The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-11-30
Wright RevoIutionized Play
At Shortstop in the Seventies
With Methods in Use Today
BY HARRY GRAYsON
NEA Sports Editor

No one Is more entitled to be
in baseball's Hall Of Fame than
George Wright. who turned from
cricket to be the first great Short
stop.
AS far back as the '70S, Wright
revolutionized shortstop play with
methods that have been employed
by the stars ever since.
Until young Wright came out
of the Harlem section of New York,
shortstops played close to the base
line. Taking advantage OF power
full arm, Wright was the first short
stop to play way back and throw
runners out at first.
He taught other infielders to
field the ball in front of their
bodies with the heels brought close
together to prevent the pellet from
going between their legs. He was
first to close the gate, as they say
In baseball.
There were no gloves in those
days, and Wright was first to draw
back the arms to slacken the force
of a batted or thrown bali.
Wright was ambidextrous, and
Deacon Jim White. catcher and last
survivor of the famous Cincinnati
Red Stockings, the first professional
club, told how he fielded hard-hit
balls barehanded, gathered them in
or Speared them in the air with
either hand.
Nobody ever played storstop
better than Wright" said Deacon
White, who saw them all.
REDLEGS PLAYED TO 10000
Wright was an amazing figure In
athletics. He also played football,
golf and tennis, had tremendous
influence in the early American life
Of the latter two sports.
After two years with the Red
Stockings, George helped his CENTER
fielding brother, Harry, and Bos-
ton to a half dozen championships
in the National Association and
National League, which superseded
it. Then he short-stopped and
managed Providence to another
National League pennant, after
which he retired from baseball at
33 and still in full stride, devote his
entire time to the sporting goods
business.
Wright was 20 when he accom-
panied the National club of WASH
ington, the first team to make a
western trip. In game played In
Chicago, Pitcher Albert G. Spalding
of the Rockford, ILL.,, club dealt
the Nationals the only defeat suf-
fered on the expedition.
Brother Harry took George to
the Red Stockings in SO, where he
was the outstanding performer at
81 400 a year. This was one Of the
first teams to discard long pants
for knickerbockers and stockings,
the forerunner of the present base
ball assembly.
The Redlegs toured east, north.
south and west. They won 81
straight before losing, established
startling attendance records by
playing to as many as 10000 people.
40 HOME RUNS IN Sc GAMES
Wright, a right-hand batter
standing five feet nine -and-a-half
and weighing $50 pounds, manu-
featured 40 home runs in Sc games
for record still unsurpassed.
When the Wrights switched there
in I'll, the Bostons won 218 while
losing SO in five years of Associa-
ton play for percentage Of 1877.
In rs, they copied II out of 10
for another unparalleled record.
Wright batted .378 for the BoS-
tins in '73, .344 in IA and .357 in
rs. Exclusive of his play for fur
and two campaigns with the Red
Stockings, Wright left a batting
average of 1903 for nine years of
organized baseball.
George Wright got the shortstops
off on the right foot.