The state herald., 1907-08-23
AMERICAN BORN
PLAYERS BEST
YANKEE BALL ToSSERS SHOW
MOST NATURAL ABILITY
ON THE FIELD.
MANY FOREIGNERS MAKE GOOD
Query Of oid-Time Fan Brings Up
Nationality Of Most Prominent Men
In the Game To-Day-Laloie and
Wagner Considered Best OF Their
Respective Races.

An old.time fan, whose interest In
the players is evidently of keen and
analytic nature, sends in query con-
cerning the nationalities of the vari-
GUS big league players.
Several Frenchmen Of great ability
have figured In the game, besides the
wonderful Lajoie. The first French
man to gain lasting fame was Berth
rong, of the Washington Nationals,
whose record for running the bases,
made in 1868, still stands unbroken.
Others of French descent now in the
game are Beaumont Of Boston, Moren
of Philadelphia, Laporte OF the High
landers and Parent of the pilgrims.
Two of the best French players have
left the big league only lately-La
Chance and Mertes.
1t was always claimed that Uncle
Anson was of Scandinavian descent,
and he certainly looked the part, al
though II is also asserted that he Is
English by ancestry. John Anderson
of Washington is the largest Scandi-
navian now performing. lsbell OF the
Sox is alleged to be a Swede, and also
to be OF French lineage. Lundgren OF
the Cubs is Swedish; Ferguson of the
Giants Is said to be Swede under an
old Irish name: Anderson of Pitts.
burg is either Danish or Norwegian;
Jacobsen of the Boston Americans Is
a Dane.
The first Indian to gain fame at
baseball was Sockalexis. who drank
himself out of the fast company.
Clarke, the Cleveland catcher, is
Wyandotte Indian. and Phyle. who has
Just joined the Giants, is of Sioux
descent. Bruce, clever pitcher Tor
merly with the Athletics, is an Indian.
Indians, from time immemorial. have
played ball games-Lacrosse being
only a civilized form OF their favorite
sport-and any game in which tossing
and catching a ball is the diversion
seems to appeal naturally TO the red
man.
A few Cubans are playing in minor
leagues, and the Cubans show great
| hpetu anu HsiuiHh bhiiis b"h NJ S"'
on batting ability, The only Spaniard
ever in the big leagues. II memory
serves Alright. was Vincent Nava. who
was with Providence in 1884, but did
not last long.
Foreign born citizens can do Just as
well as Americans, II they are trained
! young and set at the game. Ten years
from now there will be any number
OF fast men In the big leagues who
were born across the sea. Two big
| league catchers-Shaw of the Boston
| Americans and Smith OF Pittsburg-
are Englishmen by birth. and have
! found baseball much more pleasing
/ and profitable than cricket used to be.
The Canadian players are OF the
| French variety. as a rule. though the
great Tip O'Neill was an Irish-Cana.
dian. Lajoie and Lachance both came
from French Canadian settlements
originally.
II is almost impossible TO count up
the German stars. They have become
ms numerous as the irishmen In recent
years. and play AS good a game. Fed
Pfeffer was one OF the early German
crackcrJacks. and another was Charlie
Getzein. Some OF the mightiest Ger.
mans now In the business. aside from
the buriy Wagner. are almost the
whole Chicago National team-Slagle.
Sheckard, Schultz. Stelnfeldt. Hoffman,
Killing. Pnster and Roulbach. for ex-
ampic-while II is contended that the
beloved Frank Chance Is also Ger.
man, Other Dutchmen of top.nOtch
quality arc Lobort, Weimcr, Schlei.
Dahlcn. Knnbe. Hartsol. Scybold.
unglaub. Hahn. Robe, Alporman. Ait.
rock, Schacfer. Schmidt, Hoffman,
Elberfcld. Klelnow, Altizer and Hick.
man.
John Kling Is the best Hebrew play.
or now In the game. Plank OF tho
Athletics. strang of the Giants. and
Camnl,z Of pit,sburg are said 10 bo
Jews. and are certainly valuable per.
formers.
Frazer OF the Cubs and Mathcwaon
of New York are the most prominent
sNNhhihNAN'A INV hA' hhNAAA'Hht 'hA-
side Of Bob Wallace, Konotchy OF ST.
Louis Is said TO be a Greek. and also
a Pole.
Abbatichlo Of tho Pirates In nm
Italian. The Italian race does not
seem 10 care much for baseball. and
few Italian names nro found In tho
score cards Of even the Handlots and
amateur teams,
Holly of the Cardinals II 10.
homian. with ronl name as long na n
pcnnnnt pole. The Bohemlnna take
well 10 the game and viii be- heard
from In the future, Only the dear
Lord knows what Itubo wnddcll In.
Overlooked In the shuttle: barney
polty In Of Jewish descent, Philippe
Ia Of nm old French family Mclean
aud Osborne are Scotch CHEcr h of
Norman French ancestry. aud Dugglo.
by Of English parnniago.