The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-02
VANCE IS MOST
 VALUABLE STAR
Writers Say Hornsby Sec ond Among National
 Leaguers

NEW YORK, Dec. 1.-Dazzy Vance, the one-time waif of organized baseball, has received the acclaim from the Ma tional league as the most valuable play or in the circuit in the season of 1924. The National leagues most valuable player contest committee, composed ot eight baseball writers, elected Vance for the 1924 trophy over Rogers Hornsby, the greatest hitter in the game, A points to k2. by a complicated system of bal loting.
 Vance, who has changed hands more times than a two-bit piece in a crap game. comes into the title long after he had abandoned the expectation Of being a great ball player. He was only hoping when he landed with the Brook lyn ball club a couple of years ago and he was as much surprised as the op- posing hitters when he suddenly came into possession of his great combination of speed and control last summer.
 ROamed For Years
 Dazzy spent eight years roaming in the gloaming of baseball. He was haled out of the dimness of the minors from time to time for trial in the glare of the major leagues, but was sent back each time until Wilbert Robinson, manager of the Brooklyn club, recog- nized the possibilities in his arm.
 Branch Hickey, the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, will be annoyed by the selection of Vance over Hornsby, but not exactly disappointed. for he bad an idea two months ago that Horns by could run no better than second in the competition. Hickey contends that no pitcher, playing in less than 4O games of ball, could be more valuable to his club than Hornsby was to the Cardinals, playing through the season with few days off, and hitting .423 for the season. He thought that Hornsby's s defensive work at second base, combined with his hitting value, should have elect ed Rogers to the title without much dispute.
 Vance won 2S games and lost only six in 1924 and his arm undoubtedly was the reason why the Brooklyn club, a ragged gathering of pensioned old-times and cheaply bought players from the minors. was able to crowd the Giants for the pennant right up to the end of | the season.
 Frank Frisch, second baseman and Field captain of the New York Giants, was third in the balloting with 43 points. Zack Wheat of the Dodgers was fourth with 40. Ross Young, Giant outfielder, and George Kelly, first base man for John McGraw's team, were next in line with 35 and 34 ballots, respec' lively.
 These three, regarded as the most valuable players on the New 1orR team, were the ones named by Jimmy O'Connell, the blacklisted outfielder, as the instigators of the bribe scheme just before the last world series, but Judge Landis held that nothing had beer proven against them.
 Rabbit Maranville, late of the Pirates recently, traded to the Cubs, got 5' points; Hazen Cuyler, the Pirates out fielder, got 23; Jack Fouriner, the aget firsthaseman of the Dodgers, got 2l, ant Eddie Rousch, of the Reds, was glve1 12.
 Vance was the first choice of si1 members of the committee. HornsbI was the first choice of only two.
 The committee picked a theoretica all-star team from the list of those re ceiving votes as the most valuable players.
 The lineup is: ~.
 Kelly. Giants, 1b.; Hornsby, St Louis. 2b Maranville, Pittsburg,, ss. Frisch, Giants 3b.; Wheat, Brooklyn lf.; Rousch, Cincinnati, of; Young Giants, rf Iartnett, Chicago. c. Vance and Grimes of Brooklyn; Rizey Cincinnati; Yde, Pittsburg, and Alex ander, Chicago, pitchers.