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Show M'INNIS ONE OF BASEBALL'S WONDER MEN NOT BUILT ACCORDING TO STANDARD . k Nifty First Baseman of Boston Red Sox. John (Stuffy) Mclnnis, first baseman of the world's champion Hoston Red Sox, has been for many years now past one of the striking wonders of tin; game. If one were looking for a first baseman among a crowd of uniformed uni-formed men on tin; bench Mclnnis is about I he very last man he would suspect sus-pect of class for the position. Physically Phys-ically hi" is a living refutation, iu appearance, ap-pearance, of everything a good fit's t sacker is supposed to be iu these .times of highly developed specialties. To begin with he is a chunky looking look-ing fellow who belies his five feet ten inches. lie is somewhat deliberate of action olT the field. Ills arms are short and lie does not appear possessed of the reach or "stretch" which has come to be associated with the first base type, lie is a right-handed thrower throw-er In a day when southpaws are lu demand for the position. Class cf First Basemen. Vet Mclnnis. comes very near to being be-ing the class of first basemen of the American League, a circuit which boasts of a number of rare professionals profes-sionals of exceptional merit, Wally Pipp and George Sisler among them, the last two mentioned of the southpaw south-paw variety of course. To begin with Mclnnis Is one of the niftiest and surest infielders of the game, for If he lacks any way In physical phys-ical handicaps he more than makes up for the deficiency In ngility. And if he foozles a wild throw now and then that a bigger man a Chase or a Pipp- might get he more than makes up the difference In the deadly punch he carries at bat. For Mclnnis is a .;i(X hitter in every accepted sense of the word. In the last nine campaigns, since he first gained recognition as a regular player In fast company, Mclnnis has failed but twice to bat better than .300. Ilis successful campaign last season with the world's champions witnessed his lightest hitting performance. He batted only .272 in Boston. Once before, be-fore, only, be failed to qualify in the-charmed the-charmed circle. That was in 1910. He clubbed for .293 that year as a member of the Athletics. But it was only a remnant of the old machine with which Connie Mack had won four championships and three world chain-pionshlps. chain-pionshlps. Mclnnis at the time was the sole survivor of the illustrious "hundred thousand dollar infield." Best Hitting Year. In 1912, the year Jake Stahl's Ked Sox nosed out the Athletics, Mclnnis had his best hitting year, a .327, and that year, too, he stole the most bases, 27. The next year, when the Quakers beat the Giants for the second time in the world's series, Mclnnis hit .32(1. In 1911 he clubbed .321. He hit .314 in each of the seasons of 1914 and 1915, and .303 in 1917, his last year with the Athletics. It can be seen, then, that Stuffy is a consistent as well as a brilliant hitter. Mclnnis was one of many brilliant phenoms unearthed and schooled by Connie Mack for the purpose of reconstruction re-construction after his great team of 1905 which was beaten by McGraw's Giants in the world's series had gone to seed. The list Included such other illustrious personages as "Home Run" Baker, Jack Barry and Eddie Collins, all of them still in the game and going go-ing strong as ever, apparently. |
