Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-08

| IN or teams have done, some one always Is
willing to prove that the players of 20 and 80
| years ago were not the equals of the play
ers OF today, and to reach this conclusion
odd reasons are often given. For instance,
| the present-day fans insist that Walter
johnson and Alexander the Great are
greater pitchers than Radbourne, Ferguson,
Keefe, Matthews and a few Of the old
guard, while they also claim that Ty Cobb.
| Eddie Collins Joe jackson and few other
sluggers of today are greater hitters than
| Brouthers, Anson, O'Neil, Delehanty, Bur-
| kett, Keller etc,
It is claimed that Tip" O'Ne owes his
record average to the fact that bases on
| balls counted as hits in the American AS
sociation in 1897 and no doubt the claim
| Ia correct, but O'Neil never was considered
| in the same class with Anson, Brouthers
| Burkett Delehanty and others But they
are overlooking the fact that the pitching
distance was shorter than 1t Is today and
that there were just many, II not more.
| speedy pitchers than there are now.
Fast Ball Puzzle
American Leaguers claim that they cam
not hit johnson because his fast ball is
upon them before they can get their bats
around. Imagine what 1t must have been
to face the terrific speed of Radbourne or
| Rusie with the pitching distance 10 feet
bourne had curve ball and 80 did Rusie
but in those days this delivery was too
hard to control at such a short distance
The lengthening Of the pitching distance
| in this respect was an advantage to the
| pitcher. Yet Jim O'Rourke hit 1850 in
| 1884, which was Radbournes record year,
while more than 80 batters were above the
400 mark, without bases on balls being
counted as base hits.
In 1893 when the pitching distance was
rnOyad haclS GO feet X inChpg Lake STEM
eel, of Pittsburgh, registered the first 400
batting average under modern conditions
| which would indicate that the present-day
batsmen enjoy an advantage that the old
| timers did not have. Stencils mark was
| .409. The following year Hugh Duffy hit
| for .438, a mark which has never been
| equaled. In 1895 Jesse Burkett, of Cleve-
| land. batted .423 and the following year his
| mark was .410.
Wonderful Clubbing
Willie Keeler came to the front in 1897
| with an average of .432, which is the sec
ond highest in the history of baseball. In
| 1898 Keeler fell below the 400 mark, lead
| ing the league with 1873, but Delehanty
| came back with 410 In 1899. This was the
| last 400 average in the National League,
| Honus Wagner coming to the fore the
| following year with $50 Although Wag-
| ner made notable batting record for
years, he never was able to reach the
| 400.
| Larry Lajoie batted for .422 in the first
season Of the American League, which was
| 1901. but no other player of either league
| reached the old mark until Cobb, with the
| foul strike handicap, batted for APO in
| 1911, and came back with .410 in 1912.
| The above records would indicate that the
old-timers were in reality handicapped by
| the pitching distance, as they made better
| marks than the present-day players, under
| similar conditions.
AS to the pitching, when one mentions
Radbourne, Keefe, Ferguson or Matthews,
in the same breath with Johnson, Alexander,
Walsh, Mathewson or a few other stars
of the last decade. the fans are inclined to
smile. They Immediately inform one of
| the 50-foot pitching rule, but overlook the
| fact that the batsmen had the privilege
of calling for high or low ball. In other
words II batter had weakness for a
low ball he would call for high one and
the pitcher was compelled TO deliver 1t.
Present-day pitchers thrive on playing weak
points OF various hltters.
A Toss-up, Says Young
Cy Young broke in under the old rules,
but never became a great pitcher until the
present pitching distance was heightened.
He was successful against the present-day
players after he had lost most of his speed
and the snap to his curve ball, and Old
Cy says that there is absolutely no differ
ence between the present-day players and
the old-timers. He says that II there is
tlmeras because they were better hitters
while the pitchers could stand more work. |
And he should know.
Any one who believes that there is any
thing being pulled by the present-day play
ers that was not used by the old-tmers
should consult a few of the latter or look |
back over the files Matthews pitched the |
first spItball. regardless of the claims of |
Elmer Stricklett. Frank Corridor and |
George Hlldebrand, while the Squeeze" de- |
layed steal and other inside plays were
used often that they failed TO even ex- |
cite comment. The hlt.and-run play Is a |
lost art as far as the present-day players |
are concerned. whereas a player who could |
not hit with" or behind" the runner was |
not considered good hitter in the old |
days
1t is an even break and out Of the ques- |
tion TO satisfactorily prove Cobb a greater |
hitter and base runner. Johnson a greater |
pitcher or some other player superior to |
some star of the old days. Every one is |
willing to concede that Cobb is the greatest |
all-around player OF all time, but In each |
OF his specialtes there were several men |
of the old school better in Individual de- |
partments. while Johnson Alexander, etc, |
have quite mark to shoot at when they |
look back at Radbournes record of 66 vic |
tories and 12 defeats In 1884, including 38 /
consecutive games. Regardless OF the /
calibre OF the batsmen or the pitching
rules. this mark will stand alone and is
one which never will be equaled,
Releases Were Expected
The release of Mike Doolan, the former
Philly shortstop, and Steve Yerkes, second
basemAn of the Red Sox when they won the
worlds championship In 1912, came as a
surprise only 10 those who have not been
following the work OF the Cubs closely. |
The poor work Of these veterans Is largely
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