The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-05-02
YOUNG BLOOD NEEDED
IN AMERICAN LEAGUE
To WIN, SAYS MENKE
Bx FRANK q. NIENKE

1t behooves the American league to
awaken quickly to the realization that
it needs young blood within its
hneups
The Ban Johnson organization arose
from nothingness to greatness-and
held the heights of the baseball world
for years-because it was a league
composed of youngsters, full of pep
and fire and daring; Astounding In
spectacular youth.
The National league, once supreme
in baseball, slipped back and yielded
laurels and glory to the junior organl-
cation. 1t did so in puzzlement. 1t
couldn't understand for long time
why it was superseded in baseball
power. But eventually it came to
know that it was all because it was
playing superfiuity of veterans while
its rival was using youngsters.
Finally alive to its condition, the Ma
tional league set about slowly but sure
ly to remedy it, Little by little, il
weeded out the old timers and filled
their places with youth. And, as a
result, the standard of play in every
department in the Nationals has speed
| ed up.
Americans Stand Fat
Meanwhile, the American leaguers
are committing the same blunder the
Nationals sprayed onto the records
i They have been standing pat, They
can't cultivate the idea that T. Cobb
Iris Speaker, Eddie Collins, Ray
Schalk, Walter Johnson and hundred
others no longer are kids. And so, in
stead of wedding out those who have
slipped they are retaining them, be
cause, compared with their fellow
American league workers, they still
are good.
But compare the American league
standard of play in 1910 or 1915 will
what it is today-and there is no rea
comparison. For the whole league
due to plethora of dead wood, ha:
slithered in the standard of perform
ance.
Johnson, Bagby. Mays, Bush, Shaw
key, Faber, Coveleskie, Dauss, Jones
Leonard, Mogridge, Shocker = there
you have the outstanding pitchers il
the American league. And PRACTICAL!
every one is so or over-an age beyond
the average moundsman's prime.
Here is list which embraces prac
tically all the satellites of the Ameri
can league, beyond the pitchers. Lool
EN- over, and then gaze at their brit
year, which is hitched alongside:
Il Austin q F., 1882; Baker Il F.
1886; Bush q F., 1888; Cobb 20 F.
1886; Collins Il F., 1887; Collins e
F., 1886; Flagstead q F., 1898; Gard
ner Il F.. 1886; Graney 20 F., 1888
Gerber q F., 1891; Charity (C), 1897
Heilman 90 F., 1894; Hooper 20 F.
/, 1887; Janvrin Il F., 1892; Leibold e
| F., 1892; McInnis Il F., 1890; Mia
| 20 F., 1887; Murphy 20 F., 1891
=. Nunamaker (C) 1889; O'Neill &C,
1892; Peckinpaugh q F., 1891.
Pipp, q F., 1885, Pratt q F., 1890
Rice 60 F., 1892; Roth 20 F., 1892
Ruth 60 F., 1894; Schalk (Cl, 1892
Schang (C), 1889; Smith 20 F., 1892
Scott 60 F., 1892; SEVERED (C), 1891
Shanks 20 F., $780, SisIer Ct Fl, 1879;
Speaker 60 F., 1888; Strunk 20 F.
1883; Tobin 20 FL. 1898; Veach 20 F.
1888; Walker 60 F., 1888: Wamb;
ganss q F., 1898; Wood 20 F., 1889
Young q FL, 1890.
There isn't a truly great player III
der 20 years in the entire America
; league, except Waite Hoyt, the pitche,
Beyond Hoyt, and excepting Rutl
: Heilman and Sisler, who are on tn
border line of 80, every star en- tn
Johnson organization has passed tn
presumed prime Of ball player.
If you made up an all-star team frol
the American league today it would. {
necessity, include Cobb, Sc; Speake
"a; Ruth, 2S; Heilman, %; SisIer, 29
, Collins, So; Scott, so; Gardner, sc
: Schalk. so; O'NeiIl, so; Hoyt, %
= Mays, 81; Johnson, So; Coveleskie, 80
, and Feber, a.
: The result is a team averaging &c
VI How vastly different it was in 191
= when McInnis, 20; Collins, %; Barr
{ p, and Baker, "a, made up the $40
I 600 outfield" when Cobb was "a, SpeaI
er %, Johnson ga time when til
r entire American league bristled wit
\ youngsters; when the greatest teol
0 conceivable did not average beyon
% years.
Unless the American league pr
ceeds about general housecleanin
and supplants age with buoyant, da
@ ing, dashing youth, it is due for
fearfully sad awakening-and an ear
: one,
e Copyright 1921 ny King Features
0 Syndicate, 1Dc.)