Evening star., 1963-03-16
SIEGH AT LARGE
Fielding Records
No Road to Fame

MESA ARIz. MAR. 1e--In the good book Of baseball
records the name Of Kenneth Hubbs occupies much
prominence as that of Roger Mars the Yankees home
waoper who rescued the lowy astersk from obcury
Who is Kenneth Hubbs and why is he enshrined in
the sacred document that holds the Of base
balls immorals2 That's good question. Several organ
zations which honored him last year weren't quite
either.
Hubbs is 2O-year-old infeder for the Cubs who set
two al-tme major league fielding records for second
basemen last year. He played in 10 consecutive games
without boong ball. handling 4lS chances in the process
His own teammates were so unimpresSed they finished
ninth.
On a team on which Ernie Banks has been the only
name for the last several years. it would be assumed
that Hubbs easily would be the player second most sought
after by visiting intervewers He isn't In fact writer's
must be reminded there is somebody else in the Cubs
camp besides Banks
HUBBS is THE FIRST to confess that the best way
to escape anonymity is not by setting fielding records
He doesn't have to be told that fans familiar
with Babe Herman, Jim Persa, Bo Bensky, Wrong Way
Corrgan and Roy Rieges who can't boast Of major
record among them
Last winter when he was billboarded as the rookie
of the year well the defensive buster Hubbs
still had to remind the toastmaster several functions
why he being feted.
"Those figures 78 and 418 aren't as magic as Ruth's
go homers DiMaggo's 56-game hitting streak" the
youngster says They don't have too much impact in
salary talks either"
Hubbs records meaningless not only to the "out-
side" world but to the Cubs themselves He is cinch
to retain his job although the odds are he will Not
because he's good but because the competition isn't
Ken Aspromonte the gypsy infielder who
veyed the at Griffith Stadium in his frequent travels
and Steve Boros the William Faulkner authority obtained
from the Tigers in winter trade pushing Hubbs for
his job
HUBBS' CORD-BREAKING performance probably
cost him few dollars at the pay window The pressures
mounted when he closing in on the marks, causing
drop of is to 20 points in his batting average. Man
insist baseball pitching and defense but owners
place the emphasis on hitting Unfortunately owners sign
the pay checks.
Hubbs batted $780, respectable enough particularly
the Cubs but without the burden of trying to proong
fielding streak he thinks he could have added 20 points
more to his average This of course would meant
bigger contract than the one he got fielding genius
The prospect of cracking the old record excited the
Cubs press agent more than Hubbs However, when the
string reached it finally got to HubbS He went to bed
counting games each night, he says
I'D say SO, TO- II, 70, 7S, IA, and until fell
asleep must have made great plays in my dreams
But then noticed my hitting began to fall off as got
closer to the record. talked to myself. tried to con-
vince myself the fielding record wasn't worth sacrificing
my batting average, but couldn't"
FINALLY IN THE 10th GAME, Hubbs botched play
on ground ball hit by Gordy Coleman the Reds first
baseman from Rockville Md. 1t an error, unques-
tionably
Nothing close about the play" Hubbs says. During
the whole OF his erroreSS string there were only Two
times when the hestated. Both were on throws
from shortstop Andre Rodgers The errors were given
to Rodgers.
Not game went by in which Hubbs didn't have
at least chance One hot August afternoon in St.
Louis he the busiest man in Busch Stadium. He
handled 16 chances in doubeheader He also got five
for five in the first game but that before he began
worrying.
Hubbs also led the league in another department last
year. He struck out more than anybody else But
publicity didn't say much about that" he laughs.
But the way" visitor asked HubbS, Whose second
base fielding record did you break?"
He paused. Bobby Doerrs" he answered, adding
II think"