The Washington times., 1919-01-04

In his twelve years with the Wash
fngtotn club Zeb Milan has averaged
10 safe hits yearly. In those dozen
years the crack little, center fielder has
averaged - with the bat
Eddie Fosters eight years as
major leaguer have given him q bat
ting Average OF -64, with an average
Of Ia hits yearly. -. IN =. -
George McBride's. eleven seasons have
seen this grand old timer averaging
o safe isvats yearly, and batting
average Of III .....- p. g..
- Anerieaa League Leads. .
Out OF these forty players compiling
at least Loo hits. twenty-five are Amer
lean Leaguers, and eighteen members
Of the parent Organization. "a
WAGNER, in the sweep Of twenty-one
seasons, failed to get within nine points
OF the .33s mark established by Lajoie
in the same number Of years-but
there ends the supremacy Of the
Frenchr1an.. In all other departments
except In ,tvo-base hits Wagner has
been the superior to Lajoie-
The Flying Dutchnian played in more
games than did La5oie. was at bat
oftener,, made more runs, more hits.
more triples, more home runs. more
total baser, and averaged more hits
per game than his mighty rival WaS-
ner hammered out more safeties than
any many ever identified with base.
ball. His record Of 81 triples eclipses
anything In that department Only one
nan exceeds. him, In four-oase swats,
and iAJoie alone has topped him-oy
the bare margin Of nine-in the matter
OF two 5ase hits.
Moving down to Ty Cobb. who ranks
third In the llst-ranking being made
on the basis OF the greatest number OF
hits--one becomes more forcbly Inn
pressed than ever with the amazing
accompishnents Of the southern
Typhoon" in his fourteen years as a
star In the majors.
Cebb's- Average Best. .~.
Cobb's hitting mark OF ,.371 is the
most remarkable turned in by any OF
the present-day, swatsmiths. Further
more, his average OF 40 hits per sea-
son Is the best Of any in the game.
A study OF the other departments
shows that II Cobb maintains his pres
ent average and plays the game for
twenty-one years, as did Wagner and
Latoie, he will pass both in practi-
caIiy every department Of achieve
ment, :
Until the close OF the 1918 season
Cobb had made 2,524 hits-averaging
$50 per season. Given seven more
years at the same ratio means that at
the end OF twenty-one years of play
Cobb will have smashed out asa hits.
against S.43o for Wagner and 3.236 for
Latoie BY maintaining his average
of two-baggers. triples and home runs,
COBB should move beyond the marks
made by his two great rivals long be-
fere he has lived twenty-one years
under big league tents.
In the matter OF run scoring Ty
Cobb's average is far greater than
that OF Wagner and Lajoie. He has
scored something like 95 runs per sea
son. Seven more years at the same
rate would give him 665 runs. CT q
grand total Of close to 1000. against
1,Tf1 for Wagner and ], sol by Lajoie
swreekers- Held Bush.
The compilation which accompanies
this article and lists the accomplish
ments of the present day men who
have made 900 or more hits brings
cut nany peculiar Incidents. Perhaps
the most remarkable Of all is the fact
that Donie Bush, OF the Tigers, has
scored !. I.oo3 runs on ! IsI4 hits In .4e7
games. Bush has been In the big
leagues just es long an Iris Speaker,
has made Eeariy 200 hits iesr. yet has
c-'s grand average fo- eleven years
In ..As batting line is .s4i. while Bush
has hit Tor only .24s. 81.
How. then. was IL possible for Bush
TO score zoos runs while Speaker.
who hit % points beyond him and
who played In approximately the
same number OF games. should score
snly SIS? .E..s~. -.
The answer, Is simple. Throughout