Evening journal., 1919-01-27
BLACKBURNE BEGAN
MOST DOUBLE PLAYS
Made First Move in 43
Whirlwinds on Diamond
Last Season
HOGG LEADS In
WORK OF HE PITCHERS

WOKk OF HE fll(t1EkO
Russell Blackburne, Cincinnati short
stop, set more double plays in motion
last season than any other big league
performer, making the flrst move In %.
This ngure didn't equal the record,
which Is IS. made by Walter Maran-
VILE In 1914, when the Braves astound-
ed everyone except themselves and
George Tweedy Stallings by climbing
from eighth to FIRST place. Possibly
had the season closed In October. In
stead Of on September 2 the man VINO
llvvered when he was with the White
Sox might have reached the figure es-
tablished by the Rabbit 1--WE years ago.
Russ, OF Redland, has a right to be
proud Of his 1918 record in instituting
duplex murders. for few pastlmers ever
have got by the an mark and when
they did get by Il they were playing
In campaigns II i54 games. Charley
Herzog strated so double plays In 1918;
Johnny Levan az the same year; Walter
Maranville. as in 1916; Roger Peckln-
paugh and Arthur Fletcher. 42 In 1914
and the last named al in 1912. The
gathering OF dope Of this kind began
In 1912.
The fastest fielding team In the ma
jors during 1915 judged by the records
OF the men In starting twO-piy assas-
sinations, would have had Bradley
Hogs, OF the Phillies, as pitcher; Wal
ter Scmidt, Of the Pirates. as catcher;
either Walter Plpp. Of the Yankees, or
Joe Judge, Of the Nationals. as first
baseman; Derrill Pratt, OF the Yankees,
as second bsseman; either Henry Groh,
Of the Reds, or Larry Gardner, Of the
Athletics, as third baseman; Russell
Blackburne, of the Reds. as shortstop;
Marlin Kopp, OF the Athletics, as left
fielder; Max Carey, Of the Pirates, as
center flelder, and either Harry Hooper,
OF the Red Sox. or Frank Gllhooley, OF
the Yankees. as right fielder.
Eddie Clcotte started nine double
plays from the box In 1918, Bradley
Hogg. last years leader, lnstltuting
seven. Three OF these csge in one
game, two via second and one via
short, against Boston on August 81.
The record for the catchers Is Jointly
held by Bill Killifer and Hank Gowdy.
II Is "a. Walter Schmidt, the 1918 pace
setter among the wind-psddists, but
10 IN motion and In one OF these he
didn't have any assistance, catching
Lee Magee, when that individual tried
TO steal home as a Red struck out.
Another bsckstop who made a duplex
killing all by his lonesome was Nike
Tor Miguel Gonzalez.
Pipp and Judge each started 10
double plays az first In 1918. which IS
six below the record number, made
by George Sisler in 1917, and Jack
In 1914.
Derrlu Pratt Instituted % two-at-a-
clip retIremenls at second last year,
but he would have had to start seven
more In order to equal the best exploit
at that position, Larry Doyle, In 1918,
and Eddie Collins, In 1917, being the
record holders.
The high water mark at third un-
would have gone by The
boards If baseball had not temporarily
been declared a nOn-essential Harry
Groh and Larry Gardner each started
26 duplex killings from the hot corner
In 1918, only one less than the little
Red instituted In 1915.
What Blackburne did at short in 1918
and Maranville in the same position In
1914 has been told.
There wasn't a double-hgure man
among the suburbanltes, Max Carey
excelllng for the center flelders with
nine; Marlin Kopp for the left flelders,
with 1--WE, and Harry Hooper and Frank
tying for honors among the
right flelders, with seven. The best
records were i3 for the CEN
ers, nine for the left flelders and 10 for
Ihe right flelders. held by Bert Shotten,
Max Carey and owen Wilson, respec-
lively.
II was quite a year for unasslsted
double plays, Of which so were made.
Fred Merkle starred In three OF the
stunts. Men who made two lone kill
ngs were Fred Luderus, Ed Konetchy,
Wallle Pipp, jacques FOurnier, Harry
Hellman. Charley Deal, Charley Hol-
ocher, Ray Chapman and iris Speaker.
II any outflelder previously made two
double plays in one season,
no one knows about II, so Speaker
did something that never had
been done before. iris stunts were
made possible by his using his we'll
llled bean and trapping fly balls. A
Tiger on April IS. and a White Sox on
April 90, were the Texans victims.
About the only men who ever made
Two unassisted double plays in one
game are Adrian Anson, in 1891, and
Dick Hoblltzell. in 1910.
Players who started three double
,lays in one game last year were
pitcher Bradley Hogs, Shortstops RUS
iell Blackburne and Roger Peckin-
,augh and Third Basemsn Henry Tor
ieine) Groh.
Five is supposed TO be the highest
lumber OF twin killings pulled or in
me major league game. and that rec
,rd wasn't equaled last year, four
,eing the limit.