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Show GREAT SHORTSTOPS OF TODAY CAN'T HIT; BEST RECORD ,255 I Peckinpaugh of New York Yankees Is Star Shortstop of Last Season Scott of Boston Red Sox Leads ' American League Players. (By Hal Cady) NEW YORK. Mar. 31. Great nhort- ; stops of today can't hit. Of short-slops, short-slops, as -shortstops the major leagues a plenty of brilliant performers But the shortstop who was a tower of strength to his team in both halves of the inning seems to be a thing of the past. The best stickman among the American League's star shortstops last season was Peckinpaugh, of the New York Yankees. He averaged .255, which does nor compare to ad i vantage with similar records of olden j times. Among the leading shortstops of thft National league, Fletcher, of the Giants, had the best batting rec-1 ord with a percentage of 286. Scott, of the Boston Red Sox, led the American league players of his position in fielding last season with a percentage of 967. He took part in 121 games and made nineteen errors His batting average was .235, exceeding exceed-ing by three points the season record of Maranville, Braves' star. Records of last season by some of the other leading shortstops were as follows: Per Chan- Er- No. Bat'g Cent. ces. rors. G's. Ave. Bush. Tigers .954 747 34 144 .255 Peckinpaugh, Yankees .. .945 776 43 142 .255 Maranville, Braves ...V933 933 50 155 .235 Fletcher, Giants 940 798 48 133 .286 Bancroft, Phillies . . 933 896 60 142 .212 (Leads National league In shortstops' short-stops' fielding.) The heaviest hitting shortstop ever known in major league annals was Hans Wagner. Starting with Pater-son Pater-son in 1896. the redoubtable Honus never dropped below the .300 class until 1914. There are many other .30 hitting shortstops of days gone by. Such were Herman Long, of the Bostons. Bill Dahlen, of the Chicagos, Brook lyns and Giants; Hugh Jennings, of the Baltimore Orioles; Jack Glasscock, Glass-cock, of the Indianapolis Hoosiers, Clevelands and Giants, Sam Wise, of the 1883 Boston champions; Jack Rowe, of the Buffaloes, Detroits and Pirates; Fred Parent and Heinie Wagner, Wag-ner, of the Red Sox, George Wright. I of Boston and Providence. Peters and Burns, of Anson's Chicagos, and Joo Tinker of the Cubs. Who is the greatest shortstop playing play-ing today? This Is a matter of argument. argu-ment. Jp in Boston they say Scott or Maranville. The latter played very consistently all last season, while the former by marvellous work did much to bring about the triumph of his team in the world's series last fall. In New York town Peckinpaugh is favored. Local fans say he not only-handles only-handles the hard grounders as well as either of the Hub cracks, but also throws better His supremacy in butting but-ting must also be taken into account |