The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-03-22
DONOVAN'S TWENTY
GREATEST PLAYERS

| where near the plate when he was
| working.
| Chase and Tenny look to me like
| the choices for first base. Everybody
who follows the American league
knows what a wonder Hal is on ev-
cry sort of play. Tenney in his prime
| was a wonderful player, who handled
ground balls and throws with consum-
mate skill. and who hit very well.
There shouldn't be any argument on
Lajoie and Collins for second base.
Both are great fielders and hitters.
Eddie seems to me to be the more
valuable man on account of his gin
ger and aggressiveness, but Lajoie has
the greater natural ability in every
department The trouble with Larry,
however, is that he takes everything
easy and isn't up on his toes and
fighting like the younger players. The
big Frenchman makes just as tough
plays as Collins ever made, but with
Larry everything looks easy and it is
harder to get, enthusiastic over him.
There may be some surprise when
the fans see the name of John j. Nc
Graw in the list I have selected, but
let me tell you 'Muggsy'' was a great
ball player He could hit and field
and run the bases and he was in there
fighting all the time. Jimmy Collins,
though less aggressive, was probably
the most finished fielder who ever
hit balls Or bunts he was a wonder.
They don't make them like this pair
any more, it seems, for nobody in the
big league at present compares with
them
Our own Hughie Jennings was one
of the greatest short stops who ever
played baseball, and Herman Long.the
old Boston player, was another just
as good. Neither Of these men had
single weakness that I ever could dis
cover and they were intelligent, ag-
eressive players who gave their clubs
everything that was in them every day
Bobby Wallace would he the man for
utility infield, and there have been a
lot worse players than the OLD Scot,
let me tell you. He always has been
wonderful fielder and when it comes
to touching a runner he is the daddy
of them all.
In the outfield Ty Cobb, of course,
is marvel. Nobody can over-praise
the Psach, for he is one Of those all
around stars who are born once in a
century. Bill Lang could hit and
field With the best of them, as could
Fred Clarke, who has just announced
his retirement frc:n the ranks of the
active payers. No ideal team would
be complete without Ed Delahanty,
that great slugger who, in his time,
broke more pitchers hearts than any
body else who ever played the game.
The Twenty Greatest pickers seem
to have overlooked Willie Keller in
their selections, but ] believe that he
was one of the boys whose name will
live long in the national games his
tory. He had a wonderful eye up
there at that plate and always hit over
300 until he started to go back a cou-
pie of years ago. He was fast on the
bases and was star in the field as
well, covering lot Of ground.
Fielder Jones was one of the brain
lest ball players / ever saw, and he
made his head do what others left for
their feet. You seldom saw Fielder
tearing around to make a sensational
catch, for he played the batters so
perfectly that he didn't have to per-
form the thrilling stunts. A weak
throwing arm was his only handicap
and he managed to get along fairly
well in spite of it,
The champion Oriole team of the
nineties is given four players of DON
ovanS- ideal team, it will be noticed,
while none of the teams playing to-
day has more than one. Cobb is the
only Tiger honored with a place on
the mystic list, and he is the only out
fielder at present active who Is chos-
en-.
have overlooked a, lot of great ball
players, I suppose said Donovan, but
let me take nine from among those
mentioned and 7 will guarantee to
give any outfit YOU may select a. run
for the pennant.-E. A, Bachelor, in
the Detroit Free Press.