Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-17
BASSlLER Still:
LEADSHIII' |
NP..C,; LEAGUE
Johnny Straohan Playing Great
Tennis; Ross Considered
Greatest of All Time
ID1 Assoeiated Prsss1

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. July II
With the approach Of mid-season for
the Pacific Coast baseball league and
the warm weather aiding IN hmeertnS
up the pitching arms, Of the various
Inoundmen, batters are slowly reced-
ing from the heights OF a 400 per
cent batting average. Bassier OF Los
Angeles, who has been In the lead
among the regular players and was the
last to step out Of the. 900, class, fell
10 points further away according to
the unofficial averages given 1out for
the 18th. week. He has dropped to
357. At the end of the 11th week he
was batting 462. At the present rate
of retrogression he is likely to lose
his position as the loading batsman
OF the league before many more
weeks. $500 :. p:
e" Fitzgerald Of San Francisco, who
has been holding second place, came
Up II points, making his average S47
60 that only ten points separate the
two players. At the end, Of the 18th
week Fitzgerald was IS points behind
BassleF.
The men who made the biggest
gains during the week were r. Miller
OF Oakland who jumped A points, and
Hon of Salt Lake who made gain
Of SIS points. Williams of Portland
still retains a comfortable lead Of
ten home runs. Sheely Of Salt Lake
with seven Is his nearest competitor.
Johnny Strachan Of San Francisco,
who has been playing some excellent
tennis of late, his most recent exploit
being q match against the former
champion, William johnston, in which
he compelled the ex-nationa1 title
holder to play q full five stiff sets IN
order to be declared the winner. Those
who saw sthe match. declare that
Strachan' driving was superior to any:
thing that he had shown in the past
and It was only on account. Of his. er.
rors that he finally suecumbed. =.
An analysis Of the two mems play
shows that Strachan hit the net often
or. than his opponent and alsos made
more outs. ~ He excelied him, koweRel.
In number OF pIace shots. , Jotipstpn
served, nine doubles In an, to- Styaeh:
ans four. Strachan's drive WAS dead:
Johnston seemed TO excel at
the net. Each scored point on an
ace-serEe. ---s-: -. j., =: - =
Norman Ross Of the Olympic Club,
and holder of a. half dozen swimming
records including both national and
American titles, is said BY his friends
to be svimming at the top Of his form.
with. |the@end not vet In sight. They
have set up the claim for him that
he is the best all-round swimmer OF
all time for the. reason that while
former champions haYe gained dis.
tfnction either N the short spfints or
else In the longer 'swims, Hoss is
showing his superiority in both. Not
only this, but II il pointed !eut that his
versatility ID apparent In his ability
to negotiate the breast stroke and the
back stroke In competition with ath.
ietes who. are pecializipgsin these
events, bis recent mark OF 81 As Sec,
onds Tor 76 yards IN the latter event
being o worlds figure.
Ross. remarkable work has ell been
done during this year. Prior: to 1917,
while Il. was, acknowledgeds he had ell
the maiings OF "a champion, his ert
ratio performances were the despair
OF his trainers, who were unable TO
make him take swimming seriously.
For this reason there was consider.
able opposition In the matter Of send.
ing. him east early IN the year. That
he appreciated the confidence placed
in him by his supporters IN the Oiym.
bic Club, and rose 10, the occasion,
Is evidenced by his triumphant record
: A player on an amateur team who
made q three;base hit In the last half
OF the ninth inping of q baseball game
and thereby. won the contest, has been
robbed OF the personal. glory which
usually goes with such a feat. The
ball was driven through a pane OF
slass In the window Of 4 public school
and the town constable is looking for
the man Who made the hit: in order to
compel him to- pay the. cast aofa new
pane of glass. For obvious. reasons
the hero prefers TO: remain namsless.
3. . 80 :. - - : -----
ing q neat sum for the fund which
VIM go toward the expenses incurred
f4.S, soa ann TRckafo NAV ha aacuSad