The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-04-26

THEY PLAYED THE GAME NO. p
Keller Cooked Bat Behind Ear
To Hit En- Where They Amt;
Rated Next To CObb--McG raw
Twelfth OF q series
Nv HARRY GRAYsON
NEA sports Edisor

It required more than an express
sion to make william II. Keller o
baseball immortal. for II the diminu-
tive Brooklyn Irishman hadn't hit
'em where they amt, no one would
have asked him the secret Of the
choke left-handed hitting which
enabled him to compile q 16-year
major league average Of .345.
with the possible exception Of
Tv Cobb" John McGraw once said.
willie Keeler was the greatest
player of all time.
"F9e was the most expert batter /
ever saw. There was nothing he
could not do IN place hitting.
"7e was the fastest man I ever
saw on the bases and one OF the
headiest baserlinners.
McGraw hit behind Wee Willie
Keeler. the leadoff man. on the inn
mortal Baltimore Orioles who revo-
lutionized baseball while winning
National League pennants in 1884,
1896. It was New Hanl0n who
placed Keeler in right field. Orig
inally q pitcher. Keeler was. Of all
things. a left-handed third and
second baseball with Binghamton
of the Eastern League and New
York and Brooklyn.
The Orioles perfected the bunt
and hit and run.
No little man went as far In base
ball as Keeler. who stood no more
than five feet four and weighed only
140 pounds.
Keller could do anything with Z
baseball bat. stood with his legs
straight and body bent slightly over
the plate. He cooked his bat behind
his ear.
Hughie Jennings. who also played
with him in Baltimore and Brook
Sn. said that If the lively ball had
been in use in his day, Keller easily
would have ben a 500 hitter instead
of the .432 variety he was In 81.
Keeler hit no more than 10 home
runs in his entire career, made no /
attempt to tear the cover on the |
bah. yet outfielders did not dare i
play IN. The bali Travelled when ne
he got hold of it. which was often.
II infielders played in, he'd poke
Texas Leaguers over their heads.
RECORDS BROKEN BY BEST
1t took remarkable athletes to
break Kee1er's records, one Of which \
most singles in one season, 199, |
compiled In '97-stin stands. His |
record of hitting safely in. a con-
secutive games made that same sea-
son stood until Joe DiMaggi0 kept |
it up for S. engagements two sum-
mers back.
Keelers 243 hits in % remained
a major league mark until 1Sl1,
when Cobb came thrOguh with 24S-
Wee Willieis figures remained a Ma
tiOnal League maximum for II years
more. or until Rogers Hornsby coll
lected $50.
Pennants followed Keeler around
He was ON five championship teams
and two rlnners-up in his first five
seasons as regular. helping Brook
lyn to two flags following the con-
quests of the Orioles.
When Keeler hoped to the
American League. Clark Grifnth'S 4
New York HighlanderS lost the PEN
nant to the Red Sox on Jack Ches-
bios famous wild pithe on the last
day of the campaign of 1904 Only
Larry Lajoie topped his batting
mark of .343. With Keeler pOmmel-
ing the ball. the Highlanders again
missed the pennant by whisker in
O6.
The Highlanders paid Keller $40
900. making him one Of the few
players to be paid in five figures
those days.
Keller was the National League
batting champion in 1897-98 He
made nearly 5000 hits. He swiped
% bases in sc.
He scored more than 100 runs and
made more than 200 hits In each Of
his first eight seasons
PUT ON HIS OWN FIREWORKS
Keller wasn't much of q mixer
lacked the turbulence Of the
Swashbuckling Orioles. rarely had
disputes with umpireS and rival
Players. He had his own idea Of lit
lie jokes. however, and appreciated
them as much as anybody.
Once while playing with the High-
.andeFs in Philadelphia On July 4
he touched OF q pack Of fireeFaek-
FRS behind him. and did war dance
20 escape the exploding crackers
Then ne laughed behind his glove
rs Umpire silk OIaughlln ankled
III the way out 10 right field and
Iectured hleacheriteS; ~YOu can't be
.hFowin' fireworks at the PLAYERS
Keller considered himself the
uckieSt man in the world, He was
raid for doirg what h would rather
10 than anything else.
That VAS enc Of the principal Tea-
IONS why Willie KeeleF played base
lall so well,