Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-06
.ALL-STAR BALL TEAM
SP|cKED BY PLAYERS
Selections Radically Different From
Those Usually Made by News
paper Writers.

There have been commissions of high
browed experts among the base ball
writer's to pick most valuable" play
ers. and there have been experts and
non-experts. high and low browed, who
have infested the world with their
choices Of "all-star" teams. Now we
have a new wrinkle along that line. A
ST. Louis newspaper conducted a sort
Of voting contest among ball players,
in which forty well known diamond
athletes were asked to give their
choices for an -all-star" team. A COM
pilation of the choices showed the team
to be made up as follows. the names
being arranged in what is believed to
be the best batting order:
Shotton. Browns, outfelder.
Bancroft, Phillies. shortstop.
Cobb, Tigers. outhelder.
Collins. White Sox, second base.
Speaker. Red Sox, outfielder.
Merkle. Giants, first base.
Maisel, Yanks, third base. --...--
Schalk, White Sox, catcher.
Snyder. Cardinals. catcher.
Alexander. johnson, Mamaux, Toney
and Leonard. pitchers.
Sfsler, Browns, substitute.
1t will be noticed that the forty play
ers voting on the best ball team
make selections radically different from
those usually named by the base ball
writer's who presume to tell the public
who the real stars are For instance,
Merkle, Maisel and shotton are un-
known in the high-brows' All-American
selection. 1t is a fact, nevertheless,
that ball players throughout the coun-
try believe Shotton close to Ty Cobb in
real worth. Shotton has done wonder
full work for the Browns. and his selec-
ton is the more remarkable because he
always has been with a losing team
Among his fellow professionals Shotton
is regarded as one of:the best outfleid-
ers that the game ever knew.
Merkle a Star.
Merkle is conceded to be the most
valuable first sacker in the game. He
not only hits well. but is a marvellous
fielder and is rarely out of gear with
the rest Of the infield when a team
work play is on.
The players think Maisel the most
valuable man at third because he is al
ways working hard to win. He is what
they call "a ball player at heart" Some
men play good because they are paid
to do that very thing, but Maisel fights
all the time because he loves the game
To illustrate: There was never a more
finished third sacker than Tillie Shafer
but his heart was never in the game
His name never appeared on an all
American team.
There is no use to explain the selec-
ton of Cobb, Speaker, Collins, Snyder
and Schalk. Their records tell all that
and in their case the figures have not
made mistakes.
about the selection of Sisler as the
utility or all-around man. Starting in
as a pitcher last season. he played
nearly every position on the club and
played 1t wen. In addition thereto he
hit the ball hard all the time. His hit
a pitcher and that accounts for the
many shifts. At that he was an excel
lent twirler.
Left Out Lewis.
Duffy Lewis was not placed in the
outfield of this team for the simple rea-
son that his best work of the year did
not come until the world series. Up to
that time he had gone through a pretty
bad season. In fact, less than two
months before the big games Lewis
had been warned to brace up in his
playing. Otherwise. it was intimated
that Henricksen might take his place
in the Red Sox outfield.
Though few have mentioned them In
their selection, Mammaux and Toney
were probably the most valuable pitch
ers of the season with the possible ex-
ception of Alexander. They were play
ing on losing teams and still attracting
attention by successive victories.
A remarkable feature of the-1915 Sc
lection is that it is the first time in ten
years that Mathewson's name has not
been mentioned as one of the pitchers.
The names of the forty players whose
combined opinions resulted in the
choice of this best ball team" are not
given Well, hardly. for it might mean
merry controversy. but it is stated
that none of the forty voted for him.
self, at least not as first choice, In max
ing up his team.