The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-02
him the most valuable player IN the

him the most valuable player in the
business.
Like Wagner. Lajoie, OF Cleveland,
has no rival for second base The big
Frenchnan is a terrific hitter, and
plays second base better than any man
in America. Wagner and Lsajoie are
considered the greatest ball players
in the business. Both have ranked
among the leading batters OF their re-
speetiye organizations for many years,
and each is in a class by himself play
ing their respective inheld positions.
Wagner is probably the more vail
liable man of the two, for he is seldom
out OF the game. Lajoie is uulucky,
and is. always getting crippled at criti-
cal stages
He injured his leg sliding to second
base last year and the accident kept
him out of the game for several
months, and cost his club the cham
pionship. Wagner is never ont of the
game more than a day or SO. He new
er gets hurt seriously. and is better
base-runner and run-getter than La
joie.
Chance and Chase.
In selecting an a1I-American team.
the most difficult task that confronts
one Us deciding between Hal Chase
and Frank Chance for first base.
Chase is grand young ball player,
who has played a phenomenal game
for the New York Americans this year.
He is outhftting the great leader Of the
Chicago Cubs, but Chance has the best
fielding average and has displayed re-
markable form as base-runner and
run getter this year. Chance is also an
ideal leader for a great bali club. and
the writer would pick him to manage
his all-American team
King and Bresnahan are outhitting
and outhelding Sullivan and Schreck.
the two best -catchers in the American
league. Clarke, the hard hitting Cleve-
land catcher, is entitled to consider
alton on the strength of his wonderful
work with the willow, but for general
all-areund work, Sullivan and Schreck
leagues two best backstops. King
and Bresnahan have it on them, and
the writer would pick the Chicago and
New York National catchers for his
team.
Fingered Brown is the
greatest pitcher of the year. and. of
course, is selected as the leading box
man of the all-Americans. Brown is
a National Lacquer Eddie Plank. the
crack southpaw of the Athletics, comes
next and IS the American leagues
winning pitcher. White, Of Chicago,
and Mathewson OF New York. look
like the pick of the rest. although
Mathewson was not a his best this
year. Lever, of Pittsburg. has a bet
ter record than the Giant star. but
Mathewson was sick all spring and
failed to display his real form until it
was too late to cut down Levers lead.
For the outfeld the Republic has
no hesitancy in selecting George Stone.
Harry Lumley of BROOKLYN and Mike
Donlin, of New York rThe. latter is
picked on his best form. He was going
great guns with the stick last spring.
when he crippled himself sliding into
third base at Cincinnati and was put
out Of the game for the rest of the sea
son.
stone is the premier slugger Of the
American and Lumley and Donlin are
two Of the greatest stickers in the Ma
1onal What a bunch of bingling this
trio could tear off working on the same
team. Lunley is the leading extra-base
slugger of the National.
Donlin and Stone are fast men and
past grandmasters at the bunting
game All three, Stone. Lurnley and
Donlin are left-handed batters. The
Republics all-Ameriean infeld, how
ever, is composed of four rfght-handed
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