Evening star., 1954-01-05


of his writercrics Even today with hatchet long
buried they will voting only for Terry the ball player
not Terry the personality
He than good. He great, both q hitter
and fielder. Some New York fans maintain today that
except for pitchers he the greatest of all the Giants
HE REACHED HIS PEAK as a player in 1880. when he
81 according baseball age" Many think he could
have been old then because after four years in the
minors he quit organized ball in 1918 and worked full
time basis for oil company Anyway when he came
to the Giants he not exactly unfamiliar with safety
razor.
But in 1880 he hit .4O1 and National Lacquer has
batted 400 This he did, despite the fact that the
final of the Terry already had tied league record
most hits 254 and facing what pitching the
hapesS Philies could muster.
Almost every other Giant teed OF that day. but Terry
drew blank. STILL it occurred to anybody to fault
him. for Everybody knew he didn't have any,
that way throughout his which explained
his lifetime average Of 341 in nearly 1900 championship
games his feat in the 1924 World Series against WASH
ngton when he batted 2o and feasted Walter Johnson
no less
NOT MANY HALL OF FANGERS were better htters than
Bill Terry course Ty Cobb with his S67 lifetime average
topped him. So did Rogers Hornsby with $685. iris Speaker
with 3A and Babe Ruth and Harry Heilmann with s42
But others who in the Hall of Fame never hit
any better if well Terry George Sser only tied him in
average Terry topped such Gehrg L34o Jimmy
s25), Nap Lajoie $3.50, Honus Wagner s2e). Paul
Waner C3SS) and Mel OFT whoops (304.
OFT teammate of Terry's who hit more home runs
but average 1890 his best Terry topped that
average four times felowmember Of the Giants, and
tied Mel who had succeeded Terry manager
of the Giants and who unfetered with differences with
the press the Hall in 1851 while Bill still has to get there
Terry wasn't bad manager Indeed, he was q good
1888 when he the World Series from the Senator'S
AS BELTS scientific hitter he scientific manager He
believed in the bunt and against Washington in that i've
game SERIES had owfooted Gus Mancuso home
important On another OCCASION he had the virtually
crippled Travis Jackson open inning with bunt So
surprised the Senators that each bunter reached rst
base with what to the winning in
extra-inning game.
IT WAS BUNT SIGN year two later that led to
Terrys friction with the press He had OFT sacrifice which
he did successfully but the Giants lost the and Terry
brsed at the newspaper criticism As the able Tom Meany
tells story Terry smiled cody at writer and said
Il you don't like the run the ball club. Maybe
should switch jobs"
That's all right with me- Bill" lightly replied the
porter, "as long switch salaries too"
Terry wasn't appeased He made 1t clear that baseball
writer's in his opinion weren't competent to criticize and
the feud continued until OFT took in 1s41
Terry and John McCraw got along too well from
the beginning. McCraw a martinez nery autocrat
who dctatoral and causc Terry in his early days
was coldy independent Their relationship steadily
told many times before OF how McGraw had stopped speak
Of clear sky he to day in early June Of
1882 and aid BILL how would you like manage the Giants?
I'm finished"
1t typical of McCraw to appoint who rubbed
against his grain fought him all the way and yet deserved
Tin McGraws opnion) his job Here says, Terry is
going join Mcraw in the Hall Fame the end Of the
month.