The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-24
KING OF HITTERS.
Tener Thinks Arson Greatest
Batter Game Ever Knew.
N. l.. President Praises the
Grand Old Man of Baseball.
BY JOHN *. TENER.
president the National League

When Pop Arson was in the height
of his glory as batting king. he hired
a tall muscular youth as a pitcher.
This youth accompanied him around
the world, later entered politics, was
elected to congress, became governor
of his state and is now president of
the National league. John K. Tener
was the name of this tall young pitch
er and he still thinks his old manager
was the greatest batter in the world.
The following bit of praise is taken
from an article by President Tener
appearing in the current issue of the
Baseball Magazine''-a special Iris
Speaker number.
Pop Arson was the greatest batter
who ever lived. You may look up his
record, compare it with others, and
draw your own conclusions. When I
say this I am we'll aware of the claims
of Ed Delehanty, Hans Wagner and
many other great hitters. l give them
all due credit. but in my opinion Arson
was the greatest of them all.
He Loved to BAT.
He was. first of all, a free hitter
He loved batting. Even when he grew
old he would take his place on the
field and get the boys who hung
around the lots of Chicago to pitch
to him. He loved batting for its own
sake He had that true eye which en-
abled him to hit the ball squarely on
the nose. His hits were line drives
They were solid smashes with the full
force of his muscular shoulders be-
hind them. Usually, IS l remember
him, he would drive the ball between
right and center field, well over the
infielder's reach. He never pulled
the ball, he never hit too quickly
He was an excellent judge of the
precise fraction of a second that he
needed to swing that heavy bat of his
against the best the pitcher could Of
fer. He didn't exactly place his hits,
but he contrived to drive the ball be-
hind the base runner about where he
wanted to drive it. And he rarely
struck out. The statistics for the
years when he was in his prime are
not so complete as they might be. But
am confident there were seasons
when he struck out not more than two
or three times and believe 1 am safe
in saying that he struck out less fire.
quently than any other major league
player.
Kind to Beginners.
Anson's batting was batting pure
and simple. He was the typical slug
ger. He was big and strong and
heavy. Some batters of the present
day fatten their averages by their
nimbleness in reaching first. Arson
drove the ball solidly into the out
flied and took his time in going to
first.
1t was my good fortune to serve as
a player under Arson. 1 found him a
bluff, hale. honest and likeable leader.
He was exacting with men who knew
the game from A to z. He expected
the best of service from them. But
toward the beginner he was extreme
ly lenient.
AS manager he was optimism
itself The defeat of today never
clouded the horizon of tomorrow. If
we lost the game he would appear in
the club house with the well known
CHEEKY remark. We'll. boys, we lost
this one, but it's the last game We'll
lose this season.
When the war of The brotherhood
convulsed the baseball world, Pop An
son remained firmly loyal to the Ma
tional league. For this act he has
long been eulogized and properly so.
But I do not think there is the same
basis in fact for the statement which
is frequently made that the National
league was ungrateful to Arson for
his loyal stand. Cap is still hale and
hearty. He is sturdily independent
and wishes to be so. I know that the
National league would never see An
S0p suffer