Evening journal., 1912-01-26
FIVE BEST
in BASEBALL
Expert Selects Greatest Teams
and Best Depart
mentS
BALTIMORE LEADS
In TIES ELECTION

The wind may be batting .442 and
the grand old snow may have blurred
from sight the last seat upon rooters'
row or smeared out the green of the
diamond IN a drift of white says
Grantland Rice.
But if anyone cares to bring back
the rabies of midsummer with a fan
ming bee of tropical temperature all
he needs to do is to assemble five fan
atics from Baltimore, Boston, Pitts
burgh. Chicago and Philadelphia and
suggest as a topic the greatest ball
club that ever played the game"
As starter it might be just as well
to summon a platoon of cops or a
cross section of the National Guard
to curb the impending riot into SEEM
ly proportions
We've heard delegates from all five
centres discuss the theme separately
and this was fuzzy and boistrous
enough, without arranging them in a
cluster or compact group.
The title from the last 20 years UNI
doubtedly belongs to the Baltimore
club of 1895 the Boston club of 1897
the Pittsburgh club of 1902 the Chi
cago clubs Of 1907 or the Philadelphia
Athletics of 1911. They follow in or
der:
Baltimore, 1S95-Robinson, catch
er; Hoffer, Mcmahon, Esper, pitchers;
Carey, first base; Gleason. second
Jennings. shortstop; ,McGraw, third
Kelly, Keller, Brodie, outheld
Pittsburgh, 19O2-Phelps, catcher;
Chesbro. Tannehill, Lever, Phillip
pitchers; Bransfeld, first; Ritchey
second; Wagner, shOrtstop; Leach
third; Clarke, Beaumont, Lefty Davis
outfield.
Cubs, 1907-Kling catcher; Brown
Overall, Beulbach, Pfeister, pitchers;
Chance, first; Evers. second; Tinker
shortstop; Steinfeldt, third; Shack
ard, Schultz, Holman, outfield.
Athletics, 1911-Thomas, catcher
Bender. COMBS, Plank, Morgan
pitchers; Mcmnis, first; Collins, Sec
ond: Barry, shortstop; Baker, third
Lord, Oldring, Murphy, outfield.
Boston, 1897 - Bergen, catcher;
Nichols. Klobedantz, Hickman, Suv-
etts. pitchers; Tenney, first; Lowe
second; Long, shortstop Collins
third; Duffy, Hamilton, Stahl outheld
The Pirate Pitchers.
Segregating the best lineup Of the
quintet from this cluster is a prob
lem we cheerfully leave to represen-
tatives from the contending cities
The Boston club of 1897 ran up the
greatest percentage, with 1855. Tho
Cubs and Athletics both won worlds
championships by healthy margins,
The best catcher of the lot wal
King of the Cubs, although Robinson
and Bergen trailed along closely.
The best pitching staff belonged e
the Pirates. with Chesbro. Tannehill
Lever and Phillippi, With the Cul
staff close behind.
The best infeld argument bungl
on additional words. But from the fiv'
teams, Boston, Chicago and Philadel
phia have the call. with an edge toe
keenly sharpened to throw any grea
amount of shade.
II there is any edge it probably be-
longs Wth Boston, where Tenney
Lowe, Long and Collins were all birds
of the most brilliant plumage-birdi
of Balloons paradise, to be a tril'
more explicit
The Mackmen inheld is too closl
alongside to furnish any gap for ex
tended comment or comparison. Blu
any one from the three. infields woulC
be welcomed by the average tail-enC
club as an asset worthy of at leas
passing consideration.
Orioles Great 0utfield.
The Outheld prize belongs to Balti
more or Boston-Kelly Keller ant
Br5die versus Duffy, Hamilton anl
Stahl. Pittsburgh, follows, Will
Clarke, Beaumont and Davis.
A club close behind this wonderful
quintet looms up in the Giants Of 1905
worlds champions, with four shut
outs from five starts. With BresnahaI
catching, Mathewson and McGinnit.
pitching McCann, Gilbert, Dahlen ant
Devlin for an infeld and Mertes, Don
lin and Browne on picket duty, Nc
Graw had ball club capable of Civ
ing any club in history a grapple {,
death.
But the Giants of 1905, as good al
they We're, were hardly upon a pa
with the FIVE clubs named above al
the most likely cOntenders for rank
ing at the games crest
And Of the five probable the hand
est club to stop i'm a short or season.
campaign would have been 1902 Pitts
burgs team, with Chesbro, Tannehill
Lever and Phillippi in the box-a
well as in their prime. If this promo
sition looks to be doubtful wire Johl
j. McGraw who played on the Balti
more club and led the Giants agains
Chicago and Philadelphia. McGraw al
lots the bulk of the booty to Pitts
burgh, 1902.