El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-26
KeeIer's Batting Record
Surpasses Mark By Cobb
By ERNEST J. LANIGAN.

BY ERNEST
I TN nearly every instance a modern
baseball record can be shown TO
\ have been bettered in the past,
and for that reason some archaeolo-
/ gists suggest it would be a good
scheme to assume that the national
1900, when the National league re-
turned to its eight club circuit. or in
/ 1901, when the American league be-
came a major organization
If this idea be adopted. Tyrus Ray
mond Cobb Of the Tigers will have a
right TO the consecutive clouting lau-
rels by virtue of his 1911 perform
ance Of batting safely in a string Of
10 games.
II the idea be not adopted. then
Billy Keller of the old Orioles, now
resident Of Brooklyn, has right to
the honor Of being acclaimed the best
performer over stretch of contests
Keller Starts Fast.
In 1897, when Wee William was ac-
curing ammunition with which 10
! lead the National league in hitting,
he made a wonderful start toward
the batting championship by going
until June 19 before he met 4 pitcher
.
his basehit column The game of
June - was the 45th the Orioles
played, so Keller has a record Of hit
ting safely in Al successive strug
giles
KeeIer's batting average in these
games was .40S. his stick output. in
POI times at bat, being 65 singles,
eight doubles and nine triples. Ed
Walsh put n stop order on Cobb's
streak in 1911. while the man who
o L.
Pirate lefthander- He halted him on
the Baltimore grounds in a contest in
which the Birdlets were trimmed by
a score of to l. Bill Hoffer pitching
for the losers John McGraw ano
Hugh Jennings were in the Baltimore
lineup, while two Pirates of whom
much since has been written were
Pat Donovan and Harry Davis.
Hit Better ut Home.
IN 1887 some fans and scribes had
the present impression that the scor-
ing in a city which has an entrant
for the batting championship was de-
cidedly liberal toward said entrant
and much was written about Balti-
more basehits. A young Washington
scribe, John Heydler, after the sea
son closed, figured out how the heavy
hitters like Keller, Fred Clarke, Joe
Kelley, Jack Stivetts. Jess Burkett.
Ed Delahanty and Napoleon LaJoie,
performed on the road and at home.
his findings in the case of Keeler be-
ing an average of .446 in the Mary
land park and of AIS in alien baili-
wicks. Mr.. Heydler was one of the
earliest Of the statistical writers.
Keeler's 1897 percentage was 1872.
While Keller was having his great
run. his best stunt was to collect two
singles. A double and a triple in a
game against the Reds. for whom
The Breitenstein, Phil Ehret and
Frank Dwyer pitched.
The Orioles Of 1897 certainly al
lowed no grass TO grow under their
feet and on April % stole Il bases on
Grim and Burren of the Brooklyns.
Bill Kennedy being the Gowanus
boxman.
The previous day Jennings. after
being hit by a pitched ball, started to !
steal second and IN running him /
down Mike Griffin, Brooklyn center 4
fielder. made the putout and every /
body but Fielder Jones, in right and /
John Anderson, in left. got an assist l
on the play.
Keller Not First One.
Keller was not the first National
Lacquer, according TO Arthur Irwin.
who made a wonderful record in con-
secutive hitting right from the drop
OF the championship flag. In 1857
John Coleman Of the Pirates, accord
ing TO the peerless sleuth (discoverer
OF Benny kauff and other live wires)
went until Decoration day before ne