The Calumet news., 1909-10-19

New York, oct. 19.--There must be
on every baseball team one man who
Is the most valuable member of the
team. Tenn play Is the thing, and
pennants are won not by the work of
the individual but by the work of the
whole; but certain individuals by their
superior ability add strength to the
whole, tone up whole team and by their
own efforts are responsible for per-
centage OF opportunities created and
accepted, which count greatly in the
long run. The more strong individuals
the better, II they can work harmon
iously
What one player, then, is the most
important on each team? What one
player can the different clubs of the
National league least afford to lose?
II is a subject for a great variety of
opinion. The manager has his opin-
ion, and so do the roters. In some
cases no doubt they would agree, i'm
some be widely different.
There isn't much doubt that Ma
thewson would get the popular verdict
when it came to deciding who was the
nearest TO Indispensable of the active
players of the Giants. A pitcher, no
matter how successful he may be.
isn't necessarily the most valuable
man on a team. There may be an
other who is more influential in the
teams welfare; but in the case of Ma
"a 10 fg In
nuence, his presence i'm the box exer-
clsing such a gracing. stimulating eff
feet on his fellows, that besides his
physical worth he imparts a moral in
fuence of no mean degree. Take him
away, and for a while at least his
place would be harder to III than that
OF any other man.
Pittsburg without Clarke or with
out Wagner would be deprived of a
valuable unit: so would it be with
out Leach or without Miller. Yet
there is on the team player, not one
of these four. whose absence from the
field would make n bigger difference
i'm the seasons showing than any of
the four stars mentioned. That one is
Gibson. the catcher. He has come to
be the most important single cog i'm
the machine. knowing and handling
as he does, all of the pitchers and
filling day after day. as he does, n po-
sition in which head work is a prime
requisite. When n catcher is so close
ly identified with the methods and
tactics of team. catching every day,
there is no place so difficult to dupli-
cate with another man.
To pick out the man on the Chi
cago Cubs whose absence would most
disturb the nice adjustment of that or
ganization's mechanism is rather puZ
zling. The team is admirably fortified
with high-class utility men and so
smooth of action that it goes along
well with n regular out occasionally
Probably with Tinker out for any
length of time the harmonious bal
ance would me most disturbed. Tin
kcr is the best ground coverer in the
infield, the connecting ling in It's
workings, and he is power In the at-
tack as n cleanup hitter. one capable
That has been proven time and again.
The moral effect and physical effect
of prolonged absence on his part
would be felt more than that of any
other player.
Mike Mitchell may be rated as Cin-
cinnati's most valuable player. He is
the ablest man i'm the Reds attack, a
hard and reliable hitter,a run produc-
er. Besides he is one of the best
throwing outfielders and first-class in
all departments. Not SNOWY. he new
ertheless is an anchor to windward in
the teams tactics.
on the Philadelphia team the palm
goes 20 a catcher the industrious aud