The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-11-21
BASEBALL STARS RARE.
Few Men of the Thousands Playing
Have All the Requirements.

The first appearance in the base
ball arena of a great baseball player
Is to me like draught of cool spring
water on a hot day.
With small army of clean cat attn
letes striving from boyhood to gain
fame and big money as high class
ball players, yet one great player a
year is good average. | doubt IL
the great game can today show two
dazen players of the highest quality
players who have youth, speed, the
highest quality of nerve and staying
lowers, who can hit all comers and
field brilliantly, who are strong
throwers, can run bases, carrying a
cool head and the keen perception
OF thinking of their feet. In the last
thirty years of baseball l could not
name thirty players who would fill
tie above requirements. Sherwood
McGee comes under the head of Won
derful players. He fills the bill and,
to my way of thinking is the most
valuable outfelder in the game to-
day. only a youth, with "a brief ex-
porience in the big leagues, he Is
without rival as a factor in winning
games.
lie plays for the batman, can take
bail on either side, high or low,
runs the bases with speed and judg-
ment, can slide and is over willing TO
take d chance. In fact, he is there
20 win, and when at the bat is al
gnost model tor the late Edward
Delehanty, the greatest straightaway
batsman the game has produced.
While the great Wagner can hit,
lie is an easy man to work tor a
clever pitcher. LajCle Is free bats
man, nothing finer when at his best.
The big Frenchman Will so after
poorly pitched balls, but when It
comes to the performances OF Ed
ward Delehanty all pitchers were
forced to put the ball over the rub
ber. With q free swing big Edward
was 4 danger signal when hit meant
run. He lived the opportunity for
winning hit, but never more SO than
than young McGee.
While the left-hand hitters have
big advantage tor averages. give
me the right-hander for clean work.
Leit-hanueu Datsmen have a step the
best OF it in beating out inheld hits,
but too often they crouch and show
weak form at the bat. Our greatest
batsman stand erect and face the mu-
sic. For example, Anson, Mike kel-
ly, Dave Orr, Joe Kelly, Tip ONeil.
Harry Stovey, Hugh Duffy, Tom Nc
Carthy. Jim O'Rouke. Hardie Rich
ardson. Jaul Hines, Buck Ewing.
Roger O'Connor. Mike Herman, Bur-
kett. Lajoie, Wagner, Chase and
scores of others. The batsman who
crouches must be in fine form to hit
effectively, as the position is not
advantage.
The one great lefthand batsman
who planked himself solidly on the
ground and hoped to gain first base
only by a clean drive was Dan Brou-
theirs. Brouthers was a slow runner,
AhoAolSu oA lhS oaAi Sciiiih6 oNSI lHc
plate, and then hit from two angles,
smashing the ball to left or raising
II far to right field.
Many of the best of the left-hand
bastmen are continually stepping
over the batsman's lines. and the
great wonder is that something more
definite than chalk lines have not
been thought of. Those lines are
soon rubbed out, and then It's a pure
case of guesswork, with the catchers
territory often invaded. This has
gone on without the semblance of re-
FORM for the last fifty years.
1t would be difficult to compare the
batsman Of twenty years ago and the
men Of the present time as formerly
a man could call for either a high or
q low ball. and there were men who
led the league In batting who couldn't
hit a low ball once in ten tries. Now
the batsman must be prepared to
meet anything from the knee to the
shoulder. leaving the umpire with
power to put any pitcher or batsman
to the bad as he guesses at the size
of each man and finds the left-hander
who crouches difficult problem. For
this reason 1t wouldn't be bad idea
to force all the men at the plate to
stand up until the ball was under