The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-03-12


run. The Washington ball park was
on the same site as 1t Is today. But
the diamond was laid out different.
Sans home run didn't 20 over the
sence. soon found he was a demon
on fast balls so started feeding
slow ones and in one game, he
popped up four slow ones to our
left fielder.
Another left handler, OF the slug
ger type. was Joe jackson, with the
White Sox Jockson was not
classed as one Of the smartest OF
players but he worked with a
natural baseball instinct that added
to the value Of his smuggling. / can
still see him coming up, there drag
ging that old black bat. He was a
full hitter to rightfield and never
bothered with such thing as pIac-
ing ball or bunting. / remember
ball he drove over the fence in
Washington that was as long hit
as Babe Ruth ever made but
ordinarily Jackson didn't hit much
on Ruth's order. He never hit as
high as Ruth. His style was more
like Goslfn, although not so wild
in swinging. / believe Il Joe Jack
son had kept out OF trouble and
batted against the lively ball, he
would be one Of the games sensa-
tons today.
Charley o'Leariy and Donnie Bush
were arguing as to who baseball 8
greatest batter. Neither one said
Cobb or Ruth or Hornsby. To use
O'Leary's own words: "Give me
Sam Crawford as the best OF them
all" To which Donnie Bush re.
plied-"There are plenty Of good
ones but from my standpoint Shoe
less Joe jackson OF the White Sox.
is the greatest, all-around hitter
the game ever produced.
In the fourth position, would
name Babe Ruth with Ty Cobb next
in order. There is little more to
be said about these batters, except
living baseball men, that Ruth
drives ball harder than any bat
ter in history. They tell of game
in Chicago, when all fielders were
playing far to the right.
The left fielder was practically
playing centerfieid, SO Mt the last
moment Babe tried to place the
ball to left. But swinging with
his great natural power. the ball
went for q homerun, when ne
was trying to slap q single. He
hits too hard for steady place hit
ting but he is unusually good at
bunting and is liable to cross an
infielder at any time.
As I said in another chapter, Ty
Cobb in his prime was the most
dangerous of all batters in pinch.
He thinks as quick as q flash. l
remember my first game against
him and Detroit He had trouble
hitting my fast ball but he imme-
diateIy discovered ] was an awk-
ward fielder. So it didn't take long
for him to start bunting. He was
dragging the ball along the foul line
and had me tangled up in knot.
After twenty years, Cobb is still so
good l don't think single pitcher
in the American league would step
out and announce i've discovered
Ty Cobb's weakness
Frank Baker is another star OF
the Crawford jackson smuggling type.
who was denied the advantage OF
the lively ball when he was at his
best. / recently received a letter
from Frank Baker which gives an
idea of his character: 81 often think
of that game at Philadelphia when
y
guess you remember my lucky two
Dagger and Walter, / always felt 1
should give it back. as you sure de-
served q no-hit game that after
noon" ] always considered Baker
one of my toughest problems but
. he was fine fellow and real credit
, to the game. Baker was g hard
hitter and especially dangerous with
men on bases. His speciality was
two-baggers with men on first and
! second. He was slow but had a good
swing and was never off his balance.
AS a rule, ] fed him a high fast
ball. slipping in a curve once in a
while. But generally he murdered
my curve. which was really just a
| tWister.
Copyright, 1875. by the Christy
! Walsh Syndicate)
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