New-York tribune., 1919-05-11
McInnis One
OF Baseball's
Wonder Men
Not Built According to
First Basing Standard,
But He's "There -

John (Stuffy) McInnis, first baseman
of the worlds champion Boston Red
Sox, has been for many years now
past one of the striking wonders of
the game. If one were looking for
first baseman among crowd of uni
formed men on the bench McInnis is
about the very last man he would sus-
pect of class for the position. Phys
ically ne is living refutation, in ap-
pearancc. of everything a good first
sacker is supposed to be in these times
OF highly developed specialties.
To begin with he is a chunky looking
fellow who bellies his five feet ten
inches. He is somewhat deliberate of
action off the field. His arms are
short and he does not appear possessed
of the reach or "stretch" which has
come to be associated with the first
base type. He is right handed throw
er in day when southpaws are in
demand for the position.
Yet McInnis comes very near to be-
ing the class of first baseman of the
American League, a circuit which
boasts of number of rare profess
sionals of exceptional merit, Wally
Pipp and George Sister among them,
the last two mentioned of the south
paw variety of course.
To begin with McInnis is one of the
niftiest and surest infelders of the
game, for if he lacks any way in phys
zeal handicaps he more than makes
UP for the deficiency in agility. And
if he foozles wild throw now and
then that a bigger mana Chase or
Plpp-might get he more than makes
up the difference in the deadly punch
ne carries at bat For McInnis is q
800 hitter in every accepted sense of
the word.
In the last nine campaigns, since he
first gained recognition as a regular
player in fast company, McInnis has
failed but twice to bat better than 300.
His successful campaign last season
with the worlds champions witnessed
his lightet hitting performance. He
batted only 272 in Boston. Once be-
fore, only, he failed to qualify in the
charmed circle. That was in 1915.
He clubbed for 1896 that year as a
member of the Athletics. But it was
only~-a remnant of the old machine
with which Connie Mack had won four
championships and three world cham
pionships Mclnnis at the time was
the sole survivor of the illustrious
hundred thousand dollar infeld."
In 1912, the year Jake Stahl's Red
Sox nosed out the Athletics, McInnis
had his best hitting year, a 1927, and
that year, too, he stole the most bases,
y. The next year, when the Quakers
beat the Giants for the second time
in the worlds series, McInnis hit
.S26. In 1911 he dubbed 1921. He hit
.3l4 in each of the seasons of 1914
and 1915, and 1903 in 1917, his last
year with the Athletics. 1t can be
seen, then, that Stuffy is consistent
as we'll as brilliant hitter.
Mclnnis was one of many brilliant
phenoms unearthed and schooled by
Connie Mack for the purpose of re-
construction after his great team of
1se5.whch was beaten by McGraw's
Giants in the worlds series-had gone
to seed. The list included such other
illustrious personages as "Home Run"
Baker, Jack Barry and Eddie Collins,
all of them still in the game and 60
ing strong as ever, apparently.
Connie Mack, in those halcyon days
of rich financial return before the Fed
eral Leaue raid, kept close tabs on the
schools and colleges. AS early as 1905
Mclnnis perform with the high school
nine of Gloucester, Mass. Mac had
string on Stuffy when he broke into
professional baseball with New Bed
ford, of the New England League,
away back in 1908. Indeed, it was
Mack who planted him there, with the
idea of having the boy developed into
a shortstop. AT the time black never
suspected a first baseman in embryo.
When Connie finally called McInnis
in to the Athletics in 1909 the lad had
little opportunity to show his worth
Baker, Barry and Collins were fast be-
coming fixtures of that memorable in
field The hard hitting veteran, Harry
Davis, was slipping, but still able to
hold his own at first. Because of the
fact that Davis was on the wane and
the other infeld positions were so ad-
mirably filled already Connie began to
have McInnis understudy Davis. His
development from the start was phe-
nomenal. By 1911 he had supplanted
the aging slugger. He has played the
position regularly ever since.
great deal of class in any infield
position but first. Connie expert
mented with him at third, at short and
at second. He found himself only after
he had been assigned to the initial
bag.
I'd Barrow, manager of the Red Sox
IN the spring of 1918, attempted to
make third baseman out of McInnis
Boston was strong on first sackers with
Del Gamer and Dick Hoblitzell, but
badly off for guardian of the near
corner. Stutfy was a terrible "bust"
at the position. 1t did not take Bar
row long to discover the truth and re-
store the young man to his proper
sphere OF activity.
Mauho - h.
ing activities in Boston it was the
proposition of trying to teach an old
dog. new tricks. Whether or not Nc
innis might have developed into a star
tnsrd baseman, a star shortstop or
star second sacker had Connie Mack
not been blessed with Baker, Barry
and Collins, the fact remains that he
d1d develop into wonderful first base
man under Connie Mack. And as such
re needs no excuse in any company of
The present baseball generation.