The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-08-07
NO Player
IS (NVCH
CHOICE
BY Babe Ruth


CHICAGO, H., Aug
Picking an all-star team IN the
big league this year isn't go
ing TO be any easy job. It's
still some time before / have
to make my annual selections,
but already I've been casting
about over the batting and
fielding averages and the.
various records, and it looks
as though this would be as
tough d selection as | ever
made.
Some Of the men who were out
standing candidates last year have
slipped BIT. Some Of the others,
just as good now as they were
year ago, are getting q lot of COM
petition from youngsters who were
unheard Of year ago
Take the second baseinen for
instance. Friscll, Laxzeri, Horns
great ball. Al OF them are
make Il selection Of one from
this quartet is mighty hard
Job. No matter which enc Is Sc
Iected. thee will be d lot 70 be
said in fas.db ~ the other three.
It's the same right on down the
line. Every position Is we'll rep
resented hy real stars, and in only
one or two instances will It be DOS
sible to select q man who stands
head and shoulders above all the
rest. IL seems to me that bas ebah
has changed ii that way. here
are more real stars today n each
position than there were ten or
fifteen years ago.
Fifteen years ago you could sc.
lect an all-star team ana there
would be scarcely an argument.
Men like Speaker Cobb, wagner,
Collins. Walter johnson, Joe Jack
son and Hal Chase were outstand-
ing All you had to do WAS name
them. No one could offer IN argu-
.ment against them. In three or
four positions. perhaps. there would
be some question and some argu-
tnent But the others were natnrals.
Today there's competition in all
nine spots There isn't single
spot where you can name man
and ret an unanimous vote. IL Is
even worse this year than It was
last. Last season for instance Lou
Gehria was standout al first nase
This year Jim Bottomley Is havlnS
one of the greatest seasons OF his
career, and Gehrig is having 2
poorer year. which makes oot. e.sL.l.
lev 4 real competitor for the first
base job.
Understand I'm not saying
flaaf GeIlrig will be picked over
Rotfou1Iey or that BOttOmley
will be picIted over Gehrig.
don't know. Right now
couldn't tell you a single man
fn either league who Is absolutely
s,.ra to be picked. Whit I'm try
Inc to p0int out is that each
wear the job Of picking an MI
star club gets tougher and
tougher.
In fact right now ] know Of only
me tougher job. That's picking the
most valuable player in each league.
From what / can observe it looks
as though Jim Bottomley might
have the inside track in the Ma
tionaf League He has played
Great ball all year, and il has been
his hitting and generate play that
has gone long way toward keep
ing the Cardinals up there In the
race.
But what about the American
League You can name dozen
candidates. There's Tony Lazzeri of
the. Yankees: Young Kress. OF the
Browns: Bob Reeves, of Washing
ton. Jimmy Foxx of the Athletics
and a haIf-dozen others, all OF
whom have pretty good claim for
the job. The sports writer's who
have to name the men this year
win have a job on their hands.
And ii will be no einch picking that
aII-sfar team either.
Right now it looks to me like
about a. tough job as I've had
IN all the years I've been naming a
team.
lcopyright 1928. by The christy
Walsh Syndicate.)
,autarhkrD rIEc Enp TuIpN