South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-17
FEW STARS WILL
REMAIN IN BIG
LEAGUES IN 1920
Men Who Have Been in Top
Ranks for the Last Several
Years Are Fading-Wagner
About Through.

Apf iatik - -lfNtlt-.
NEW YORK. Jan. 16-Another five
years and most of the present day
diamond stars viii be but memories. /
Father Time has been lcnieut with
some. but there is limit to Father
Times patience, and certain it is that
his patience will be exhausted in
many cases.
Laioie and Wagner. the grand old
guard. are on the down grade. II is
possible that both may stick it out
through 1915, but it's Beyond the hope
OF fandOm that they can go through
1915 in major league company.
Mathewson. the wonderful Giant
pitcher, enters his fifteenth season iU
major league company Matty is still
goOd-but Matty is slipping. Three
years at the most seems TO be Mauy's
limit as regular worker on a big
ieague mound. Matty is only "A years
old nOW-but his arm isn't as good IS
il used To be. II has lost much OF its
old time cunning. Last season it was
rarely that the opposition didn't belt
him for from seven TO twelve hits per
game, and when the opposition can 90
that it means that Matty is going
Tommy Leach probably is good for
two more years in major league soci-
ety-but no more.
Chief Bender and Eddie Plank. the
tWiriers who did so much to bring
fn1e and glory TO Philadelphia. are
near tie end of their careers. They
may pitch fine baseball Tor TWO or
three years lOnger-but no longe-
Ed Walsh. of the White Sox. may
come back" in 1915. but if ne does,
he can linger only a year or two
longer. Age has robbed the once
mighty arm OF its power
Giants Arc Sure to GO.
Another five years. and il is hardly
likely that more than three or four of
the present day New York Giants still
will be in the majors Merkle. Doyle.
Fletcher. Meyers SnOdgrass, Beccher.
Murray and some Of the others have
turned the prime time of their base
ball lives. They are on the down
grade, and soon they Will slip into OBJ
security.
Iris Speaker is q years old. Ho
SILL is a wonderful ball player but
will he be just as wonderful at the
age Of IS? VIII he then be even W,n-
derful enough 10 hold a job i'm the ma
jor leagues. Maybe yes-and maybe
no.
Miller Higgins. Of the Cardinals.
still ranks as a wonderful second base
man. But Miller is getting pretty we'll
along in years. Johnny Evers still is
"a wonderful player-but Will Johnny
be able to answer the major league
roll call five years hence. when he he
viii be nearing the 4O-year mark?
RUDE Oldring and Jack Lapp, of the
Athletics. are getting old. They soon
must fall by the wayside Dick Hob
litzel. now with the Red SoX. is a vet
eran. sam Crawford. the old war
horse of the Detroit Tigers hit like a
fiend last year and fielded in Won
derful style. He showed no signs of
age. yet sam has passed the turning
point and it seems unlikely that when
1919 comes around that Sam will be
memory.
Archer Nearly Through
Jimmy Archer the Cub catcher. and
Larry Mclean, the Giant catcher are
nearly through. They are still good
but they are skidding Jake Daubcrt,
the great first saclIer OF the Brooklyn
Dodgers is pretty well along in years,
as ball players 20.
Charles Doom. Hans Lobert. Grover
Alexander Sherwood Nogee. "Gabby"
Cravath and "Ludy' Luderus, who
made up the main strength OF the
Philues last year are veterans. They
rank just now as among the best play
ers in the game. But how many do
YOU think viii be i'm the major league
five years from uOw2
Heinie Zimmerman of the Cubs
may last five years longcr-and he
may not. Vic Safer, OF the cubs, may
last five vears-and he may not Zach
Wheel OF the Dodgers who ranks as
a wonderful outfielder, is nearing the
turn. 'pode" Pasket. of the Phillies
cannot last much longer. Frank
Schultz. of the Cubs is due for the
minors in another year. Eddie Grant
OF the Giants, Josh Devore. of the
Braves. Reulback. of the Dodgers,
Ames of Cincinnati. and a score Of
other PRESENT day stars in the Ma
tional league soon must travel the
trail TO oblivion
Terry Turner, of the Maps ranking
now as the greatest utility man in the
game is near the end. So are George
Moriarity. of the Tigers. and Bin Car
rigan. If the Red SoX. I'm The Ameri-
can league today where the talent is
somewhat younger than that of tho
National league. there are least IS
players who seem to be in their prime.
But five years heuce-whore will they
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