Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-06
C0M|skEY REAL STAR
OWNER OF WORLD CHAMPS
PROMINENT ALL HIS LIFE
"oId Noman." Then \, First-sneker.
Built Team That Won -Four Flags
for st. Louis.

To the present generation OF fans
Charles Comiskey is the old Roman, the
owner of the Chicago White Sox the
1917 world champions, the man who
controls the dcs,inieS of Ray Schalk
and number of other nrst-class ball
players In vague way they know
that Comiskey was great player, and
that about lets most OF them out
But there is an order OF baseball en-
thusiaSts that remembers Comiskey as
the Hal Chase OF his day. He is to them
not so much the magnate as the first
bascman. captain and manager who led
ST. Louis to four pennants and made
the team the lighting terror 1t once
was.
AS 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 CT
rect OH the manner Of playing the sack
than Chase has ever had. lie differed
widely from the accepted STYLE of tho
star tirst-sacker.
The great ones before him were Dan
Brouthers. Dave Orr and Roger Connor.
They were giants in size. mere targets
at which infeldcrs pegged. They play.
ed the sack close, and covered little.
ground Comiskey came along and
started the fashion OF playing deep
At first he was ridiculed. But in al
| fact that he was covering twice tho
territory Of his predecessors. and that.
while he was not stationary target
at which to throw, his infelders got tho
ball to him just as surely as IL he
were.
BY 1881 he had built up a wonderful
team. He had fierce. aggressive in
field that could hit. an excellent out
! lield. and his battery staff was cx-
ceptional. Latham. Gleason and Robin
son. with Comiskcy, formed the in
field. Welsh and ONcal, with one OF
the pitchers were the outfield. The
twirlers were Foutz and Carruthers,
while Bushong was his catching main,
stay.
This crew swept through the power
full American Association and won four
consecutive pennants. In each OF tho
four pennant-winning years they led
in fielding, 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
scventy-seven in 1883. Latham, how
ever had him faded. stealing 12I In .ke
season of 1855.
Comiskey reckoned only about In the
$50 class as batter. though In 1887 he
hit for 1858. He was noted as a pinch
hitter. dangerous with men on. He
batted himself fourth. just behind
| Latham. with either Foutz or Car
ruthers coming NTH.
During the ten years no was with st.
Louis he had under him many other
stars. Hudson. Silver King, Chamber
lin. Jack Stivetts. Breitenstein and even
Tor little while Clark Griffith.
| The first break in his organization
came in 1889. when Foutz. Carruther,
and BushonC went to Brooklyn In the
next year the brotherhood war blew the
team asunder. Comskey himself re-
Voting. and. with Latham, O'Neal ana
Boyle. joining Chicago. In the Players
| League.
The next year lie was back IN 81
| Louis, and. with Buck McCarty ana
Boyle, OF his old team. built UP an or
Eanization that made a fierce pennant
| night, losing to Boston by a narrow
margin. The year after that. 1892. saw
him as pilot OF the Reds. where he haa
| about the same success as every other
cincinnati manager. He stuck with tho
| keds three years. when he made a sta ~
az an owner by buying in on the 81.
| Paul team.
In his first year at st. Paul he playeS
IN thirteen games, but this was hi,
| swan song as n player. From then on
| ne was a maEnatc. and his fourteen
| years service as player was finished.