The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-12
GOOD STUFF IN 1915 CROP
OF COLLEGE BALLPLAYERS
Picked Team Ought to Make a Pretty Fair Showing in
the Big Le~agues-Pennant Winning of Course
Would Be Out Of the Question.

n big league race, finish fourth or fifth
anyway. Very we'll. II this lot Of col
legians could do that. hav not the pres
ent day collegians, among whom there
Is no little individual experiences. he
same potential ability as their prede-
cessors had? Not that the probabilities
necessarily are that all of the college
roster Of players would make good. but.
handled by a competent manager, one
who could teach inc develop, they
would at least furnish a good nucleus
for a big league team.
The chief doubt regarding the college
team has to do with its batting ability.
That always Is a big uncertainty when
new material comes Into the majors.
As to natural defensive ability the dif-
ference bet tween the two teams 70 much
less. The pitching stan OF the college
aggregation Is n corking good one as 1t
now stands. and plus experience would
become a formidable box corps. This
Is how the two teams would compare:
The professionals 80 per cent. stronger
In attack. including batting and base
running Is per cent. tronaer In pitch
ing and Is per cent. stronger In field
ing, the superiority in pitching and
edge of the game acquired from prac-
tice.
The professionals are Of proved
strength. The collegians would have 20
win their spurs. The burden of proof
Is on them. Given the same amount of
experience and equally proficient man
agement and II Ia doubtful whether the
college team named could become ae
good a ball club as the professional team
named. To the writer's way OF think
ing the professional team. under the
~ tAt. -,-.. Am 49,
least 10 per cent. the better.
As to present form the professional
galaxy would, I think, excel chiefly In
batting and attack In general and in
the backstop department in fielding. Al.
though the Collegians batted capitally M
collegians their fat averages were not
made gains any such array OF pitch.
Ing talent as Is represented by the staf
of their paper team. Professionals
however. bat against pitchers Of that
grade in every game. Again. the pro-
f~cssionals have daily competition to helr
them learn batting. whereas the colleg,
players do not. To become bis
league batters the latter would have &c
be untaught some of the things the.
have been taught.
h college receivership woulS have
to go a long way TO reach the grade
OF excellence represented by the profess
sional catching trio Henry. Meyers ant
Snyder. Here are three backstops who
are past masters at getting the bes'
work out Of pitchers. t tagging run
ners at the plate. at s~teadying IA tear
n other fine points OF their avocation
. In two positions the professional IN
field chosen sets a high mark at whicv
to aim. There Is n wider gap between
Collins and Barry n their colleg.
rivals. Watt and Legore. than betweer
Pipp At hrst and Grant at third an,
Mills and Darlington respectively
Watt II a fine player-biR league calibre
experts declare-but Collins is n An,
player plus. Barry Is a thorough mas
ter Of his position. cool and smart. on,
Of the hest students of the game IL
the game. I@gore has a powerful arm
and throws accurately, and mechanical!
can do most of the things Barry ca,
do. hut he would nave "a show a quick.
grasp Of openings II more baseball
sense than he did show last seasol
to he "A Barry. Yet he was the best q
the college shortstops. who were nj
ordinary lot.
! ate the college outfield as n crack
aiack. practically as good as their pro
fessional brcthren-speedy, able TO On
up ground in securing the ans 10
flies. good throwers-an outfield whir.
would do admirably right now as pro
fessionals and develop into a crack tri,
In fielding, al least, these three woul
hold their own.
Tn colleges had pitching above In
ordinary last season. The best savc
pitchers of 1915 were much above th
best seven of former seasons, The
wouldn't do AS effective work right no'
as the professional seven because the
haven't been to AZ good a school, bt
still they represent II wide range {
ability and quality enough to make LOT
~ trouble any time for profession;
teams IN a seasons batting, The
would pitch more intelligen'ly than III
ordinary run OF yearly products OF 60
lege ind
= In native equipment the college pitch
era chosen are closer to the professions
, pitchers than the college catchers. "
fielders or batters are to their respe,
tive groups on the professional team
There IL in the college star the mall
!, ing of a first class pitching corps II
any company.