Evening journal., 1915-11-13
AIL AMnHIcAN TEAM-

ing man Of the Jake Daubert type.
Mclnnis has never been noted for his
long hits. He Is not a cleanup slug
ger like the Cub player. But the
man who hit for an average of three
hundred and fifteen in this year OF
lean batting averages, needs no ex-
cuse on the score of batting.
McInnis is still one of the hundred
thousand dollar infield who has fallen
1 OFF no particle in his phenomenal play.
Daubert Il must be remembered has
slumpod and slumped considerably to
lose the crown, but McInnis has not
done So Furthermore. his fielding
is one Of the classics of the diamond
II Is but one point short OF perfection.
McIInis at first, is greater star than
Safer.
At second base Collins outhit Doyle
by more than twenty points, scored
over thirty runs more than the Giant,
while in fielding we will assume there
was not much comparison. Collins
can play rings around Doyle the best
day the latter ever saw, and as his
supremacy is is equally clear in bat
ting and base running, there cannot
be much doubt in anyone's mind that
Collins is the greatest baseman Of the
year.
At shortstop, Bancroft considerably
louthit Bush, and though 1t may be
/, hard for purely American League fol-
! lowers to see Il, we believe he has
I somewhat outfelded him as well. Bush
n Is q great run getter, but Bancroft Is
Z decidedly good in this respect and as
shortstops after all are not paid pri-
/, marily to score runs but rather to
keep the enemy from doing so, Ban
} croft has first choice.
\ At third base there is a remarkably
close balance between Maisel, OF the
4 Highlanders, and GrOh, OF Cincinnati.
In fielding, IL there is any preference,
it must 20 10 Groh. He Is one OF the
prettiest defensive players in the
game. In all round speed Maisel is
clearly superior and has shone partic-
ularly in stolen bases. In hitting,
however, Groh has considerable adj
vantage. The margin is not confined
merely to the fifteen points with
which he outhit his rival, but also TO
long hits as well, and although not so
fast as Maisel. and in addition. occupy
ing q place on a club which has been
near the bottom Of the ladder all the
season, Croh has scored nearly as
many runs as his rival.
We believe that during the present
season Groh has been the more ex-
perienced, better rounded performer.
and while the difference is by no means
so clear as at second base or even
at shortstop such slight advantage as
exists proclaims Groh the premier
performer al third base.
In the outfleld Cobb must be given
a place without a dissenting vote.
An equally brief canvass will elect
Speaker TO first honors.
But mention OF Crawford brings up
visions Of Cravath Cravath would be
| elected by perhaps three out of four
/ observers. First. because he Is men,
E ber of a winning club. and second, from
s the respect that Is given his tweny-
I four home runs. The balance Is in
+ deed finely drawn between these two
performers. but we believe careful
n analysis Of the figures will give tn,
preference ON several accounts t
d Crawford.
Is In the first place, Crawford is a:
u all-round star Of fifteen years stand
J, ing. Cravath has never been a sta
q save for his great hitting. and evel
that is largely due to the extraor
dinary limited playing field upo
n which most OF those twenty-four hom
u runs We're made. I talked 10 Cravat
!, on this point in Boston. and he ad
v mitted that 10 the best Of his know
y edge but five OF these home runs wer
made on alien territory.
Glance for a moment at the figure
= While Cravath has made tweny-fOu
! home runs, he has made but 81
, triples. These figures are significan
Most Of the home runs OF Cravat
were clearly the result of the Ell
croachment fences Of the outfeld.
Crawford. on the other hand. Will
he has made but five home runs (bu
one American Lacquer has mad
more) has twenty-three base hits I
his credit Crawford. though taste
than Cravath. is no longer fleet O
foot, and when Crawford makes
three-bagger hit. depend upon il,
is a three-base hit.
Crawford leads every man in thl
American League in three -baggers
Just as Cravath does in home runs
and II anyone wants TO bet that Craw,
- lords three-base hits were not a.
|, long on the average as Cravath's hom,
y u runs, he will get plenty Of takers ii
the American League.
= Crawford is, without doubt. tn,
- greatest cleanup batter in either cir,
cult and, unlike many great batters
ne is particularly formidable in IN,
pinch. ''''
Christy Mathewson. who has spen
al ms life in the National League. an,
re might most naturally prefer the bat