Norwich bulletin., 1917-02-09
Side Port Slusger Has Advantage in
 Getting Away from Plate.

Don't want him because he is a left
 handed hitter, and I have enough left handlers on my club now. Could use
 a right hand hitter but no more of the southpaws." Such a complaint is com mon among managers. major and minor alike. They fear to have on one club
 too many batsmen who swing from the
 off side of the plate, as such team is
 southpaw pitcher. A glance over the
 batting records of the past year would
 indicate that club of left hand hitters
 might not be so bad after all.
 It has long been contended that the
 left handler gets more hits because he
 can get away from the plate better and
 has a shorter distance to run Un-
 doubtedIy there is an advantage, and
 many a blow which meets hit for a
 left handler results in the right handler
 missing the decision by a step. But
 why should the left handlers show the
 way in long Instance hitting, in drives
 which do not depend so much on that
 extra step at first base. There seems
 to be no answer to this problem in the
 slight advantage held by the left
 handler in reaching first. It must be
 that this class can outslug the boys
 who bat from the other side of the
 plate.
 In the American league last season
 nine players who took part in 145 or
 more games qualified as 300 hitters. Seven of the nine were left handed hitters. The squad of southpaw swat ters was made up of Speaker, Cobb, Jackson, Strunk, Collins, Gardiner and Sisler. Veach and Felsch were the only representatives of the right hand hit ters to win a place in the select set Two others, Spencer and Rumler qualified, but for limited activity, in less than 30 games.
 Now for the long distance hits. Wal ter Pipp led the American league in home runs, and his only real rival was Frank Baker, the figures being 12 and 10, respectively. Both hit from the off side of the plate. Joe Jackson led the league in triples with q, and his closest rival was Eddie Collins, with vision in hitting Speaker and Jack Graney, two more of the southpaw swingers, showed the way in doubles, each with Al. Only three players in during the season The trio was made up of Speaker, Cobb and Jackson. all of whom clutch the bat with the fork hand resting above the right. It might be added that they were the only double century hitters in the major leagues, as no player in the National league reached the figure in safe hits.
 Besides the batsmen mentioned above, the American league has an other flock of batsmen who swing the same way and must be labeled as dan- gerous, even though they have not place in the Swat society of 1916. Sam Rice, one of Griffth's sluggers, is left handler and he missed the select so- cfety last fall by one percentage point. Frank Gilhooley batted .278 up to the time he was injured last July and he was coming along fast at the time. Sam Crawford. Clyde Milan and Frank Baker are batsmen of this type. who l have tasted the glory of the 300 class but ranged between .265 and .290 in 1 1S16
 In the National league the superior lty of the left hand batsman over theJ right handler is not so pronounced. However, several of this class show to advantage in the latest official rec | ords. The real batting leader Is Chase. | one of the few left hand throwers in | baseball who bat from the right side | of the plate. The nominal leader is | Holke of the Giants, who pounded | his way to a .352 average in 34 games | from the other side Jake | Zach Wheat and Davy Rob- | .rtson are left handlers in the 300 class | and Wheat led the league last season | la total bases on hits. Nehoff a right | lander. led in two baggers with s2. and | a right handler, led in tri- | oles. but two eouthpaw swatters, Rob- ,rtson and Cy Williams, set the high figure in home runs.