The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-06-04
YE OLD TYNE BASE BALL
Frank Eddy Compares the Old Game With the New and
Selects the Greatest Team of All Time

high. he played ball, as he coaches
today, with his hands, his feet, his
voice, his eyes, his red hair, and his
marvelously cunning brain, he kept
his teammates on their toes during the
entire game 1t was always worth
the price of admission to see him per-
form for single inning.
Ed. Delehanty was a mediocre
fielder and an ice-wagon Oh the bases
but as sticker he was the king pm
of them all; we have watched HIM IN
scores of games, anG wnlie, Of course,
he did not always make hit, l never
remember of seing him strike out,
and in the final analyis of base ball
it is hits that win games, Tor II you
can't get men on bases you can't ge'
them around.
Personally l do not admire Ty Cobb,
but l cheerfully doff my bonnet to
him as the premier base ball player OF
all time. AS a combination Of speed,
energy, batting ability, science, and
base ball brains he is in class by
himself. As an all round, he never
has been, and do not believe that ne
ever will be equalled. He plays either
right, center or left field with equal
facility but no manager has had the
acumen to place him where he really
belongs, and that is at first base.
There are plenty of good fielders nut
good first basemen are rarer than al
most any others. With practice Cobb
would make one of the greatest first
basemen the game has ever known.
Only those base ball fans who comb
their hair with towel and require
cushion to sit out game, remember
Abner Dalrymple, or "Dal" as he was
called in the old days. Yet he was
star under Arson and was sold TO
Pittsburg for the highest price ever
paid for player up to that time. For
two years he captained the Plttsburg
team and if / remember correctly,
they won the pennant both seasons
he led them on the field.
With the possible exception Of Cobb
land as l stated before, his proper
position is first base) he was unqucs-
tionably the greatest fielder the game
has ever known. He was a safe and
reliable sticker, swift as an eagle On
the bases, and sure as grim death On
fiy balls, and his throwing "wing" was
a bundle of steel springs. No player
ever got from third to home on a
! fly ball caught by him no matter what
/ part of the field it was captured In,
and l have repeatedly seen him throw
out a player at first on a ground hit
to left field, feat 1 never saw any
other left fielder even attempt.
The selection of catchers for my
mythical team is task of some diff
Guilty for some of the greatest players
have worn the pad and mask. My
| first choice leans to John Killing, the
old Chicago Cub catcher; who was not
only a first class mechanical catcher
but was one of the greatest, ii not
the greatest, baseball strategist In
the game. One pennant at least was
won by him for his club by pure
strategy on his part.
For a second catcher we pick Marty
Bergen of the old Boston Nationals,
whose tragic death by suicide the old
followers of the game can well re-
member, who, while not possessing the
brains of King, was the greatest me
chanical catcher that ever donned
J mask and glove. Such a thing as 2
runner stealing second with him be-
hind the bat was impossible, and IN
capturing fouls he was unsurpassed
In our choice of pitchers, George
Edward Waddell, known throughout
the base ball world as "Rube" because
there was nothing of the "Rube"
about him, easily ranks first. We do
not measure Waddell by his entire
career, but take him at his best. At
his zenith Waddell was unquestion-
ably the greatest pitcher that ever
stepped into the box. his speed vas
terrific and his curves were dazzling:
He holds the strike out record OF all
the leagues. He performed numerous
stunts that no other pitcher could per
form. A catcher, first and third
baseman were about all the players
that were needed when the "Rube"
was on the mound. Waddell was one
of the greatest drawing cards that
ever played the game. He was the
one great base ball comedian par ex-
cellence. Nick Altrock and Germany
Schaffer were merely imitators of the
only Wadden. 1t has been stated by
well posted base ball men that he vas
worth 100000 a year to the Phila-
delphia club during his oI.y two really
good years.
Amos Rusie, of the old New York