Released by Gin
cinnati Club.

|
| cnnat Club.
Wee Tommy Leach, last week Civ
EN- his unconditional release by the
Cincinnati club after II years con
| tinuous service as a major league
! player, is one of the grand cid men OF
baseball. Last season, with the
/ single exception OF Honus Wagner
who Joined the Louisville club two
/ seasons before Leach broke into the
majors in the same club, Tommy
was the patriarch of the game.
With Tommy's release there are in
dications that he is about through as
major league player, although there
is still chance that he may pull a
comeback. There is rumor preva-
lent among the sports scribes that
Tommy is Al instead OF 3S. but as
Leach says he was born at French
Creek, N. Y, in November, 1877, we
will take his word for ii. 1t is said
that Leach was offered q fine con
tract to manage the Pittsburg Fed
erals couple OF years ago, but turned
1t down because he was afraid the
Feds wouldn't last.
With Cincinnati last year Leach ap
peared in lot games and hung up a
batting average of .224, the lowest in
many years. Toward the close of the
season he was given job of warm
ing the bench, while Jack Beall ca
vorted in the Redland outer garden.
Jack was secured from the American
association by Charley Herzog, with
whom he had played ball as a kid in
Maryland.
Although native of New York
state Tommy spent his youth in
Cleveland. The boys of the Ohio city
have always been baseball mad, and
Tommy shared in the prevailing
mania for the great game He be-
came newsboy so he could join a
club of the newsies and developed in
to good player, Tommy was IS
when he got into the professional
game in Hanover. Pa, at salary of
$50 per month. The club soon went
on the rocks, but Leach landed with
Petersburg, in the Virginia league.
In 1897 he was hired by Youngs
town, O., but failed to make good in
such fast company, and was reduced
TO semi-pro club in Geneva. In
those days Tommy usually covered
the third sack, II was while playing
that position with the Auburn club in
the New York State league in 1898
that he made a reputation that got
him chance to shine in fast com.
pany. Tommy swatted at 1925 gait
with Auburn, and in 1899 he was In
yited to jc.n lhc Louisville National
league club.
Tommy covered third and short for
the Colonies, and when the club was
transferred to Pittsburg in 1900 Tom
my went along with Fred Clarke,
Honus Wagner, Deacon PHILIPPE,
RUDE Waddell and other Kentucky
stars. He remained with the Pirates
until 1912 when he went TO the
Chicago Cubs. Tommy knows lot
about baseball lore, and even If his
active playing days are over he is
still valuable man to have around.
Leach became resident of Pitts.
burg many years ago, and is now tho
owner OF a poultry farm near the
Smoky City and spends the geld
months trying TO coax his hens TO
boost their laying average,
Never a Ty Cobb with the bat.
Leach in his prime had no equal in
fielding his department. He holds
the highest percentage as center
fielder gained by any player since he
began hanging up the record while
with the Cubs In 1918. No other oc.
cupant OF the middle garden has ever
come within several notches of that
mark