El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-08-19
BEST TEAM AND BEST PLAYER
ARE MINE, DECLARES MCGRAN|
Manager of Giants Calls Da Wy Robertson the Most Val
liable Player in the Game Giants Are Now Well
Rounded into Excellent Playing Form Without
Weak Link in the Oh ain Is Managers View
BY MONTY.

rEW YORK. Aug 81 not only
nj have the greatest ball club in the
= world. but 1 also have the most
valuable single player" Thus spoke
John McGraw, manager Of the Giants.
during a tanning bee the other day
Nv pennant winning teams of 1911,
1912 and 1913 did not compare with the
present outfit" he went on And 1
never had any one player that COM
pared with Davy Robertson-that IS,
excepting the greatest pitcher Of all
time. Matty."
AIcGraw's statement hardly can be
called an overdrawn one. Right nov
capable judges of the stamp OF Wilbert
Robinson and George Stallinss declare
Robertson the most valuable outfielder
in the game They rate both Ty COBB
and Iris Speaker a trifle ahead o.
Davy in present ability but point TO the
fact that these veterans are due 70
slip back within the next rev years
whereas Robertson is coming Forward
improving steadily and viii be a star
for al least ten seasons to come
barring severe injuries
Not Weak Link in Giants.
AS for MctiraWs team as a Whoie,
there is not a weak link in 1t now II
Is the only team in either league thar
will fit that description \ wonoerIul
outfieId, a top notch infield, stronS
battery forces and efficient leadership
make the ensemble a rare machine.
Were the Giants on an even 1oOtlnS
with the Brooklyn Dodgers now, they
would be the favorite to beat out the
transporting delegation for the nag
Brooklyn has one glazing weakness
at shortstOp. New York has none.
To apDreciate the wealth Of Outfield
talent owned BY the club. II Is logical
- ire
oldest Of the trio, was ranked as the
most valuable picket man IN the Ma
tional league three years ago and Is
still a youth Of % years. Following
brief slump, Burns is back on the crest
Of his game. Benny kauff, during last
year and the season before, while ne
was the Federal league sensation. was
regarded by outlaw partISans as the
equal of Ty Cobb.
He has not burned up the National
league at bat IN this, his Ilrst seaSo1
in the circuit. but he has shown himself
a brilliant fielder and leads the league
in base running. Add 10 those two
trumps Davy Robertson. now spoken u
by many as a rival OF Cobb and Spea k
er and there is a remarkable trio
Robertson is leading the leag-1e in bat
ting, is as fast as any man in the game
and can throw like a Krupp gun
MerkIe Star First Bnseman.
Turning TO the infield. We find Fred
Merkle, Larry Doyle. Art Fletcher and
Charley HerzOg on guard Merkle. deS-
pite his famous bOnehead play of 1903,
has developed into a star first baseman-
Somehow the other ball players in the
league regard him as a better first
baseman than Jake Daubert Of Brook
lyu- They place him as the best initial
sacker in the league Larry Doyle, on
his game. needs TO give way to no sec
ond baseman- Three years ago he re-
ceived the automobile given annually
as a prize to the most valuable PLAYER
in the league. and he has had his turns
at leading the circuit in batting
Fletcher. during a span of five years.
has delivered more goods a. shOrtstop
than any other man in the game per-
forming effectively day after day Her |
ZOg is the king Of modern day third /
basemen. as well as being a man full
Of contagious pepper and enthusiasm
who carries the rest OF the team along |
with him at concert pitch From the I
moment that McGraw got him from