Evening star., 1916-12-25
MARANV|LLE ON TOP
Again Heads Both Leagues in
Starting Double Plays.
MCBRIDE LOCALS LEADER
BY ERNEST j. LANIGAN.

Walter Maranville, Brave shortstop,
who holds the major league record for
inaugurating double plays, topped every
one in the big leagues in this respect
last season. but then did not equal his
banner performance of 1914, nor closely
approach the best 1915 mark, made by
Charley Herzog. The Rabbit. who imi-
tated his boss, P. d. Haughton, and did
some foot ball coaching last fall, set
forty-five duplex killings in motion this
year. which was thirteen less than he
launched in 1914 and five less than
Charles Lincoln Herzog launched in 1915.
The Cantaloupe King was runner up
to Maranville in 1916. making the first
move in thirty-four two-ply retirements
twenty at short, seven at second and
seven at third. Heinie Groh of the Reds
led off in thirtytwo duplex massacres,
and Johnny Lavan of the Browns, Bert
Niehoff of the PhillieS and I.awton Witt
of the Athletics each in thirty-one The
Rhinelander started twenty-three double
plays from third. eight from second and
one from short
Eddie Collins of the White Sox insti-
tuted thirty double slaughters, and two
other second sackers-Betzel of the
Cards and Doyle of the Giants and Cubs
also got by the twenty-five mark. the
juvenile leading off in twenty-eight and
Fletcher, Giant shortstop, just reached
the quarter-century notch.
George Mcbride was the Griffithites'
best man at starting double plays.
furnishing the impetus to twenty-five.
Eddie Foster ran him a close second
with twenty-a dozen at second and
eight at third.
No Records Beaten.
No double-play records went by the
boards last season. but one old mark was
equaled, Catcher Hank Gowdy of the
Braves tying the 1913 exploit of Bill
killefer of the Phillies. The record for
starting double plays from behind the
bat is fourteen. Previous records that
still hold good are nine for the pitchers,
made by Eddie Cicotte in 1913; sixteen
for the first basemen, made by Jack Nc
Innis in 1914; thirty-five for the second
basemen, made by Larry Doyle in 1912;
twenty seven for the third basemen,
made by Heinie Groh in 1915; f1fty-eight
for the shortstops, made by Walter
Maranville in 1915; nine for the left
fielders. made by Max Carey in 1912;
iris Speaker in 1913. and eight for right
fielders. made by Frank Schultz of the
Cubs and Mike Mitchell of the Reds in
1912 and Dan Moeller of the Nationals
and Harry Hooper of the Red Sox in
1915.
Last season the players who started
the most two-ply killings from the nine
positions were Ruth of the Red Sox,
for the pitchers. with seven; Gowdy of
the Braves, for the catchers. with four
teen: Pfpp of the Yankees and Burns of
the Tigers. for the first basemen, with
eleven; Niehoff of the Phillies, for the
second basemen, with thirty-one; Witt
of the Tigers and Groh of the Reds, for
the third basemen, with twenty-three;
Maranville of the Braves, for the short
stops. with forty-five; Graney Of the In
dians. Shotten of the Browns and Veach
of the Tigers. for the left fielders, with
SIX: Carey OF the Pirates. for the center
fielders, with eleven, and Roth of the In
dians. for the right fielders, with six
The P1ttsburgher was the lone subur-
banite of the year to reach double figures
in the number of double plays launched,
while iris Speaker and Ty Cobb were in
a class by themselves in that of all the
fychasers they were the only ones to
start a pair of duplex killings in the
same contest. Jim Dunn's high-salarfed
performer did so against his old team
July !. while Frank Navin's priceless
jewel turned the trick August 13 against
the White Sox
The double plays started by the Ma
ti0nals last season were as follows:
Pitchers-Harper, 4: Gallia. 9; John
son. 2; Boehling. 2: Shaw, 2; Ayers, d; ;
total: u. Catchers-Henry, s; Ain
smith. 5: Williams, 1; total H. First
Observation-Disclosures. s: total s. Second
basemen-Morgan, 13; Foster. IL: total,
25: third basemen-Foster, 8; Shanks
4: Leonard. 4: total, 16. Shortstops-
Mcbride. %; Shanks, 3: Sawyer, /; total.
rs. Left fielders-Jamieson, 8; Moeller
2; Shanks. /: total. 6. Center feIders-
Milan. 8; Menoskey. 2; Shanks, /; total,
IL. Right flelders-Smith. /; Shank.,
!; Moeller, ]: Rice, ! total, A.
Unassisted double plays We're not
particularly numerous last season, ath-
letes passing up many chance to re-
tire a pair Of men without aid because
of a desire to swell an associates put
out column. Players from every posi-
tion except the box and left field cut
in with lone two-ply killings. The
catcher who made a double play un-
assisted was Grover Cleveland Hartley
of the Browns: the outf1elders, Bobby
Roth of the Indians, Max Flack of the
Cubs, Clarence Walker Of the Red Sox
and Bill Hinchman of the Pirates. The
man who oftenest played a lone hand