The sun., 1916-09-10
GREAT HURLERS
ABSENT FROM
NO HIT CIRCLES
Alexander, Johnson and
Plank Unable to Enter
Hall Of Fame.
MANN OF PRINCETON
FIRST TO TURN TRICK
~ g.. LEE.

The crop of no hit games in the major
leagues this season has aroused quite a
little conversation over these pitching
masterpieces. During the first five
months OF the season Tom Hughes OF the
Braves. George Foster and Dutch Leon
ard of the Red Sox and Joe Bush Of tn.
Athletics have pitched games In which,
their opponents failed to strike a blow.
Are no hit games becoming cheaper than
they were when four pitchers can turn
the trick In one season? The no hit rec
ords answer the questions themselves.
BY scanning the list of no hit pitchers
Of recent years "a fan may get quite n
surprise TO find the names Of such
knights of the pitching craft rs Walter
johnson, Grover Alexander and Eddie
Plank conspicuous by their absence.
walter and Grover unquestionably are
The, greatest pitchers In the game to-day.
while Plank Is the greatest left handler
81 all time.
Eddie has been pitching winning ball
4or sixteen years, but the no hit will O
eho wisp has always eluded him.. Only
. month ago. when this forty-one-year-
Old vas moving Town all opponents like
ochoolboys. he permitted five hits for
three consecutive nine inning games.
holding Washington to two, Boston TO
bne and Cleveland TO two. but he couldn't
keep his slate entirely clean.
johnson Alm0st There.
Walter johnson has pitched n flock Of
n and two hit games since he broke in
With Washington in 1907. but he never
could hold al opponent hitless. How
ever. nothing but ground rules beat the
washington Calling gun out of a no hit
game In the opening contest of the 1919
season In the District of Columbia. Frank
Baker pumped n fly into the overflow
crowd In the right field for two bases for
the only hit made by the Athletics. On
an open field the ball could have been an
10 catch.
Grover A~lexander's career with the
Phillies since graduating into the major
leagues In 1911 also Is dotted with low
hit games. Time after time he has linz
tied his opponents to one hit. but so far
he has been denied a niche In the inn
aEinery no hit hall OF fame.
Perhaps another example OF how really
rare no hit games are Is the fact that
though New York has been In the Ameri.
can League since 1903 not n Yankee
pitcher has ever carved out one of these
masterpieces And during their time the
Yankee had some mighty fine pitching
talent. including such stars as Jack Ches-
bro. Al Orth. Jesse T%annehill. Jack Pow
ell. Harry Howell. Clark Griffith. BILLY
Hogs. Russell Ford. jim Vaughn, Ray
Caldwell and Ray Fisher.
Former NnnLs Among Elite.
Two former pitchers OF the Yankees,
however, pitched no-hit games for the
Boston Braves. They were George
Davis, the Williams College boy, who
was picked up 10y the Yanks In 1872
mud Tom Hughes, VINO was with the
New York Americans while George
6tallings was manage in 1870? and 1910
II a pitcher could forget. after pitch.
ing six hitless innings. that he had no
permitted a hit. no-hit games would he
more frequent. Just as soon as the fans
take notice that II pitcher has gone
about two-thirds of the distance with.
out allowing II hit and start pulling fol
n no-hit game. then the blowon comes
Baseball writer's are superstitIous about
spelling io-hit games. Tor just as suoi
% somebody says "Shawkcy hasn't al
lowed a hit for SIN innings" c,c.-Blng
che visitors get their first hit.
The twcnty-sevcnth out IL always tn,
hardest TO put into the boN score. Lot!
Of no-hit game haze been wrecked will
two out In tho ninth inning. \ notabl.
accident Of this sort occurred In Brook
lyn a few years ago. hen Nap Ruckel
rad the Ro.ls almost on his no-hit list
Not a hit had been recorded for eigh
and two-thirds innings. and Bob Besche
was the only ono Who stood between
Nap and n second no-hit game.
Bob had no desire to stand between
either. His team was way behind an,
ne intended to go out AS easily as pos
Sible. lie took "A careless swing at tn