The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-08-02
Major
League
J0ttings
BY HARRY GRAYSON

Cincinnati, Aug. l. Lewis Sid
ney Riggs, third baseman of the
Cincinnati Reds, Is another strik-
ing illustration of the fact that a
ball player doesn't have to knock
down minor league fences to make
go of 1t in the majors.
When Larry MacPhail paid tho
st. Louis Cardinal chain store sys-
tenn $4,000 for Riggs last winter,
not a few got the idea that the
vice president and general manager
of the Cincinnati club simply did
not care what he did with the
money of Powell Crosley, Jr.
1t has long since been made
plain that MacPhail and his field
director, little Charley Dresser,
knew what they were about, how
ever. Riggs, who hit only .277 for
the Cardinals Columbus farm in
1884, Is hitting 1902 for the Reds.
His bat and brilliance at third base
has contributed largely to the
somewhat surprising showing of
the Cincinnati outfit.
At the time of Riggs purchase,
Dresser remarked that he much
preferred an intelligent, ambitious,
aggressive, and mobile $50 minor
league hitter to one swatting 400
who Is handicapped in other ways,
1.-The $50 hitter with a WE'LL
rounded game has a much better
chance of sticking in the big
show" explained Dresser. Ere
quently he turns out to be a supe-
rior hitter to the fellow bouncing
the ball off the fences in the small
Ter leagues.
THE story of most miracle mi
nor league hitters is that they fat
ten UP on poor pitching in three
out of every four games. They
look at good pitching about once
In every four starts, and that's
about all they O'Clock at It.
1.-THE .2S0 hitter plugs along,
hitting all kinds of pitching con-
sistently, and If he has it In him,
the pitching won't look a great
deal different to him when he gra-
duates and has continually to face
someone who puts something on
every ball pitched"
Minor League Terrors
Flop I'm Majors
Many a minor league slugger
has failed to make the grade up
above. Alex Hooks, who Topped
with the AAAAAAA's this season,
is the latest example. Bunny
Brief, Smead Jolley, Dale Alexan-
der, Ike Boone, Frank BRAZIL, Buzz
Arlett, Nick Cullop, Jay Kirke,
Paul Strand, and Harley Boss were
and arc Wanted minor league
swatsmiths who, for one reason or
another, met with little or no sue
cess when they ankled into the big
show.
On the other hand, scores of
major league stars came out of
the minors with ordinary batting
averages. Rogers Hornsby hit only
.277 for Dennison Of the Western
Association before breaking in
with the Cardinals with 1913 and
to reveal the wonderful swing that
was to make him the greatest
right-hand hitter of all time.
Bucky Harris was hitting just
1882 when Washington purchased
his contract from Buffalo in 1919.
The Senators had similar luck
with Joe Cronin, whose career 80
closely parallels that of Harris.
Joe was hitting only .245 and
virtually had been booed from the
Kansas City park during jittery
day in the field when Scout Joe
Engel picked him up for a song.
He hit .346 in winning the Ameri-
can Leagues most valuable player
award in 1880, and last winter was
sold to the Red Sox for $3.50, 200,
with Shortstop Lyn Larry tossed In
for good measure.
joey Sewell Stepped Right i'm
With Improved Batting Mark
Joey Sewell was hitting 1888 for
New Orleans In 1920 when a pitch
by Carl Mays killed Ray Chapman.
Sewell hit .329 in finishing the sea-
son with Cleveland. and came hack
with .31S the following campaign
Roger Peckinpaugh hit just .25S
for the Portland Coasters the sea-
son prior to his breaking In with
Cleveland.
There are numerous players ac-
no great shucls with the willow in
the minors, among. them at least
two who now are terrors to pitch
ers-Hank Greenherg and Gabby
Hartnett.
stoney Jackson, Jimmy Wilson,
Freddie Lindstrom, Tommy Theve-
now, Jo-Jo White, Dick Bnrtell,
Jimmy Dykes, Bill Jurges, and De-
car Meliilo haven't been---and are
nos-exactly bowling pins. yet they