Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30
C)M|SKEY STAR PLAYER
THROUGHOUT n|SCAREER
"0ld Roman" Then q Firstsacker,
Built Team That Won Four
Flags for st. Louis.

Charles Comiskey Is tho old Roman, the
owner Of the Chicago White Sox, the
1917 world champions, the man who
controls the destinies Of Ray Schalk
and a number OF other first-class ball
players. In a vague way they know
that Comiskey was q great player. and
that about lets most Of them out.
But there is an order OF base ball en-
thusiasts that remembers Comiskey as
the Hal Chase of his day. He is to them
not so much the magnate as the first
baseman. captain and manager who led
St. Louis to four pennants ana made
the team the fighting terror 1t once
was.
AS q first baseman "Commy" was a
pioneer. He invented a new style, and
although he never led the league in his
position. he had an even greater
effect on the manner of playing the
sack than Chase has ever had. He
differed widely from the accepted style
Of the star frst-sacker.
The great ones before him were Dan
Brouthers. Dave Orr and Roger Conner
They were giants in size, mere targets
at which inf1elders pegged. They played
the sack close, and covered little
Stun Somiskey came along ana
started the fashion of playing deep.
At first he was ridiculed. But in al
most no time the fans awoke to the
fact that he was covering twice the
territory OF his predecessors. and that.
while he was not a stationary target
at which to throw. his fnfielders got the
Dali to him Just as surely as IL he
were.
Builds Up Great Team.
BY 1881 he had built up wonderful
team. He had fierce. aggressive in
field that could hit. an excellent outfield
and his battery stan was unexceptional.
Latham. Gleason and Robinson, with
Comiskey. formed the infield. Welsh
ana oNeal. with one Of the pitchers,
we're the outheld. The twirlers were
Foutz and Carruthers, while Bushong
was his catching mainstay.
This crew swept through the power
IuI american Association and won four
consecutive remnants. In each of the
IN nelding, In all but 1887 in batting.
In base running they easily topped the
list. Comiskey himself was no mean
pilferer. taking sixty-two in 1887 and
ever. had him faded, stealing 124 in the
season of 1888.
Comiskey reckoned only about in the
zoo class as batter, though In 1887 he
ny IoT 900. ne was noted as a pinch
hitter. dangerous with mon on. He
batted himself fourth. just behind
Latham. with either Foutz or Carru
Tiers coming fifth.
During the ten years he was with st.
Louis he had under him many other
stars. Hudson. Silver King, Chamber
lin, Jack Stfvetts. Breitenstein and even
Tor little while Clark Grifffth.
The hrst break in his orEanixatio
came in 1883, when Foutz, Carruthers
and Bushong went to Brooklyn. In the
next year the brotherhood war blew the
team asunder, Comiskey himself re-
voting. and with Latham, O'NeaI and
Boyle joining Chicago In the Players
League.
Then Goes to Browns.
The next year he was back in st.
Louis. and with Buck McCarty and
Boyle of his old team, built up an or
ganization that made a fierce pennant
night, losing to Boston by a narrow
margin. The year after that. 1892. saw
MIN as pilot OF the Reds. where he had
ABOUT the same success as every other
cincinnati manager. He stuck with the
Reds three years, when he made a start
as an owner by buying in on the ST.
Paul team.
In his first year at st. Paul he PLAYED
IN thirteen games. but this was his
swan song as player. From then on
ne was a magnate. and his fourteen
years service rs player was finished.