New-York tribune., 1922-04-30
Anson Credited With Sav;no
The National League


Under Anson's management a.. 5,..
team won pennants in 1880, 1891 800 e1
again in 1885 and 1885. For years It T.. =.
prominent contender in the first division n;,'
New York, Detroit and Boston. w..
the star players Of the big Ieagles formse
the brotherhood Anson was offered ,-r,o1 -
ducements to quit the parent organjzs.ion =.
refused, and a financial loss. and win .''
one Of his old players left-b}s +bi-a 80.
man, Tom Burna-gathered team WIFI.
was dubbed the Colts and which ever +,.r-
made such good record that Il div;dad ~
patronage in Chicago with the Bro+herboog
all-star organization.
Anson was one o3 the men credited n-s
saving the National League from disa,,s,
When at last he quit playing he had corn,.r.
lively little money, and this was lost tbrou,.
bad investment. a billiard hall proved =, =
a losing proposition Then lAnsor wer+ M,
politics and was elected City Clerk for Or,
term, but failed of reelection. He +ri.,
managing professional team. vbi..
toured the country bat which did not nrovs
financial success. Then lie ven. into wanda
Vile in which he was fairly succe8sf,I
When Arson played with the Athletic. arI
during his first years with Chicago r. vaJ
almost perfectly proportional physically. III
ing over six feet in height and weighing oot
pounds in condition. lie was only fair frsI
baseman, but with such !yhtning.Like and
accurate infelders as Burns at third viii
at cbO
base he had few wild throws TO 20 after. AlsoI
II must be remembered thar Anson made i
creditable fielding record a. first before tb.8
introduction Of the mitt now in use EsP
played the frsc-h8se position with fingered
glove something thai 70 modern first base
man would think q doing. Comiskey vas Il. |
first man TO introduce the nutt in frst-baseI
work and to demonstrata how much grouDtl
really could be covered al the initial cornerI
But Conliskeys have been few, even with nor.
minor leagues developing players, and AnsorS
would hold MS own with the average as sE
fielder to-day. As a base runner he way
slow, which makes his record Of extra baa
hlts the more remarkable. He was sceaE
tlfic batsnan, apparently being able to placea
opposing team. Usually his safties were lin,
hits, accurately placed and difficult even .a
the outfelders 10 field
While Arson had established a nationi
reputation as q kicker" it was in his ov,
peculiar way. He did not rush at the umps /
as If he meant 80 annihilate that individual!
That came later when pugnaclous Baltt
more, led on by McGraw, Jennings ani
Kelly, demonstrated the psychological eGe1
OF mass rush st an offending arbiter AnsoI
walked in stately fashion toward the unlpilI
and whatever he had 70 say was said in
voice that never reached the grandstand. Il
his dark-bue suit. with contrasting wh.T
stockings this giant looked as if he might \
talking IN most general way 20 the harasstae
umpire. 1t was no use turning auay-somsI
how Anson's burly figure would be there !:
front Of the umpire. with argument continued
When the limit of Official patience had hes
reached there was another stately walk hciI
to first base But, even though the dscisioI
might have been adverse, the effect Of ths1
stately walk and digniied address lngs1
somewhere In the umpire's sub-consciousns'f
Psychoanalysts were unheard OF in Ansuat
heyday, which is too bad, as report ts1
one Of them on the Arson method of umg1
batting would be interesting. I
In 1874 Anson was a member Of hasssl
team which toured England playing baseaf
and cricket. Here Anson's versatility sto1
him in good stead and he ran up the highs
individual batting score on the trip. WEI
the Americans knew little Of cricket, thu
terrific batting offset their defects and ID
won every cricket game they played, incHl
ing victory over the famous Marysk1
All-English eleven, by a score Of 107 to
runs.