Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-08-30
Chapter VII.

There liz no telling the exac, length
Of the longest hit made in base
ball. Out in ST. Louis they sim
tell of "a drive Cap Arson made with
his Chicago White Stockings about
twenty years ago. which not only
cleared the outer fence Of the park.
but sailed across the street and
through the window of German
saloon where the ball was kept back
Of the bar FOR years az curio.
/ don't know whether any of my
drives have beaten this. one or not.
foot rule on the flight Of a ball.
But they gave me "a silver cup on
the day Of the benefit for Tim Muir
names family. September %. 1917. at
Fen"ay Park. Boston. The Red
Sox. with whom was then play
ing, went up against team OF
American League stars. supposed 10
have been the greatest ball club
ever assembled. We had a fungo
contes; as a. side attraction. and
Carl Mays. Duffy Lewis and went
in 10 see how far we could knock
the ball!
Bnli Sang on Its Why.
When my turn came / tossed up
a nice new ball ana took long
swinging smack at il. Oh. the feel
Of that club as II met the horse
hide square on the nose. tell you,
the ball sang on its way. The dis
lance waS measured. as accurately
ar those things can sc measured. at
49, feet. Remember. didn't have
pitcher against me TO help with
the speed OF the ball The ball Was
practically motionisSs in the air
when ] swung into II. 1t was dead
ball. starting from scratch with no
bounce except what ! gave IL;
This WAS quite some bail game, by
the way. Ty Cobb. Iris Speaker
and Joe Jackson were the outhcid.
and each one played all the posi-
tons in the big outer pasture. In
the five innings pitched. the All
Stars got only three hits. hut they
had their eye on 1t. all right, for
got only one strike ou.. Any
way the Red Sox won, to o. scor-
in the eighth inning.
"Eomcrs" Called "Ercnks."
They used 10 say that my home
runs in Boston were freak blows.
Some OF the experts had i, doped out
hat had measured the riEht-field
wall with my eye and had developed
knack for putting the ball away
IN the same line every time. 1t is;
true that the right-field wall is
he home OF my homers. Being a
left hanlcd batter. naturally pull
hem around on my right side by
meeting the ball squarely as i,
comes TO me. II were 10 play for
'eft held. or center, I'd have 10 wait
al the ball came nearer 10 me be-
fore plugging II. This would lie
an unnatural system of batting for
my left-hander.
Eut fooled them. Last year ]
| proved that all right-held walls look
nike 10 me by FASTING homers over
every one throughout the American
League circuit. Then banged a
Few over the center-tield screens and
'et them have few in left field
At first. when my home run total
went over ten or twelve, some of
The fans thought | was n flash and
| called me lucky stid. They were
sure that Id hit slump before the
season ended. Anyhow, they didn't
expect twenty nine home runs and
busted record from a pitcher play
ing his first year in the outiield.
so apparently there's no constitu-
tional amendment against a pitcher
batting 'em out.
Longest Hit in Brush Stadium.
One day last summer | caught one
squareiy al the Polo Grounds and
the feel of the blow was SO nice
and solid knew l didn't really
nave TO run TO get around. At that
time the baseball writer's agreed that
this was the longest hit ever made
IN the Brush Stadium. as the ball
vent high over the right field stand,
| travelling fast. Old timers recalled
hit by Joe jackson ever just about
the same spot. but they said his
ball wasn't travelling so high or 60