The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-21
BEST SHORTSTOPS
IN THE MAJORS
BFidWelI of Giants and Tinker
of Cubs Given the
Honor.
WAGNER GOING BA.
PIRATE STAR BUcKING FATHER
TIME.
BY SAM CRANE.


New York. Aug. 2O.-During the re-
cent series between the Giants and
Cubs at the Polo grounds. two OF ths
best shortstops now playing ball
BridweH and Tinker-faced one another
in their respective positions, and IL was
q real treat TO see them perform. They
are both classy. and in that important
series they showed 10 their -rue form.
They both seemed 70 appreciate the
wonderful ability OF each other, and
in every game Of the four played there
was d battle royal OF shOrtstOps-
From every angle Of play. the only
fair decision would be 10 give draw
between them.
the malnstay OF the Pirates BridWell
and Tinker are easily the premier
shOrtstOps or the country.
To venture 10 say that the great
Wagner is passing or going back VIII
, be considered a sacrilege5 no doubt. not
alone il PiItsburg. but throughout the
league circuit, but the fact remains
that the awkward Dutchman IL not
| coming" even II many think he IS not
falling off.
But Wagner's record, both IN neld-
ing and batting this season IS 50 1ar
Z behind his remarkable showing in pre-
viOus years as Pirate that there
must be reason FOR IL. ana rha me 81
notable conclusion TO arrive at Is that
age is telling on the old veteran.
Youth must prevail In athletics.
/ There is no getting around that. and
| there have been more object lessons
this year In baseball TO prove IL than
| in any previous season that Femem-
I Der. Wagners tumble from form
came so suddenly that it startled fan-
I dom. He still gives flashes OF his Oid-
| time brlulancys as veterans always 90
when they are on the decline. but that
| his remarkable ability is on the wans
/ everybody "a g.
/ fully studied his seasons work or 1916
Both Are Heady.
/ Bridweu and Tinker are classy be-
| cause they are heady. They both ara
/ blessed with baseball brains. and know
! how 10 use them, and that fortunate
! combination IS sure 10 result IN star
/ players, but without IL star hail players
| are not developed,
Tinker has the reputation among ball
/ players Of being the brains OF the Cubs,
I but with the Peerless Leader Frank
! Chance. in charge OF them. that would
/ seem TO be d rather 1ar-fetched COnclu-
/ sion. But Joe Tinker knows as much
I baseball as Chance or any player In
/ does Al BridWelL The latter, however
is much less demOnEtTatiVe than his Cub
n rival. and on that account fails 10 set
the full appreciation that Is his due.
/ There was never q more graceful
! player than BridWel His every move
is a dream. and he makes plays 80 eas-
ly Lhdk MS most QlLLlculL ones are
/ made 10 appear ridiculously simple.
/ Where some shOTtstOps would be break
] ing their necks in going after puzzling
4 hits, BridWeu gathers them IN without
apparent effort.
4 Tinker, too has the same knack bus
is hardly up 70 BTidweu for artistic
I grace.
Neither Tinker nor Bridweu are
heavy batters. but they are timely hit
ters. But Tinker can sure Wall0p
Christy MathewsOn's best offerings,
and II is for this reason that the Cubs
have won so many games from the
Giants. In the series just closed be-
n tween the Giants and the Cubs, Tinker
y got three singles off Matty in one
game, and BridWeli came 10 the front
in the last game Of the series with a
triple when the bases were full.
And so that series showed that there
is little 20 choose between the two star
I shOrtstOps. so ~ viii be just To call iC
I a tie between them as the best in their
positions ia the National league.