The New York herald., 1922-02-12
FEW COLLEGE STARS
JUMP into MAJORS
Number Of Players Small
Who Have Made Direct
Move and Stuck.
by WILLIAM u. HANNA.

II isn't an easy matter to dig UP
knowledge as to what big league base
ball players there are or have been
who came up direct from a college
and stuck You can think of any num-
Der of players who ware college men,
but few who didn't pass through some
refining apprenticeship On the way to
the big league.
they are scarce. The subject was
being discussed in baseball rendez-
vous the other day and one of the
crowd exclaimed:
"I'll tell you one college man you
haven't got!"
"WEo?"
ping Bodice"
Which was the second time that dav
that f1ippancy was sprung. Just why
isn't clear. Bodie had certain pro-
nouhced conversational ways, but he
is no illiterate, and as a boy in San
Frarcisco had fair education. Any
body associated with baseball any
length OF time has seen college men
in it who looked the part and other
college men who didn't-nor acted it.
And he has seen just as many non
college men of the same two extremes
of type.
Granting. though, that the influx of
the college man adds department class
to professional baseball, professional
baseball doesn't have to depend on that
influx for all it's class of that sort. 1t
hasn't had a great deal OF help from
the colleges in the matter OF playing
skill but more than small amount
Good timber is to be found in the
colleges. but seldom good enough to make
the grade without the further experience
required between college and major
league. Frisch, as noted, is one of the
exceptions. He is a brilliant exception.
Except George Sisler, he is the best
player ever to come hot from college and
stay.
Sisler Another Case.
Sisler is from Michigan, Frisch from
Fordham. They would be as great
finds" If they had had all sorts of in
termediate preparation. No additional
polish they could have had would make
them any greater. Born hall players,
wonderful ball players. Walter Clark
son. brother of John and Arthur, came
straight from Harvard to the Yankees
I
make good, but might have had he made
the step by degrees and not all at once.
Some young players don't make good
because they are picked too green, some
because they don't get opportunity
enough when they do reach the big
league goal. It's a tough life. AS
splendid a player as Dave Fultz came
from Brown to the Athletics, but was
back in the American Association before
he eventually attained stardom. He was
one of the games best sliders and, like
another expert slider, Jimmy Sheckard.
was taught by John McGraw how to
do it.
Glenn Killinger's career with the
Yankees will be watched with lively in
terest because some say the Penn State
recruit Is as good a prospect as Frisch
was. II he Is it isn't doing his chances
any good to say so. Giving a boy a
campus reputation" hampers him He
tries to live up to 1t. Two excellent
quarterback prospect at Yale recently
had to overcome that handicap. Frisch
came In unheralded. which was help
to him. But he set the fashion for a
lot of second Frisches."
Tenney Came From Brown.
We say Ssler and Frisch are the
II Fred went direct from college to the
Boston club. Whether he filled in any
where between Brown and the Hub /
don't know. If he didn't then he be-
longs with Sisler and Frisch for he
was the equal of either He is the
greatest Of all the first basemen except
Sisler at least that is one opinion, and
first base has had such PLAYERS as
Chase. Donahue, McInnis, Beckley and
Tucker.
Jim Thorpe. as we know. took the
jump direct. but Jim couldn't keep up
The big league pace. Neither could Bill
ly Murphy. Yale shortstop. who came
to John Wards Giants in the early nine
ties. Jumping Jack Jones did It all
right, however. lie was a success in
Philadelphia coming direct from Yale.
Ray Collins. the pitcher. went from
the University OF Vermont to Boston
and made good from the outset. and
Ed Reulbach. graduate of same school.
went 10 the Cubs and became a star
pitcher on a star staff. I believe Billy
Lauder became n big Lacquer right after
finishing at Brown. He made good.
Likewise Jack Barry-Holy Cross to the
Athletics
Falk Of Chicago Is one of these---Uni
versity OF Texas, then the White Sox.
He is a big Lacquer all over judging
by his first year. Mike Lynch pitched
well at Brown. then well for the Pirates.
H. made the transition with distin-
guished success. Stephenson last year
went direct from University of Alabama
to the Indians. These are all. the wri-
ter recalls. Eddie Collins was showed
back into the minors for time after
joining the Athletics.