Evening star., 1955-06-27
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW 8, FRANCIS s7Auu
And Again Williams Pays

WELL HERE WE GO again. it looks like The best hitter
IN baseball Theodore Samuel Williams, not going to win
the official batting title again. He's got the highest mark
but he won't get to make the mandatory 400 official appear
ances at bat at the rate pitchers have been walking him.
That sore back isn't helping, either.
Bobby Avia awarded the American Leagues batting
title last recall but nobody prepared argue
that Ceveands second baseman better batsman than
Williams Ted hit 345 to Avilas 34 but what with breaking
coarbone battling the flu and being walked often Ted
got to bat only 1856 times.
Because of his marital difficulties Williams unavail
able to the Red sox until May % and then only part
time basis for while His S7yearod legs were eaden and
lately his back has been acting But Ted the greatest
Ask AL Lopez, for instance.
"The Red sox not the ball club earlier"
Lopez acknowledges CTS confident club EverybodyS
swinging Eveybodys running Everybodys plugging Quite
obviously, it's Williams influence"
THEY USED TO SAY Williams no team player but,
rather elfcentered person. The description hardly bes
with the accomplishments of the Red Sox since Ted has been
playing 1t sixth place club with 1725 record dozen
games out of first place.
Williams hurt his back last week the Red Sox were
winning II of 26 and acting like rst-divson team. And
Ted hitting of old with 387 average for his first 81
In rs times at ba he got 20 hits scored 20 and
walked 20 times The entire club notably Goodman Zauchn,
Jensen and Klaus picked up the plate if inspired
1t to wonder how batting titles Williams might
have won under happier and uckier circumstances He's
already five but could have been at least seven In
inf1nitesmal edge
At time when Williams had won two consecutive cham
three years In 50 he hitting 400 when he was called
back In 49, after his second discharge he came back in
time to bat .4O7 but for only 81 games.
THE MANDATORY 400 times at bat wasn't always in
effect 1t written into the rules with good intent the
original idea being to prevent cheese champions and to
teet the good hitters
Debs Garms, for example, top-ight hitter
although in 1910 with the Pirates he got hot and batted 1855
Garms, however, went plateward only 35S times
He recognized the champ, Bubbles Har
when he baed only 326 times in 1926 averaging 1858
Ernie lombard to bat only 309 times in 1912 yet his
$3.50 accredited
r None of these was in class with Williams has
lifetime mark of 346pus proving the rule can
backe protect the great hers and it hurt
full schedule be at bat times because of walks
due to the respect with which pitchers hold him. Right
he barely averaging three times at bat game and at
that pace he won't qualify.
TY COBB, GREATEST of all hitters probably,
proed notably before the present rule adopted This
back in 1914 when Ty played only 81 games and baed
only 345 times Cobbs winning 1868 wasn't begrudged
much others because the chances the
man might have hit higher he had played
Cobb had his troubles that year, physically and per-
sonaly He broke finger and rib Then day Mrs Cobb
returned from shopping excursion to report that the
butcher had insuted her
. That all Tyrus had to hear Down to the meat market
he punch the in the This got Cobb in
turn difficulty with the law and much of the time back
in IA he found the better part of valo not to appear at
the field lest papers be served on him.
Ty won nine batting titles in a from 1907 1915,
streak that would have been possible under the present
rules because of that busting of the butcher.