The Wilmington morning star., 1947-08-10

history so far this season, ant
thev'd better use this next month
to get moving if they intend tt
boast a few 300 hitters, or If they
intend to get any higher thar
third spot in the league:
At this writing the only two regu
,,rs hitting over the charmed
mark are Hoggy Davis and Harr.
Bridges. the smuggling rightflelael
has only appeared in Do out OIL {
possible 100 tilt1.
Davis hits at 1926, some 38 points
behind Johnny Edens who Is Hsl
ed as a pitcher although everyone
knows he's supposed to be a thlrc
baseman. Edens cannot be callee
a regular, having appeared IN 4
games to date.
Row Lamb is next in line. In B.
games the hefty highlander mas
clipped the apple for a health!
.318 average.
Getting down to the men wne
play every night, and IN Class L
baseball that's a really getting
down there, it's Harry Bridge!
who takes the hitting limelight II
the Buc fold.
Bridges has appeared in all
but a half dozen games the
BUGS have played to date, and
holds a 1922 average. He has
been to bat 335 times to Davis
265, and has driven IN II runs
to lead all Pirates. His ~
doubles, as of Aug. 5, leads all
Pirates in that department.
Harry doesn't get many head
lines, not being spectacular, ano
for some unlucky reason not be
ing the kind of player who hits
money Wallops when the situation
is tense.
Bridges might double home
two runs in the first inning of
a game. but it wouldn't be the
Buc first sacker that would
get the single in the last of the
ninth that would win the game,
80. Yet. thoughtful fans will
IGdllLC Gldl H1litOOL oi4NSSo
first inning extra base hit,
the Buc rally in the ninth that
might make a hero cut of
someone, would have been
wasted
But. steady Is harry is. he's
got to give M honor away to
Bill Benton. who has appeared in
every game the BUGS have play
ed. That's a real rare achieve
ment in itself in Class D ball.
Going to bat 400 times up
to the fifth, Benton has 1872
hits to his credit, IA more
than Bridges, Benton also
leads Davis in RIBS Sc to so,
although when the average fan
thinks of the biggest Pirate
cannon they Invariably think
of Hoggy's home run bat.
Benton's "a runs scored also
give him the edge in the race
to find a Buc hero. yet he is
- hitting only 1893. We believe
q. Benton will reach the 300
: mark soon and stay above it
for the balance of the season.
There is no better clutch hitter
on the team.
After the Pirate centerfieldel
- comes loose swinging Andy Pok
" lemba, now absent from the team
- Appearing in 70 games Poky has
- the respectable record of belt
* ing out 83 hits for ia bases anc
90 sending 33 tallies over the plate
He hits now at .269.
- Base thief Fred Muscemeci
is next in line. In 80 games
Muscy is doing his share to-
ward putting the BUGS near
the top of the heap. His .27O
batting mark is good enough
= for an infielder, and his Is
az stolen bases lead the team, Civ
ing him two more than Ben
ton. Freddie, not regarded as
- a big gun, has nevertheless
81 knocked in one more run than
= the long hitting Poklemba.
" Eddie Hardisky had made on,
" less hit than his keystone pal, a
Of Aug. 5th, but he had gone Il
: bat 10 more times. Despite this
= he has driven home eight NOR,
runs, which proves that his .25.
D.. average doesn't tell the whole
- story.
The next regular is Bob
$ Steckel, who went on a two
week hitting splurge not too
long ago, but has again
i. slipped with the willow, and
a hits at .194. Yet Steckel has
" pounded home more run than
either Pokyemba CD Musce-
. meci. With IS doubles he
trails Benton by. two.
. Manager Jim Station has appear
= ed in more games than Bill Al
. snauer in the backstop position