The Washington times., 1916-12-08
BOOSTING SPOILS
YOUTHFUL PLAYER
Rogers Hornsby Believes Bunk
Written About Him and
Yells for Trade.
BY SID MERCER.

NEW YORK. Dec. s.-Overpraisfng
a ball player In risky business In Ger.
tain cities where baseball rules the
spelling pages eight months in the
year. There are times when excessive
publicity is a boomerang. A case in
point II that Of Rogers Hornsby, the
clever young infielder OF the Cardi.
mails, who has succumbed TO the fst.
terry OF Sc. Louis sporting writer's, and
now assumes that he Is too good to
waste his talent on the desert air OF
the Mound City.
a year ago Hornsby was unknown.
But 10 was ambitious and clever, and
soon attracted attention. out In ~.
Louis baseball IL the big sporting
topic. Any time the Browns or Cardi.
nails get going the enthusiasm OF tho
fans In kept up by the ncwspsperr.
And any time an exceptionally clever
young ball player shows he In com.
PEELED to buy n larger hat every week.
~. Louis has lost several good base.
ball players, who became convinced
that cities like New York or Chicago
were the only places large enough for
the proper spread OF their abilities.
SO when they became good enough TO
quit they issued their ultimatumH. In
they generally forced n deal that sent
them to another club.
Good. Hut Not . star.
Hornsby IL a good ball playcr-per.
hsps an exceptionally great one. lie
promises to become n fixed star II he
can restrain his good opinion OF him.
self and continue to wear his old cap.
He hit well last season and was nj
n hal In a. las .II
manager In the National League could
make room for him.
But Hornsby. with all his good
points and his prospects. was not n
star last season any more than ak
or eight men on every big league
team are stars. ANY man who earns a
place on a major league club must
necessarily grade better than the
average run OF ball players, In the
general run Of big leasners; however.
enough TO merit stsrdom.
One good season does not cntitie a
PLAYER TO burst the buttons OF mis-
vest with natural chest expansion.
Few earn their diplomas In less than
Two two seasons ... We remember that
highly toutcd ~ Hornsby II now.
Snyder was the National Leagues best
catcher In 1918. and he led the league
IN hitting for awhile. This winter he
IL for sale.
Not the Hest Hitter.
iornsby was ono OF the Nationals
bcst batsmcn last season. but not the
best. There were several men who
outranked him. and nobody became
foolish about them. Hal Chase led
the league, and was also the best first
baseman In II, Yet nobody raves
about Chase any more.
by last season, According 20 the
latest report, that young man has
shaken on bis becoming modesty and
now ~. Louis isn't good enough for
him. Because he stood out among a
lot OF ordinary players, Hornsby was
compared to Ty Cobb, George Sisier,
and otherE--al always 10 his advantage.
We remember reading columns OF
newspaper articles In 81. LOUIS on the
subject OF whether Hornsby was .
whether both OF them were not bet.
ter than any OF their rivals.
Ftattery IL Fatal.
The old gag about Hornsby being
able 10 hit a bail harder and drive II
further than any man in the league
and all the old bunk stun was passed
out: The fiattery did not seem 10
bother Sisler, but II was fatal 10
Hornsby, He believes those things
himself now, and II is said said that
he insists on being traded TO a team
chance for the pennant next season.
or he VIII leave the game nat, by
gum,
And II he goes through with IL 81.
Louis critics will give him the same
who ducked out, and say he wasn't
much good after all or he wouldn't
have bitten the hand that fed him.
We have had many OF those prom
yet New York never stopped over on
them. And this IL one place where
undue hattery would work no par
ticular harm, because nobody ever
heard OF a player insisting on being
transferred from New York team
In the last ten years or so.