The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-06-04
By FRANK M. EDDY.

There seems to be almost mama
among base ball men for the selection
of "All" base bali teams.
Clark Griffith, John j. McGraw and
other shining base ball lights have
selected what they consider ideal base
hall teams. but the men who made
these selections are all professional
base bail players and therefore not
impartial judges of base ball ability.
LAWYERS are not the best judges OF
legal qualifications. A jury OF min
listers would not select the ablest
preacher in hundred years of delib-
Grafton and we are constrained TO De
lieve that no professional base ball
man is competent to select the best
base ball team.
/ am old enough to remember when
organized base ball was born. l have
seen every base ball star from Adrian
Arson to Ty Cobb cavort upon the
diamond. / have watched profession
al base ball games in nearly state In
the union, have risked my life in UNI
piring scores of semi-professional
and ametuer base ball games; nave
viewed professional base ball from
every angle, from a knot hole in the
centre field fence to the choicest prl-
vate box in the finest ball park IN the
universe, with the President OF the
United States as a fellow fan In the
same box. / have noted the change
in base ball rules and have watched
the salaries of professional players
soar from meal ticket up into the
thousands. when / have Time, as
the extinguished Congressman from
this district is fond Of saying, L am
going to write an article on the "Evo-
luton" of base ball. 49,.
Modesty is my chief characteristic,
/ only think / am the most competent
man in the nation to pick out The pest
base ball team of all time and here Is
my selection:
First Base-Charles Comiskey.
Second Base-Fred Pfeffer.
Third Base-John ]. McGraw.
Short Stop-Hugh Jennings.
Right Field-Ed. Delahanty.
Center Field-Tyrus Cobb.
Left Field-Abner Dalrymple.
Pitchers-George Edward Wadeil,
Amos Rusie, Christy N.ai.lewson.
Catchers-John King, Matty Ber-
gen.
Could a ball club have been formed
of these men when they were at their
best a club that could beat them al
the game could not be brought to-
gether. They would be an invlncloie
aggregation.
clyxy
itial corner. He originated and IN
vented a style of first base play that
has been followed ever since Dut none
of his imitators have ever Deen apie
to equal the old master. de was a
good sticker, fine base runner anu
as a field captain he has never even
been approached. First base Is the
only proper place from whlca 10 Oh
rect play and a good man at that
point is better than all the bench
managers that ever flashed signals
to a player.
Fred Pfeffer has been forgotten by
the base ball world, yet he was the
father of second base sicence as Com
isky was the father of first base play.
Without glove protection he per
formed all the stunts OF the best mod
ern second sackers and performed
them with a grace and certainty that
is never witnessed at the present
time.
Any base ball player that ever saw
"Mugsy" possessed an indomltaoie
base for the old Baltimore Orioles,
can ever be convinced that any other
player has ever played this position
as 1t really should be played; besides
"Mnggsy" possessed an indomltaDle
fighting spirit that inspired the entire
team. Off the ball field John j. Nc
Graw is perfect gentleman; on the
diamond he is raging flend near
nate. No ball team OF which he IS
member is ever beaten until the last
man is down and then the probabill-
ties are that he will protest the came
if he loses. Base ball is as much E
game of nerve as it is of skill and
McGraw has more nerve than any
other man who ever wore base bail
uniform.
Hugh Jennings covered acres OF
ground as short stop. He always
went after every ball batted between
first and third even if it was a mile