The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-05-15
HITTING RECORDS
IN MAJOR LEAGUES
NOW SIGNIFICANT
soUTHWoRTH OF GIANTS
FINISHES FIRST FOUR
WEEKS WITH EXCELLENT
AVERAGE IN GAMES

0f1lOAGO, May 10. - w ltfl
the major league season
more than a month old, the hitting
records begin to mean something.
Pinch hitters and players COM
paratively unknown for work with
the willow who flashed to the top
in the opening series have dropp-
ed down the percentage column to
leave the leading posts to veterans
who apparently are swinging into
their familiar strides, smuggling
with consistency and effectiveness.
Southworth, of the Giants, fin
ished the first four weeks of pen
nant chasing with batting aver
age of .442, to set the pace for
the big time regulars, with Joe
Dugan of the Yankees leading the
h ting in the American with a
.423 percentage. Dugan finished
the 1925 season with 1872, BIT
ahead of Southworth's .291.
Bressler of the Reds, Stuffy
McInnis of the Pirates, Rogers
Hornsby of st. Louis, Kelly of
he Giants, Curt Walker of Cincin-
iati, and Frisch of the Giants, are
at present holding pretty close to
the posts they claimed when last
years schedule ended.
Among American league hitters,
Goslin of Washington, Muesel and
Ruth of the Yankees, the veteran
Cobb, Simmons of the Athletics,
Mostil of Chicago, Burns of Cleve-
land, and Lamar of Philadelphia
are in familiar places near the top
If the averages column, with Sim
mons the only one in the group
not smuggling beyond his season
percentage of 1925.
National players have shown
the way in base stealing, records
including performances in last
Wednesdays games show, with
Cuyler living up to his Pirate name
with seven thefts during the first
four weeks. Frisch and Mueller
trailed him among the National
players, with six and five each,
respectively.
Rice of the Senators, proved
most adept in the other circuit,
with a total of five stolen sacks.
Has Wide Margin
Babe Ruth apparently has tired
of merely being among those
present in the home runs smuggling
LIST, and has stepped to the front
by wide margin, with eight cir
cult drives the first month, and
that total after a belated start.
Goslin, Cobb, Meusel and Will
hams, of st. Louis, trailed the
Babe in his own league with four
each. Jacques Fournier, of
Brooklyn, ran up a total of five
in National games despite injuries,
W tn Williams of the Phillies be-
H-Hu MIN Will lOuT.
The trek across the Alleghenies
.er the first interseetional games
had no appreciable effect on the
hitting, individually or by teams.
The Chicago Cubs came through
the opening months battles to
share the league leading average
of 1856 with the Reds, Cincinnati
having nosed out the Giants at the
last minute. The Yanks continue
not only to top the American
league with the club hitting of
1926, but set the pace for the
majors as well. Chicago finished
the first four weeks with per-
eentage of .294 to place second,
with Washington third on rating
of .292.
McGraw of Brooklyn, and Quinn
ef Philadelphia's team in the
American, Jared best among the
pitchers during the first month,
each winning four games and be-
ing credited with no losses. The
remarkable f.nging record of jess
Petty, also of the Robins, was
ended by Chicago. after the
Brooklyn hurler had won all five
Of his previous starts. Grove, Of
the Athletics, chalked up Al strike
nstfs fan. tho Seaeon m aa4a xvs4E
Charlie Root of Chicago retiring