Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1914-01-31
BASEBALL WRITERS
RUCKER KING So
Georgia TWirIer Who Winters In Stunt
Choice Of SCribGS as Most EffecVl
ArtiSt-Eddie Plank is Second Che
(From Sporting Life.)


highest glory as member of the
Brooklyn Dodgers, has justly earned
the title of baseball's greatest south
paw According to baseball experts
called upon to decide the most cher
ished left-hander in the big leagues
Rucker is at present at the zenith of
his pitching attainment, and consider
ing intrepid value to his team, pro1
leans into a territory all his q
il baseball autho1ities -
vited free handed t0(
as to the most valua
Fucker was the recipient
While Eddie Plank, the graz
ebrity of the worlds champion
letics, was recognized as a peer =
two criterions. Ray Collins, of the
Boston Red Sox, was given one vote,
while slim" Sallee, of the st. Louis
Cardinals, and Lefty" Russell were
singled out with one choice respective
ly. Fuckers memorable work during
the early season of 1918 swayed the
ballots heavily in his favor, as it is
fresh in the minds Of the scribes that
this unafltering left-hander would
prove quench in the desert were he
affiliated with a club OF first division
standard
The opinions of the eleven experts
follow:
BY Paul H. Shannon, Boston Post
AS a steady, dependable twirler, will
ing to work whenever called upon, and
able to hold any team in the National
league in check, consider Nap Ruck-
ler, of Brooklyn, to be without doubt
the best left-hand pitcher in either big
league. His only real rival is Eddie
Plank, and the advancing years of
the great Phhadelphian count him out.
By w. J. O'Connor, st. Louis POST
Dispatch-It may surprise some crit
les to find that Sallie, of the Cardinals,
should be selected as any ones choice
for leading left-hander, but it can be
said right here that the lean and an
gular southpaw has only one weakness
and that's the club he's with During
the past season he won 20 games in
spite Of his teammates, and any one
who can shoulder the handicap Sal"
did and accomplish as much deserves
a Carnegie hero medal smothered in
diamonds.
BY Harry P. Edwards, Cleveland
Plain Dealer-Ray Collins, of the Bos
ton Red Sox, is the most consistent
left-hand pitcher in the country, in
my opinion Gregg Russell and the
others may show greater flashes Of
Ibrilliancy at times, but once Collins
gets into shape he is consistently IL
fective, as a study Of his record for the
greater part of each season will show.
By E. A. Bachelor, Detroit Free
Press. Lefty" Russell, Of the Chica-y
go White Sox, has no superior as a
left-hand twirIer, to my way of thi9k-
ling. Although 1913 was his first Year
in the major league, he pitched re-
markable ball. He belongs, Ill Re Wal
ter Johnson, to the Iron Man family
and worked in as many games as any
body in either league He has axcep-
tional speed, a wicked curve, and for
a southpaw, he gets the ball across the
pan in surprisingly accurate fashion.
In addition to this, he is an iceberg
in the box, facing such hitters as Cobb
and Jackson as calmly as though they
were amateurs.
By James Jerpe, Pittsburg Gazette
Times.-The Brooklyn left-handed,
Nap Rucker, is my choice as the lead
ing southpaw, although I was consid-
erably enthused over the work Of
Vean Gregg in the one game that
saw the Cleveland man pitch. That
game was against the Pirates, in the
post-season series when he famed II
men in 10 innings. Yet one perform
ance by pitcher would hardly justify