Show outfielders OUTFIELD outfielders EkS BACK IN WERE STARS record number of assists were made in the early days statistics show that old time fly chasers had a shade on present day fielders in throwing out base runners during the season of 1803 1898 george van baltren of the new york giants in it game against the washington club was playing center field cy swain who was waa pitching for the senators while at bat happened to make what looked like a safe drive to center nine times out of ten it would have gone safe but van made a mad dash and gathered it in on the second bound and without stopping threw tp to first the ball healing beating the slow footed swain by a good six feet and cy was sprinting his best all the time of course van t perform this stunt right along statistics show that the outfielders back in tho the and had a ii shade on the present day outfielders in making assists the best record in number of assists made in one season in the majors in recent years or sine since was stacked up by harry niles when with the st louis cardinals in 1900 harry nailed 39 men from the outfield getting them at different bases mike mitchell Ml while playing with the cincinnati team equaled the mark set by niles heading oft off SO 39 men by his power to shoot a ball from the furthest corner of the outfield with sufficient clent accuracy and speed to get ills his man ty cobb joe JOB birmingham s speaker aker joe Jack jackson and milan of washington nil all have made especially good records in this direction find and lead their respective teams ta in throwing out base runners from the remote corners of the outer garden in his lay day fielder jones was a past master in pegging the ball fr from m the outfield and nipped many runners runners in the national league since 1000 murray of the giants has the most consistent record of all the old league outfielders in making assists ire leading tile the league in four different seasons ellis who used to be with the cards card was good at making long throws and had an average of 25 a season titus titue bates cravath and snodgrass grass have good marks for accurate throwing from the outfield but the old boys back in hi the halcyon days of the soa made some astonishing ng records la in throwing out base run n nc rs from afar off on jimmy F fogarty of th the e phillies averaged nn an assist from the outfield every third game he played in sam thompson of the old de trolas and phillies Phil lles was a mighty thrower in his day jimmy ryan of the chicago nationals left handed though he wils was could shoot a ball from the furthest corner of the outfield with deadly effect bill lange had a wonderful throwing arm and was feared by all base runners in the national league the great mike kelly back in 1885 when with chicago nationals made the greatest record in throwing out base runners from the outfield mike by fair means or foul pegged out 26 29 men in 67 games |