The Calumet news., 1910-03-30
SULLIVAN HEAPS PRAISE
ON CAP ANSON And KELLY
Says There Have Been Only Few
Great Captains in History
OF Baseball.
CAPTAINS ARE SELDOM STARS

Ted Sullivan, in recent issue Of
Sporting News, writes:
Comparisons are odious,' and are
ten times more odlous I'm base ball
To enumerate the great captains Of
professional baseball I'm its entire his d.
tory is not so hard, as there have been
only few great ones. The first great
captain was Harry Wright, who dem
onstrated his ability not only as a tu-
tor but as desciplinarian. Bob Fer
guson was one of the great early cap
talrs, and also one of the great gem
cral ball players of the game Ewing
and Ward were also captains above
the average.
There was another captain who
was believed to be congpicuously great,
but from chivalrous motives I'll not
touch on his name. He had flock Of
eagles around him i'm the shape of ball
players and VIXEN they new away,
leaving him to his own resource. the
public for the first time saw that he
had on empty loft. SO misleading Is
this hidden power behind the thronr
in base ball that II will never 20 or.
The glamour and politics Of the game
will ever make some jackass in the
form of captain or manager
the superior of one i'm the form
of n fleet horse. Baseball magnatas
generally have never come up through
the ranks of the game, so they
never know the cunning and craft
of some peoplc-in making jack
daw in baseball superior to an eagle.
Anson Greatest Batsman.
We now consider Capt. Anson, who
stlll retains that title. | wish To place
this man. who has been a great fig
ure in the game. where he right
fully belongs before the public, and
I wish to do it without any glamour
or fiction. In the game ne was tho
most aggressive batter that ever faced
pitcher. He was not only aggres-
sive. but the greatest batsman i'm the
entire history Of baseball. He show
ed his sterling character I'm the thick
est of that great baseball storm OF
1S90-known as the brotherhood war
when the National league ship was
shaken from stem to stern by the
assaults Of the brotherhood ship. The
players of the National league ship
were deserving It in this terrible storm
by getting ON board the brotherhood
craft but the form Of big Anson
was still seen on the National league
ship-refusing To leave it, but ready 10
sink with II IL 1t went down. That
is the end of my tribute to the old
National league ship.
But now To talk Of his ability ana
genius rs n captain in leading that
great Chicago club Of the SOS in
strategical plays of the game
would willfully misrepresent him and
joke the public of the country If
should alot to him any thinking pow
cr over that great combination Of
reniuses, led by the greatest thinking
machine that ever wore a baseball
uniform-the immortal Mike Kelly.
None in kelly's Class.
Behind him were the other men If
his same impulse, but not of his
magnetism or thinking power-Ned
Williamson, Tom Burns, Fred Pfef-
Ger. Dalrymple and others. When
think of Williamson as the great gem
oral ball player he was. with his ideal
physique, say to the entire playing
fraternity of the baseball world-aad
say II politely-boys, there Is not
bre Of you today in his class.
To say that Anson's genius scared