The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-03-09

To the SuceeSSIuI sharing OF lnSSO
two stars, then tunknowhs' and to
the scouts successful diagnosis or
these men as real kohinoors OF the
diamond work. st. Louis owes Its
escape for eleven years from COM
plete baseball oblivion.
Despite the fact that st. Louis
Is the only city that has never
won a national or American League
pennant. these two players, with
their brilliant records, have man
aged to focus the baseball fans
attention through what would have
been a period of total eclipse. but
for them.
In that time these two men.
as players, leaders of their respec-
tive leagues winners of the most
valuable PLAYER" trophy, and as
managers have lent color to the
otherwise drab careers of the two
local clubs. If lone man teams
were possible st. Louis would not
now be deploring the fact that 1t IS
/, about to enter its thirty-eighth
! baseball season since any kind OF a
j flag flew over one of its profess
sional league parks.
In 1922 these two great factors
All but put over their club,
singIe-handed The Browns lost
; oSif by one game, and the
Cardinals faded at the close, after
setting the pace for long time.
Today with Try Cobb more than
half way down the sunset slope of
an unparalleled career, with iris
Speaker the all-time centerfielder.
entering upon middle years and with
Babe Ruth fighting an uphill battle
against his waistline, the most
coIorfuI. the outstanding veteran
players in the major leagues still
are George Sisler and Rogers
Hornsby. And still, as for the past
decade the hopes of st. Louis
pennant are built around these men.
The amazing PUNCH Of these
PLAYERS is shown by their records.
| In 1922 II reached a peculiar climax.
In that year their remarkable per.
| formances at bat, with Sisler risinS
to then high record batting height
OF APO for the season, Hornsby and
Sisler not only led their respective
leagues, but their high averages
| for their respective leagues. SisleI
| led the stolen base stars of The
| lea que and Hornsby had minor extra
base and other figures.
! For SisIer it appeared that he
would march on 10 heights tina:
might threaten the position Of COBB
las greatest player of all time.
| But what appeared 10 be the gredt
! est tragedy of baseball overlook
him. Eye trouble put him out OF
| the game for year and II Wa
| freely predicted he was through.
The next year was prOba-
| tiOnary season. But last year, to
prove what determination and re-
/ fusaI to accept defeat may accom-
! pIish, ne came back with a rush,
! not quite to his greatest heights.
but so near to il that he hit better
than his grand average IN the
major Iegaue. Also I've was named
by many as the all.star first base
man of the year.
His eyesight restored there liz to
day every reason to expect hat
after a winter in Florida he will he
| of even greater value 10 his reaT
during the season 10 come. He u
not. under the American Leagu.
trophy rules. eligible again to VIII
the honor which he was the frs
to attain under the modern -. S
player rules. But he can snoot Il
the batting record which, IN 1922
brought him to the peak of his Sur
prising career.
Hornsby, like Sisler made goo,
from the first: but perhaps no
~O DIAMONDS