The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-11
BALL PLAYERS IN
GAME SHUT TINE
OF Over Three Hundred That Played
in 1906, Only Eleven viii be In
the Game This
Year.
Try COBB AN OLD TIMER
rseariy All the Old Players Have
Gone, and Others Are Fading
Billy Sunday Got Out
in Time.
What is the average tenure OF the
half pfayer in the big League!

What is the average tenure OF the
ball player in the big league
The reader who asked this ques-
ton caused us to go back over the
records for a few years and we iouno
something interesting and enhshten-
ing on the subject
Somewhere under ten years would
be the answer, but at what point
would be difficult to determine
There are players who have gone
ON for score of years, put players
Of the Arson, Wagner. Lalole type
are scarce There have been nun
dreis who have lasted only season
or two, but it is safe to say tne
average BAH player is good Tor some
where between eight and ten years.
n Is interesting right along this
same line of thought TO go through
q record book Of ten or twelve years
90 and find Just what percentage OF
the PLAYERS in active service then
viii be ready to report at the 1918
training camps
The result is astonishing even IN
the most ardent followers OF the
game.
Only Fifteen Left
IT seems scarcely possible that out
nf $50 men drawing salaries In the
American and National leagues in
1906 only fifteen played ball In 1917
and four of these probably will not
he seen in 1918. And this in the
space of only twelve years
OF the American league pitchers OF
1906. who included Wadde1, Mullin.
loss. Chesbro and others, only three,
Bender, Plank and Coombs were able
to pitch successfully last year, and
Plank retired in the middle OF the
season. One other, Donovan, man
aged q big league club.
OF the National league pitchers OF
1906, Reulbach and Ames were the
only ones who saw service in 1917,
and Reulbach pitched very little at
Boston and has been given his I'M
conditional release Mathewson was
still active in baseball, as manager
of the Reds.
Not a catcher of the 1906 troop
was in harness eleven years later
except Gibson, who did a little relief
work at New York.
OF the infielders six remain OF the
1906 crowd, providing Lejoie /:
counted, for Larry, after years so
journ in the minors, is certain II
wear a big league uniform mex
season. The others are Wagner, wht
only played part of the season; Lo
bert. who was in less than invent!
games in New York; Eyers, who wa:
out of the game great part OF TIT
season; Turney, who played in {
utility role with Cleveland, ant
Chase. The latter was the onl.
regular of the outfit
In the outfe1d we find five still il
the game. Strange to say the grea
Tyrus Raymond Cobb is amoni
them and is still the greatest OF al
ball players. The others are San
Crawford, who has about reached tn
end of the road; Hinchman. Schultz
who had an unsatisfactory seasol
last year, and Sherwood Magee, VIII
has been released by Boston.
Others actively in the game VII
were "up there in 1906 are Fielde
Jones, manager of the Browns, and 30
Wallace, who will be back in the bi
tent next year, probably as coach.
This is striking picture of tn
length of time a big Lacquer ma
hope to remain in fast company.
Most of them are gone, and al
with the exception of Cobb, are faC
ing. Twelve years means a gree
deal to a ball player.