The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-03
SECOND BASEMEN
CAN'T HIT BALL
Time Was When Keystone Men Were
In the Headline OF Offensive
Work

Here IS more about the short com
Ing OF the major league second base
man. about which much has been
written OF late, This complaint Ia
that they can't even hit--and the rec
ords go to prove II It il q fact that
hitting second baseman seems 70
be as extinct as the buffalo which
used 70 Craze on the western plains
The hitting strength was supposed
10 be in The outfeld and second ana
first base. Clubs with plenty OF hit
ting power could carry a weak hit.
ting shortstop and also at ttrnea
third baseman. Throughout baseball
history the shortstops have been the
weak est hitters outside OF the pitch.
rs Hohus wagner being the one great
exception.
The leading hitter among the Ma
tonal league second baaeman las.
season wac the mediocre George Cut.
shaw, traded recently TO Pittsburx
with the lowly average OF .2Bq. IT IL
doubtful If in the forty-two years OF
inc National leagues history its sec
ond base colony contained such
weak bunch Of maulers
The American league is little bet
YER EDDIE Collins OF the White sox
lsd the second basemen with an aver
age or .2Sq. but even Collins has
taken quite tumble and fell under
ne 800 mark for the first time since
lsoS last season. Morgan Of Wash
inEton hit 268. Collins and Morgan
were the only big league second base.
men with averages better than 200
= New Record for Majors.
cong back through the averages.
'hers lSFnot another wear in which no
second baseman has hi. better Ii al
]VO. For years l4a1oie remained in
{ he 800 set and after he faded ia.
Ole Collins looked after the hittlne
/ lturels for second basemen Eddie
rose as high IS .SSs in 1911 but even
he has fallen.
league second hasenen accom- pI!shcd
last senRon.
American iee9ue---E C'oIIlns, chi
cago, 289; Morgan, Washington, .2GB;
Whmoseanss. Cleveland. ass: Pratt.
81 Louis, PAT, Gedeon New York
98A' Young, Detroit, 29l; Grover.
Athiet!cs, 294 Haumann. New York.
2lS; Barry, Boston. 214 MaiseI
New York, 1873; Janvrfn. Boston. ] Of:
/ AaWfF Athletics, 1874
National leasue-Cutshaw Brook
lyn. $50 Rawlings. Boston. .2ss:
NiehQfT. PhllsdeEh .255: Doyle.
Chicago .264. McKechnie, CincIn-
matt 264' Miller, ST Louis. s4S:
Hersog, New York. 29N%~ P1tler. Pitts
burg, 2S8; smith New York, .eyo.
I'etzel, Fl. Louis. .217; Evers, Boston
Philadelphia. PA Sheen, Cincinnati,
t210,s. Massey. Boston. 1873; DuSey,
Phila delphia. 1874
Compare those batting figures with
the averages of some or the second
base sluggers OF the past-Fred Dun
lap, Jack Burdock Hard Richards son,
Nap bajoie, Danny Murphy and the
figures Of Eddie Collins larry Doyle
and Johnny F>vers in their prime.
Eight About 800 in 1919
However, it Is not necessary TO go
back 20 old times to see what "a poor
lot our present second hasemen have
fallen 70, Go back only FIVE years
and you find eight second basemen
-four in each league, hitting better
than SEQ. OF whom five are hitting
$50 or better Tne National league
had nine second basemen hitrlag
.2T5 or better and the American
league seven. The only second base
man hitting under 2b0 that year wors
Simmons OF the Yankees, LIouden. o.
Detroit, and Egan. OF Cincinnati