Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-26
BY n. c. BYRD.


BY II. c. BYRD.
1t is not as difficult task 10 select an
all-high school base ball team this sea
son il has been at times While there
are some positions which must neces-
sarily remain doubtful with few concur
ring in their opinions az to the best avail
able men. the majority OF places can be
given almost without question. II only
those who played in a certain position
We're considered for that place on the
honor nine Il would be almost useless to
attempt TO pick the best, as there was
very little difference between several OF
the men. but in this case II is the idea
to get together the strongest aggregation
possible IL Is to attain that end that
the selections are made.
No attempt will be made to give the
generalities that must govern the Sc. &C.
tion of an all-hgh nine, because they
are known by almost everybody who has
followed the game. As each player 10
chosen. though, reasons will be given as
to why he is selected in preference TO
some one else.
Battery Main Consideration.
As the battery is the main consideration
in any ball game, and especially in ono
between high schools. those eligible for
those places will be discussed first. Ii 10
questionable il in the history Or high
school base ball a greater dearth OF ca
pable catchers has been seen. There was
not man who showed the ability TO
play his position in way that would do
credit 10 him and his coach. No more
than one or two could even handle the
ball when ne received il from the pitcher
in capable manner. and none Il them
could make an accurate play al the plate.
one OF the prime requisites for a good re-
ceiser- OF the fiye men who did the
ba ckstop work there is no doubt that
Mess or Central was the best While
he lacked pep and caught though
he did not care whether or not he played,
he stood out among the rest OF the back
stops for the simple reason that he could
handle pitched balls well and throw more
accurately than any Of the others. He
did not throw well in the Central West
ern game for the reason that il was in-
possible for him 10 move around with
any facility on a badly sprained ankle
which he had al the time. Mess was also
good hitter. being almost consistent
at the bat as any Of the scholastic
players.
1t would he impossible TO make seiec-
ton for the box and do justice to ell.
There was so little difference between tho
work Of Cox. Looms and Austin that
over the other two. I.oomis went through
the series and pitched remarked BILE ball I'm
every game. especially when il is consid-
cred that he had never twirled a game
OF ball in his life before he faced Eastern
in the opening contest OF the series. Cox,
also hrst-year man. also showed in the
game against Western that he possesses
ability enough TO place him in a class
with the mentioned man. II may be
held that Austin of Tech should be given
the place because ne Won all his games.
That is i'm a measure true, out because
a pitcher wins a ball game does not set
tie the question 10 whether he In
better man than the one opposed to him.
In the final contest OF the series, the one on
which the championship hung. Austin did
not work any more effectively than did
Loomis and he was hit harder than was
Cox when he pitched against Western,
although the score column would not
show H. Believing, as has been said
before, that there is little difference in
the work of the three mentioned men,
they have all been placed in the lineup
as a pitching corps with equal honors.
Good Men for First Base.
For first base there are four good men,
any one of whom would fill the bill I'm a
capable manner, and all OF whom must
be given place somewhere on the team.
as they are TOO valuable with the stick
and as all round men to be lost. Myers
Ol
trail and Wood of Business are the ones
referred to. Ii would be almost impossi-
BILE to keep either of the four men OF
any representative scholastic nine that
might be picked, ard all OF them would
be able to make some position on any
team.
To hold down the place on first base
Myers is chosen. He has played the
bag for three years in succession without
a shift and could probably give better
account of himself as a fielder than either
of the others. While he has hardly hit
up TO the standard of last year, his work
at bat has been effective that he has
batted in a majority of the runs scored
by Western in all its games. In hand
ling infield and foul flies he is superior TO
any of the others. He Is also faster
man and covers more ground than does
any OF the other three.
As has been said before, King, Wood
and Hardy are too valua BILE men to DO
placed in the discard because they are
hardly up to the standard of an excep-
tional man in their one position. All
three or them are exceptionally good hit
tiers, the best on their respective teams,
and for that reason are given the three
fly balls fairly accurately, but any little
slips that might he made in their fielding
would be more than made up by their
hitting ability. None will deny that either
of the three men would have to be given
a regular place in the outfeld, for HE
who held down a Irregular garden poa-
ton during the season.
stearns Best Shortstop.
For shortssop there are two men 70 -
CONTINUED on Fourth PHgSl