The New York herald., 1922-04-15
Long Career of One of
Greatest Batsn7en in History.

Pop Anson, one of the greatest bats
men of all time. was born in MARSHALL
.own, Iowa, in 1852 He was a natural
athlete from the start, and it has been
said of him that when he was boy
in the cornfield he would have to leave
his plow occasionally to turn a flip
flap or when in the woods he would
throw aside his axe to indulge In an
imaginary encounter with some adj
versary.
When he went to school he played
ball. when he got out of school he
played ball. and he continued to play
1t for thirty years after that. He en-
tered Notre Dame University in 1866
when only IA years of age, and there
was considered every bit as good a
student as he was ball player. He
joined his college team in the first
year, and although an active player In
any position. did not impress any one
with his chances of becoming one OF
the truly great of the diamond.
His first important engagement was
with the Forest City club o. Rockford.
ILL.,. in 1871. His position at that time
on the field was undetermined. for he
played both third base and left field.
In 1872 he was signed by the Philadel-
phia Athletics and remained there four
years, playing right field. third base
and catcher and all with equal ease
and success. In 1876 he went to Chi
cago. being engaged as a regular third
baseman. Two years later he played
second base and left field. but 1t was
not until 1879 that he went permanently
to first base, the position at which he
won fame.
While with the Athletics In 1874 he
accompanied that team to England and
in a cricket match with the All-Ireland
eleven had the distinction of making
the highest score.
Becomes Batting Champion.
Anson began to lead the National
League in batting In 1879. when he re-
! turned the unprecedented average OF
| .4o7. He remained with the Chicago
club continuously from 1876 to 1897, and
| managed the team In the last nineteen
| of those twenty-five seasons. He won
| five pennants. three In a row, In 1880.
1881, 1850 and the other two in 1855 and
1886. He had the faculty OF getting all
the ball playing out OF ms men tna'
was In them. He was a strict discipli-
marian and his orders were generally
obeyed to the letter.
| During the season OF 1898. when the
New York club was floundering badly
| in the National League race, Anson
| was engaged as manager OF the local
team, but after being in charge of the
/ club for eighteen games the veteran
| resigned.
/ The famous player stood out as the
| only major Lacquer In history who hit
better than 800 for twenty consecutive
years. He had the distinction OF hit
ting better than 400 for two seasons
.407 in 1879 and .421 in 1887 On two
/, other occasions he was just few
points outside or the 400 mark.
/ Despite his seventy years Anson was
active in outdoor life up TO a short
time before his death. only recently
becoming manager of n new golf club.
While much OF his life was spent on
the baseball diamond. in recent years
he had become great devotee of golf.
He seldom missed a day on the links
during the summer months. being
known TO thousands as "Oid Man An
SON. Few OF his golf ncduaintances
realized that he was one OF the first
| players in organized baseball and an
international character,