Evening star., 1924-03-09

For consecutive years of batting
supremacy the only player on the
l'ells of Anson is Ty Cobb. Ty is a
Georgian. Many a promising player
came into the spotlight between An
son and Cobb, yet this greyhound of
r mills along the Savannah river is
the only one who has approached,
with any chance 10 equal Ansons
Comiskey Backs Anson.
. Eut Comiskey, who has seen Cobb
Toll your firmly in his meiedious bass
;sroHl that "Anson was the greatest
litter who ever lived" If you press
him farther, he will tell you that
Anson earned his reputation by sheer
hating, while Cobb owes part. of
his. to his heels. "Ansen," he will
concede, couldn't beat the ball to
first as Cobb can, because Arson
couldn't run. But Anson knocked
them sprawHng SO they couldn't get
Kentucky is another. claimant for
batting honors. Back in the days
Of the old American Associatisn-not
American Association that rivaied
raised in Kentucky by the name of
Pete Browning. Oldtimers in that
league say he was the greatest bat
ter of them all. Browning could hit
anything anywhere. When he batted
a long one he would run the bases,
and then stand and gaze in admira-
tion toward the spot where the ball
had diss appeared When an eutfieider
would make a phenomenal catch OF
one of his ciouts, Pete would stand
on the field and .,; cry a. .. the thought
Kentucky is Offering up new
player this year who may never
equal Browning's record. but who
can hit them almost as well as Pete
could, if you will believe Cap Neal
been transferred to the New York
Yankees. OF course, it is Meals
business to boost his players. but he
insists that Combs is the "naturaiest
hitting man" that he has seen In
wears. And Neal has seen a lot OF
them.
Delehanty . Cisater.
And now enters Ohio into the com
petition. There are a lot of old
timers who will tell you that Ed
Deiehanty was king OF them all
Deiehanty was born ia Cleveland
and played his first ball on the water.
front lots, where they now ouile
huge steamships to navigate the in
land ocean.
His fame grew and he travelled. But
his first jump, to Wheeling. w. Va
was taken afoot and on 1F1endiy
freight trains. De1ekAnty to this day
holds batting records in the Ameri-
can League. His enc weakness was
for neck thigh balls Wrap 'em around
his Adams apple and he would swing
at them every time. If he connected.
good might. II he didn't, he would
strike out like a whir1ing dervish-
But Delehanty isn't ohio's only
claim to batting fame. There are. for
instance, Ewing and George SiSleF,
both haiIing from the Buckeye state.
Pennsylvania presented the grand
old game with Hans Wagner. Honus
didn't remain in the game long
enough to equal Anson's reeord His
legs wore out from running bases
Maryland boasts Of having pro-
duced Babe Ruth. Also "Cupid"
Childs, who once tied with Brouthera
for a, batting championship.
New York boasts Brouthefs, Tier
nan, McGfaw and Eddie Collins.
Texas is mighty proud Of Speaker
and Hornsby. And California is the
home of Heiiman, last years Ameri-
can League batting champion.
But the grand old state of them all
for quantity production is Massachu-
setts. Massachusetts,, mother of
hatters," might well be craven On
her eseutcheen. Her boys" include
Jimmy Ryan, Duffy, Hamilton, Bur-
>ett, Donovan, Lajoie, Doyle and Nc
TDDiS