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Jack Glassock leads the Western League in batting, 1896 season
Jack Glassock leads the Western League in batting, 1896 seasonJACK GLASSCOCK
from the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Jan. 22, 1897:GLASSCOCK AT THE TOP
"Jack" Leads the Batters in the Western Association.
The Offical Averages of Players Promulgated by President Johnson -- [ . . .
It might be a bad idea if one of the National League managers would fraft a colt named Glasscock from the Western Association. The wise managers and sporting writers gave Jack a wooden arm about two years ago, and with a unanimity which was remarkable, placed him in the list of "has beens." Jack took a few turns at hand ball in the Wheeling gymnasium and decided that he was not yet ready to go on the shelf. His work during the past season justified his confidence in himself. They call him "Pebble" Glasscock, out in the untamed West, on account of his habit of tossing pebbles at players, and they became so accustomed to his terrific slugging in St. Paul that his appearance at the plate was the signal for a chorus from the bleachers of "Slug it, Jack," "Over the fence, Jack," etc.
President Johnson, of the Western League, has just promulgated the averages of players during the past season. Glasscock not only leads the league at the bat, but he is the only player who passed .400 mark. His average was 431. Welch finished with an average of .405, but only played in14 games. Wolverton and Hewitt are tied for third place at the .385 mark. Hewitt pitched pitched for Grand Rapids, but was released and went to New Castle.
The Wheeling material showed exceeding well in the league. "Billy" George, who played with the St. Paul team, finished in sixth place with an average of .383. "Sammy" Nichol, of Kansas City, was twenty-sixth, with a batting average of .338. St. Paul led the league in club batting, and Kansas City in club fielding. Among the first basemen, Glasscock was fourth in fielding.
All the ex-leaguers and veteran players showed up well in the league, and no phenomenal new material was developed.
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