The Alaska citizen., 1912-01-29

years during which it has passed
from possibility to become the
great national past time and the
different caliber of men who have
followed il as a profession make
the selection of a list of twenty
greatest" only a basis for the other
fellow TO show you wherein you are
wrong
Well let's see-there was Buck"
Giving for one.
Buck Ewing.
I'll have to start off with him
Is one OF the greatest catchers that
ever stepped up behind bat.
Buck" played other positions in the
game. but he finally found himself
as baCkstop. He was a hard.
fast. aggressive player who had the
knack of running his team in mas
terly fashion. and can find no one
to compare with him unless it be
Mike Kelly.
Mike Kelly.
Mike was a grand catcher He
knew his own men and the opposing
ing players. II was his knowledge
OF what the batter liked or disliked
that enabled him to give the pitch
er the tip and to serve up as much
of the opposite as there was lee
way at that time Mike could
control men. He made his influ-
ence felt and he helped to win
games in other ways than simply
playing his own position in SUI
perior manner. For the next let's
have Cap" Arson
Adrian c. Arson.
| guess that everybody will ad-
nit that the old Captain was just
about as good a first baseman as
ever guarded the initial sack He
had the size, he had the speed,
he was a terror with the bat. he
could lead men. and he had the
baseball sense which made it posi-
bic to use his natural ability and
physical makeup to the best ad-
vantage. OF the old timers only
the name of Ferguson suggests it
self to me as a fitting comparison
to that Of Arson
Charley Ferguson.
He played with the Philadelphia
team. and had it on Arson in that
While he was always considered a
great first baseman, he could play
any position in the game. He
was a rafting good pitcher. could
bat like a house afire and was one
Of the speediest runners of his day.
1t was a pity that he died in the
prime of life long before his active
playing days were over. Talking
that | think Pfeffer was the great
est that ever lived.
Fred Pfeffer.
Fred was some player when he
was on the New York team. but
| think that he gained his great
est reputation after he joined the
old Chicago club. Fred knew the
game Of baseball and he played it
with his head as we'll as his hands.
There wasn't a minute of the game
| that he wasn't on the job and he
had more tricks up his sleeve than
any other of his contemporaries.
With Pfeffer I'll have to link Col
Inns.
Eddie Collins.
He's got it on all of the others
i'll the game today. | don't know
that a good lawyer went to waste.
but do know that mighty good
ball player was found when Eddie
decided to give up the technicali-
ties of Blackstone for the miracles
of baseball. There isn't much use
saying anything about Connie Mack S
star everybody knows that he is a
wonder as well as | do. Going
down from second to third I'll
stop at short and | guess there
won't be many against me when
pick out Hans Wagner as one of
the twenty
Hans Wagner
| presume that more people who
are not deep dyed in the wool fans
know that "Honus" is the premier
swatsman of the National league
than that he is also playing at
shortstop. One would probably in
clude Wagner in the list if it were
only for his ability with the bat
alone, but in addition to this he
plays his positions at least as we'll
as any other player and the two
combined make it impossible for
him to be omitted Looking back
ward ! think that Glasscock should
be in the list
John Gasscock.
He was the peer of all shortstops
of his time and while not such
powerful batter as Wagner, he field
ed his position in a truly remark
able manner. He could go to
either side equally well, and he was
whirlwind at backing up either
sAGnnd ird hnn L.