Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-19
PICK FEW BUSH H|HERS
Most of Minor League Champions
Taken On by the Majors
Are Infelders.

The small number of minor league
| batting champions who are to be given
a trial in fast company this spring in
F., dicates that the majors aren't very
strong for last seasons bush league
| smuggling talent.
| Of the five minor league swat cham
pions purchased for the big show, the
St Louis Americans grabbed two
Kenworthy, the Pacific Coast League
batting star. and Jacobson. champion
slugger of the Southern League. Both
| of these FASTENERS have been up" be-
| fore, kenworthy, former Federal
League player, having been tried out
| by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Jacob
son by the Detroit Tigers. Their failure
to show consistent stickwork sent both
| back to the minors.
| Last season Jacobson played center
| field for the Little Rock team and hit
! for 346 in 139 games. Kenworthy per-
| formed at second base for the Oakland
| team, and stung the pellet for .314 in
| 200 games. If they can continue their
brilliant work of 1915. Jake and Ken
| are certain to become fixtures with the
Browns.
! The other batting wizards from the
short-trip circuits who are to show
their wares to big-time managers are
Ellison, champion of the Central Asso-
citation. who goes to the Detroit Tigers:
Mathes the Central League leader who
| has been COPIED by the Boston Braves.
| and Holke. king of the International
| League batsmen. who is already mem
Der of the New York Giants, having
performed brilliantly for McGraw the
| latter part of last season.
Ellison Looks Good.
cap+ro1 Association ayerapeS show
that Ellison, the Muscatine infelder,
took part in 127 games and hit for .361.
Mathes. who played second base for
| Terre Haute. had a batting mark of
354 in seventy-four games, and Holke' s
| International League batting figures
show that he hit for .344 in 122 gam
while holding down first base for
Rochester.
| Rather out of the ordinary is the fact
| that four of these five champion bats
men are infielders, Jacobson being the
only outfielder. Heretofore a big ma jor-
| ity of the star clouters gathered annually
| by the major leagues from the smaller
| circuits have been outielders Nov it
would seem that the infielders are fast
| developing the art of hitting and are to
| give the gardeners a good run for the
bingle honors. The same improvement in
hitting by the infielders is noticeable in
| the major leagues, especially in the Ma
tlOnai, III WHICH ciSHt VI t.ic
| dozen leading batsmen played infield po-
sitions.
| The fact that so many of the minor
| league batting champions are veteran
pa sinners and former big leaguers may
account for the small number of minor
| league leaders coming up this year.
| Nowadays ma jor league managers prefer
| taking chance in developing a young
ster.
Bill Kay Still There.
Among the veteran players who led
their respective leagues in batting last
season were Beals Becker of the kansa S
| City American Association team, Hank
Butcher of the Denver Western League
| team, Bill Kay of the Binghamton, New
| York State League team and Howard
| Wakefield of the Rock Island Three-i
| League team. Butcher, who was sent to
! Denver from Indiana polls because he
failed dismally as a batsman with the
, Indians, heads the list of veteran slug
| gers with a batting average of -311 for
| AS games. Kay took part in 124 games
| and hit for 1850. Wakefield hit for 352
| in I34 games. and Becker had an average
of 343 for 1873 games.
Other minor league batting leaders in
clude Nppert of Butte, the Northwestern
League champion: Maloney of Worcester,
champion OF the Eastern League. Bittle
! of Waco, who led the Texas League. and
| Flynn of Newman. the Georgia-Alab a ma
| League leader. Bittle is to be tried out
| by the Mobile Southern League club
| next sea son, and Flynn is to go to the
San Antonio team of the Texas League.