Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-02
THEY come And
60 in The
!. MAJORS

eran Of the major leagues. The de-
mands OF age cannot be ignored;
youth will be served, and every little
while taps are being sounded for the
retirement of one more diamond hero
who has dotted his hat for the last
time to the plaudits Of the thousands
This year tends one to believe that
the death knell of one shortStop at
least Is dangerously near the sound
ing point. This time is seems to be
that grand player, Rhode Wallace, OF
the st. Louis Browns Then, too, re-
ports from Pittsburg, though optimis-
tic, still have tang of Aforeboding
about them that cannot be ignored.
Wagner's knee is good today. How
long will 1t last? fans ask. For phys
icians seem to be a unit In declaring
that injuries to ones knee have a
discomfiring habit of ,bobbingF up a
long time after everything seems to
have been covered over about the
member.
The fact that two of the greatest
shortstops the game has known have
both been kept out of the initial con-
test leads one to peruse the dope
sheets in the effort to find what other
great shortstoppers have held down
when they have passed from the pub
lie eye, together with little detail
aDout their successors
Last year appeared Ray Chapman
from Toleue. Chapman blazed lurid
trail from one end of the American
Association to the other with the Mud
hens, and it was only question Of
time before he broke into the majors
with Cleveland. His work last year,
combined with his peppery qualities.
proved a sensation. This year, though
his record. of hobbies probably eclipses
that of any other player in the same
job, he seems again to be making
good. Hit batting and base running
far Offset his errors, and there seems
little douot that before the year is
cut the fans will watch his labors in
an admiring way and then remark
with satisfaction, well. there's Jack
Turner all over again"
Then Came Barry.
; Before Jack Barry made a name for
himself as member of the Philadel-
phia Athletics. fans of that town just
couldn't forget one Monte Cross. His
last year with Connie Mack was 1907
Cy Nichols and Eddie Collins succeed
ed him, and then Barry appeared.
Since tlen, almost without break.
he has been playing the position, and
still is going we'll
But to little old New York goes
the honor of trying out banner num-
Der of shortstops in desperate ef-
fort to find a worthy successor to Nor
man EIberfield, the famed "Tobasco
Kid Elberfield's last good year was
1906. Then it was that his legs, bat
tered and SCARED from warding rum
ners of the second base bag. went
back on him, and he started to slip.
In 1907 he shared the place with Wild
Conroy, coming back for short time
in 1908. Then Neal Ball fell heir to
the job. sbeing succeeded in turn by
austin knight, Roach, Foster, John
son. Mcmillan. Martin and Stump.
This year finds Chance in as bad a
rredicament as ever before. Derrick
started and went out because of ILL
ness. Sterret came next. being fol-
lowed by Hartzell and Peckinpaugh,
the present incumbent. How long he
will last is as problematical query
as is any dealing with the exact age
of the pyramids.
Rack in 1906 Charley O'Leary had
things all his own way at Detroit,
threatened only by the few final out
bursts of Bobby Lowe, whose big
Loo one IN roar or a rao,,1o - andad fhof
year. Then came Owen Bush, fresh
from his laurels in Indianapolis, and
promptly tickle fandom forgot every
enc else. Bush grabbed off the job
almost without an effort. and except
fer a breif interval in 1910, when he
was hurt, has held it down ever since.
Oh. yes, Manager Jennings Is well
satisfied with DOME, thank you, and
none others need apply. Right at the
present time the shortstopping point
is the very least of Hughey's worries.
Washington Lucky.
Things in this line are just as
quiet and serene in Washington,
where George Mcbride holds out.
Previous to 1907 George wasn't even
known. In that year Altizer, Perrine,
and O'Brien endeavored unsuccess-
fully to show they knew something
about playing shortstop. Then, quiet
ly and unostentatiously, Mcbride ap-
peared. unsung and unheralded, and
from that time on the big league av-
erages have shown but one name, that
Of Mcbride. as playing short for Wash
.ington. He is in there again this
year, steady as "a lighthouse on
rock, yet doing nothing really spec
tacular His work is the same day
in and day out. and only. if be became
disabled in any way would National
fans and Griffith fully realize what an
unassuming star he is.
The same holds true of Heine Wag-
ner, of Boston. When Freddie Parent,
who had been lowering in the Hub
short field for years, was released to
Chicago, a long-drawn wall of ang-
uish went up from Red Sos. fandom.
Soon, however, the TIamesake Of the
Pirate shortstop had them forgetting
there ever was such man as Parent.
Wagner played his first season with
Boston in 1907 Since then with brief