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Show M'INNIS ONE OF BASEBALL'S WONDER Nifty First Baseman of Boston Red Sox. John (Stuffy) Mclnnls, first baseman of the world's champion Boston Ited Sox, hns heen for many years now past one of tho striking wjmders of the game. If ono were irioklng for a first bnsomnn nmong a crowd of uniformed uni-formed men on tho bench Mclnnls Is nbout the very last man ho would suspect sus-pect of class for tho position. -Physically ho Is n living refutation, In appearance, ap-pearance, of everything u good first sackor Is supposed to ho In these Umes of highly developed specialties. To begin with ho Is n chunky looking look-ing fellow who belles his Ilvo feet ten Indies. He Is somewhat dcllhcrato of action off tho field. Ills arms urn rhort nnd ho docs not appear possessed of tho reach or "stretch" which has como to bo nssoclnted with tho first haso type. Ho is n right-handed thrower throw-er In n day when southpaws aro In demand for thu position. Class of First Basemen. Yet Mclnnls xomcs very near to'he-In? to'he-In? tho class of first basemen of the American League, ,n circuit which boasts of a number of rnro professionals profes-sionals of exceptional merit, Wnlly Plpp and Georgo Slsler nmong them, tho Inst two mentioned of tho southpaw south-paw variety of course. To begin with Mclnnls Is ono of Jbu nlftlcst-Hnd surest InfleldorH "ST tfte game, for If ho lacks any wny In 'physical 'phys-ical hnmllcnps ho more thnu innkes up for tho deficiency In agility. And If ho foozles n wild throw now nnd then that a bigger man a Cliaao or a Plpp might get ho morn than makes up tho (inference In the deadly punch ho carries ut hat. For Mclnnls Is a J100 hitter In every nccepted scnte of tho word. J In tho last ulna'cnmpnlgns, slnco h first gained recognition as n regular player In fast company, Mclnnls has fulled but twice to hat better Ihnn ..100; 1 1 Is successful campaign Inst season with tho world's champions witnessed his lightest hitting performance. He hutted only .272 In Boston. Oncu before, be-fore, only, ho failed to qualify In the charmed circle. That was In 1010. He clubbed for .203 that year ns a member of the Athletics. But It wns only a rcmnnnt of tho old machine with which Connie Mack had won four chnmphmshlps nnd threo world chain-.pJnniJilp.i. chain-.pJnniJilp.i. Mclnnls at the time was tho Hole survivor of the Illustrious "hundred thousand dollar Infield." Best Hitting Year. In 1012, tho year Juku Stnlil's Ited Sox nosed out the Athletics, Mclnnls had Ids best hitting 'year, a .327, and Hint year, too, ho stole tho most bases, 27. Tho next yenr, when tho Qunkors heat the Giants for tho second t lino In tho world's series, Mclnnls hit tt In 1011 ho clubbed .1121. Ho hit ..')H In each of the seasons of 1014 and 1015, nnd 4!03 In 1017, his Inst yenr with the Athletics. It can bo seen, then, Hint Stuffy Is n consistent as well as a brlllluut hitter. ""Mclnnls was ono of mnny brilliant phenoms unearthed and schooled by Connie Mack for tho purpose of reconstruction re-construction after his -great team of lOOS which was beaten by McOrnw's Giants In tho world's series hnd gono to seed. Tho list Included such other Illustrious personages 03 "Homo Hun Baker, Jack Barry and Eddie Collins Ull of them still In the giimo and going go-ing stronff ns over, apparently. |
