Evening journal., 1919-03-05
HAMILTON, KING OF
LEADOFF PLAYERS
latham. Keller, McGraw,
Thomas Also Demons at
Getting to First
BUSH ALWAYS WAS
GOOD RUN GETTER

how frequently the leadoff man Will
start an inning Many times he will
lead or four times IN the same game.
one dOpes.er who del ghis IN dslving
into such things once examined the
records OF a star leadoff man and found
that In GO per cent. OF the times he
went 10 bat during a season he led on
an inning.
Baseball has It's favorite types for
different roles. The great pitchers have
mostly been big, strappins fellows,
while lean. graceful fellows With long
reaches now Is the most desired style
OF FIRST bssemen. The perfect leadof
man has changed little during base
balls history. He Is a little bit Of a
man. preferably left handed baisman,
with a great eye at bat, a good hitter,
but more than that he must have the
faculty OF getting on.
In the early part OF the 1916 season,
when the Yankees were making a real
bid for the pennant. Frank Gilhooley,
before breaking his leg IN Washington,
was getting on base more than half OF
the time that he came 20 bat. There
vas one stretch In which ne got on
lase sixteen times in twenty-five
times up. and In most every case he
was the first bstsman UP In the inning.
10 seemed impossible 10 keep him of
lhe bases; he would get on somehow
whether he would hit. receive his base
On balls, get hit by a pitched ball or
get on by reason OF an error. lie got
on base and af,er he did so he had the
nculty Of getting around.
Gihooley has been too prone TO In
.ury and on the whole has been too or-
ratic 10 be given a place among the
great leadoff men Of baseball His work
n the 1916 season merely II cited as 4
concrete example Of the possibilities OF
4 fast, quick thinking leadoff player
There Is Of course much room for
discussion as 10 who was the best lead
III man that baseball has produced. Ar
hur Irwin, now manager Of the Roch-
.ster team, who has seen all OF the
great stars come and 90 since the Ma
lonal League was organized IN 1876,
would place Billy Hamilton. the old
lime Philadelphia and Boston National
League outleider, at the very top OF his
list.
Arlie Latham. who acted as baseball
tutor TO the Klng Of England last sum-
.ner. also has his claims 10 the honor,
for when he led of for the old ST
Louis Browns during their champion
ship years Of 1885, 1856. 1887 and 1883
there was no leadoff man In the game
who gave pitchers more trouble
Miller Huggins, who himself was one
Of the best leadoff men baseball ever
has known, says Roy Thomas. Ike
Hamilton. a Philadelphia outhelder,
was the best man at leading of he ever
saw in baseball Roy was developed at
the University OF Pennsylvania when
Arthur Irwin was coach there and
Arthur also places him very high
among the crack leado1 men in base
bali Roy however. was we'll past his
crest when Hugglns broke into the Ma
tional League.
John McGraw, OF the Giants. who lei
off part Of the time 10: the old Orioles
is considered by many TO have been
baseballs greatest leadoff man, while
Willie Kecler also has his adherenis.
Considering all points. Billy Hamilton
deserves tho crown OF them all.
Hamilton was a remarkable hitter. lie
5atted over 800 for twelve successive
seasons. as his great speed enabled him
10 beat out many hits. Billy also had
a sreat eye at bat and drew many bases
on balls.
There never has been a man in base
ball who knew more about converting
hits or bases on balls into runs than
Hamilton. lie was a wizard on the
base paths and would steal on the
slightest provocation. Several times ne
stolc over a hundred bases a yea and
ne still holds the National League rec
ord OF rs made in 1891.
Thomas was not as great a Datsman
ls Hamilton, though he always was uD
lround 800, and five times went above
hat mark Roy was by no means a
,lugger, but he was one Of the
smarest .hltters baseball ever had.
He could stand at the plate all day long
and foul, balls into left field all day
long. Thomas could wear a pitcher -ss
ged, and, in self-defense the pitcher Of
fen would stick one over or let Roy
walk. HIS favorite hits were sharp
stingins jabs through the inneid.
The foul strike rule was adopted en-
tirely TO prevent Thomas and 8 fe"
othe- smart .hitters like him from drag
sing along games. However, even with
the foul strike rule in effect Thomas
continued 10 foul EN- of.
Back about 1906, when Thomas al
resdy was on the wane, the PhIliies
were playing Pittsburg at their own
grounds, ana with a storm impending,
Philadelphia led, 2 10 4, al the end Of
the sixth inning Pittsburg made six
runs in the seventh. and then the Phil
lies prayed foT ram, so the score
would revert 10 the sixth inning,
When Thomas came up the sky was
let black and it was IS dark as night.
But the Phillies had been hippodrom-
ing and the umpires refused 10 call the
game. Thomas began 10 foul of every
thing that was pitched 20 him, even
when the Pittsburgh pitcher deFber-
stely tried 10 walk him. Eventually,
however. Roy hsd TO take his base on
balls, but II took the pitcher ten min
utes 10 wslk him. And still the rain
held off After further dilatory tactics
the game was given TO Pittsburgh.
Arlie Latham was also famous for
has ability 10 foul off balls. He got
many bases on balls. IN addition 70 he
ng a sweet hitter When Lathem was
II his best be las been Qfteeu minutes