The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-08-15

But One of Ruth's Original
AIl-American Stars, Hornsby,
Survives Three Years
BY BABE RUTH


Anyone who says the baseball
turnover isn't high has another
guess coming. I never realized
until q few days ago just how
rapidly the big stars slip down
the ladder-and how quickly the
new stars come to take their
places.
It all came up when ] was
going over the lists getting q
line on the two leagues so / could
pick the all-American team next
month. With the help Of COM
mittee Of sport writers l started
picking all-star teams In 1877
Just four years back.
And I'm that time there has been
Just one man who has held his
place on every one Of the three
teams picked. That's Rogers Horns
by. we picked him for second
base in 1922, In 1923 and again in
1924. He's the only man who made
the grade every year. That's .
tip-off on how quickly men slip
and how soon young fellows come
along to take their places.
Several players have been on two
Of the three teams. Shocker was
twice picked as pitcher; Schang
was on as catcher on two teams;
Frisch was twice selected for third
base and Jameson has twice been
picked for the outfield.
No one else In either league has
been able to make the grade more
than once. In three years we
have picked teams twenty.fOur
different players have been named
and most Of them have been able
TO grab off q place only once.
OF the men selected In 1922 only
two were named on the 1924 team.
One OF these was Hornsby, who
has been on all three selections.
The other was Schang, who was
picked as catcher for 1924 after
having been beaten out by Schmidt,
Of Pittsburgh. in 1923.
Here's q funny thing, though.
Every one OF the men named in
the three different selections are
still I'm the league. and all but one
Of them are sttil playing regularly.
And here's another interesting
angle. Six men who made the 1922
team were displaced by other men
IN 1928. And in 1924 there were
eight new names to displace eight
of the stars OF 1923. That's pretty
rapid turnover-and is proof Of
Just how hard it is to stay at the
top in baseball.
In the three years. however,
there has been only one man who
has made the team In his first
wear in the big leagues. That is
Kfki CuyIer, the sensational young
Pittsburgh Outfielder, who was Sc
Iected last year to displace Hell
mann in right field. All the other
men selected have been veterans
at least three Of four seasons.
OF course I'm not writing this
with any idea Of giving the fans
line on the possible selections this
year. The whole thing may be
changed around when we come TO
the business of picking the stars
in 1925. That's another thing about
baseball. You can't dope 1t out by
a system. There are sure to be
some changes this year. But
whether thereH be one or twelve l
can't say, in advance.
One thing though is certain. Pick
ing a team like that is always
tough, and it seems to me the Job
gets tougher each year. There are
so many great old veterans Etill
sticking around-and each year
finds a new crop of kids coming up
to make their bid.
But it's an interesting job, any
how. And a fellow gets a great
line on ball players and their abil-
ity. even though he does get cussed
out by the fans who don't agree
with him.
Copyright 1898. by the Christy
Walsh Syndicate)