Evening star., 1937-12-20
MEDW|CK GARNERS
| FIELDING LAURELS
National Leagues Batting
King Is Best Gardener
With Mark of 1888.

N"'S 10 OCSl VdI ucIieT
With Mark of 1888.
BY SID FRDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.
n yEW YORK, Dec. 2o.-The Ma
M tional League announced its
" official fielding averages for
1887 today-and that Med.
wick man is in again.
1t wasn't enough that Ducky-Wucky
(of the st. Louis Cardinal and Car
teret, N. j., Medwicks) collected Just
about every offensive title for slaugh.
tering pitchers with his big bat. He
was the loops championship fielding
outfielder for the year, as well.
With his offensive and defensive
sweep, Ducky headed a quartet Of
pretty handy guys to have around
last season. Each swung a wicked
war club to finish among the first
six batters in the league and each
was tops at his position afeld.
Not far behind Medwick was Gabby
Hartnett of the Cubs, who wound up
third in the batting race, and for
the fifth straight year topped the
leagues catching regulars in fielding.
Then there was the loops No. / come
back, Pinky Whitney, who hit .34l and
was the finest fielding third sacker.
And finally, there was Pinky's Phillies
team mate, Dolf Camilli, who added
the first baseman's defensive title to
his 1899 batting average.
Two Gardeners Press Medwick.
MEDWICK handled 342 chances in
N 1856 games games and committed
only four errors, for an average OF
1888. At that, he wasn't far in front
Of his closest fy-chasing rivals, Lloyd
Waner Of the Pirates, with a .ss76
average, and Terry Moore Of the Cards,
with .9875.
Master Melvin OFT, ths Giants
young-old man, might have eclipsed
any Of the three if he'd played the
requisite 100 games in the outheld.
During his term of picket duty he
fleided perfect 1000, but the Giants
switched him to third base after 81
games.
At the hot corner, the figures indi-
cate Mel wasn't altogether a huge
success. His .93s in so games was
among the lowest in the league, while
Whitney. after appearing about washed
up in 1896, banged back to the top
Of the big-time with 1872 mark in
130 games, committing only seven
errors in handling 381 chances. His
nearest rival among the loo-gane
regulars was sprinter Don Gutteridge
Of the Cards, four points behind.
Hartnett Has No Peer.
FOR Hartnett, who gave Medwick a
red-hot fight for the most valu-
able player award. the fielding aver
ages just add further evidence to the
already accepted contention that he
has no peer behind the plate in the
senior circuit. Gabby handled SOB
chances and was charged with Just
two errors for 1896 fielding average.
In addition, although he's no longer
colt" in years, the talkative one
worked 103 games behind the plate,
thus passing the 100 mark for the
twelfth straight year and breaking his
own an-time endurance record. His
only challenge came in league record
performance by Pittsburgh's Al Todd
in allowing no passed balls in 128
games.
The classiest middIe-o -infeld
work, the figures show. came from the
top two pennant contenders, the
Giants and Cubs. Burgess Whitehead,
New York's ground covering ace, led
the second basemen with a .e74 mark,
a seven-point bulge on Bostons Tony
Cuccinello. Chicago's Bill Jurges
headed the shortstops with CTS. Dolf
Camilli of the Phillies, the first base
leader, committed only eight errors in
1858 chances for 1894 mark.
Mungo, Bush Top Pitchers.
TWENTY pitchers fielded for 1000.
but Brooklyn's Van Mungo and
old Guy Bush of Boston, handling SO
chances each, were rated in front.
Among the records was that on June
20, when Rip Collins of the Cubs had
no fielding chances at first base for a
full nine-inning game, breaking the
old mark Of one. Mickey Owen, Cards
rookie. became the third National
League catcher to equal the record of
turning in an unassisted double play.
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