The Washington times., 1922-02-13

The two best batters in baseball,
so an expert once said. about 1890,
were George Wright and Ross
Barnes. The other day, by chance,
a conversation was had with gen
tleman who was once a part owner
Of n major league club in The
eighties" and who follows the
game with the interest which at.
taches to a prior intimate connec-
ton with il. The hcavy batting OF
1921 was discussed.
Il think" said he. that IL you will
look back, say to 1889, you will find
that the batting, after all. was not
much heavier in 1921 than it was in
that year. The season Of 1889 was
one OF the most interesting that l
can recall in baseball. The New
York baseball club won the cham
plonship, and il had htters on its
roster like Buck Ewing, Johnny
Ward. Jim O'Rourke, Mike Tiernqn,
Roger Conner. George Gore. Denny
Richardson and Bill Brown.
~ don't recall that any one in
New York fOamed at the mouth
because the Giants Of those days
put the ball over the fence or into
IL.
hOme-runs rs Babe Ruth makes
them, but Buck Ewing made the
longest hOme-run Of all time that
very season, when he batted the
ball over the left-field fence in
Cleveland, TO some unknown land
that has as vet to be discovered,
because the ball may still be roll
ing for all that I know.
Il can remember the stories that
we're written by New York men
about that home run. Some had ii
that the ball wrecked three or four
hothouses on its career. some that it
passed over the left fielder's head at
the rate OF two miles a minute,
while he tossed his arms and ran
around in circle beside himself
with establishment, and one New
York writer, II my memory is good,
! insisted that the ball deCapitated a
boastful rooster which had just an.
nounced that he defied the world as
the ball came toward him and left
him a chicken fricassee.
When / came to New York TO
/ see the games which were played on
! the Polo Grounds-now Manhattan
Field-the Giants had the fielders
back on the fences just as they were
back this year. l didn't hear any
! complaint about it. No sir, the
crowds were always yelling TO Silent
Mike Herman to lift the ball over
| the fence, and once when he obliged
J in one OF the sensational games of
| the year. New York celebrated the
event for fully six weeks after IL
! happened"
Then, in your opinion. the bat.
! ting of 1921 resembled that of 1892
That Is about il. TO me il seemed
more like the good old days than
anything that I had witnessed In n
long, long time. ] had a chance 10
witness quite a lot Of il, because I
am spending some of my time i'm
New York. I probably shalt not see
much more baseball, and go when
the opportunity offers"
Then the question was asked OF
him as to whom nc thought was tho
greatest batter in the history OF the
game.
81 suppose" he replied thought.
! fully, that we must consider Ruth
! the leader of all time, because he has
I made such a wonderful home.rur
record on fields which | should con
slider a fair test. It Is true that the
right field OF the Polo Grounds IL
short, but yet ] have seen him re
peatedly drive hits into the right.fielc
stand that 1 am positive would have
been home runs on grounds where
the right field had a greater limit
Sometimes when 7 get to thinking ot
the old DAYS, and what saw then
l believe that Ross Barnes was tn,