Evening star., 1940-12-24
Reds Ace Leads
On Slab Second
Year in Row
His 2.48 Earned Run
Average Is Lowest
In Major Loops
BY JUDSON BAILEY,


NEW YORK, Dec. 24.-Dispelling
any doubt about the identity of the
leading pitcher in the National
League, the official averages for 1910
were announced today and thrust
the laurels right back on the slender
shoulders of William Henry Walters,
jr., of the Cincinnati Reds.
For the second successive year he
had the lowest earned run average,
2,48, and the most triumphs, most
complete games, most innings
pitched and most batters faced
1t was the retort proper to the
rivals who taunted him during the
season with the nickname Lucky
Bucky' because there was no luck
in Bucky's achievement.
He started 36 games on the hill
for the world champions and
finished 20 of them, winning % and
losing 10. He pitched 305 innings
and worked against 1907 batters.
Betters FeIler's Mark.
Walters earned run average not .
C4lIN Nho ILlC bCoG III Vic OtIliUI
cult, it topped the 262 mark Of
Cleveland's Bobby Feller in the
American League In 1889 Walters,
who came up to the majors as an in
fielder, turned in a 229 average that
also was better than the best in the
rival league.
There were other outstanding
pitching performances in the Ma
tional League last season, but Moth
ing close to the sweeping success of
the 30-year-old Philadelphian.
The leading percentage pitcher
was fat Freddie Fitzsimmons. the
39-year-old player-coach of the
Brooklyn Dodgers, who won is
games and lost only two. This was
a remarkable record for the chunky
knuckle-baller who the year before
had lost more games than he won.
but Fitz was used strictly as SPOT
worker. chiefly against second divi-
sion foes, and started exactly 18
games.
Anyway his winning percentage Of
1889 was new high for the National
League and he rated fourth in
earned runs with 232 per nine
inning game.
Sewell Among Leaders.
The next best hurting. considered
from all angles. was turned in bv
Truett (Rip) Sewell of the Pitts
burgh Pirates 21-year-old Alabama
kid. He rated third in earned runs
with PIG and second in winning per-
centage with 16 victories and five
defeats. He started % games and
worked in relief on 10 other occa-
sions.
Big Paul Derringer. the lion
hearted dean of the Reds mound
staff, slipped from the supremacy he
shared with Walters in 1889 and
finished sixth in the league both in
earned runs and victories with a
record of 20 and 12 He proved in
the world series. though, that he
still had his stuff in the clutch"
Rated on earned run averages. the
10 leading pitchers were Walters.
248: Claude Passeau, Chicago. $50:
Sewell, 2.79; Fitzsimmons. 282 Jim
Turner, Cincinnati, 289; Derringer,
3.06; Nanny Salvo. Boston, 307; Lon
/ Warneke, st. Louis, 314; Dick
Erickson, Boston. 317. and Hal
Schumacher, New York. 325.
Carleton Only No-hit Hurler.
Rated on winning percentages
they were Fitzsimmons. 1872: Sewell,
1915: Walters, 22-10: Turner, AT;
Gene Thompson, Cincinnati, 1919;
Derringer, 20-12; Warneke. 1910,
Bill MCGEE, st. Louis, 1910; Passeau,
20-13, and Clyde Shoun, St. Louis,
1911.
There was one no-hit, no-run
game-a stunning spectacle by Tex
Carleton of the Dodgers against the
Reds April 30 to climax Brooklyn's
nine-game winning streak at the
start of the season.
Hugh dosing pitcher) Mulcahy of
the Phillies again was the seasons
goat, losing the most games, %; al
lowing the most hits, 283; giving up
the most runs, 141, and suffering
the longest losing streak, II games.