The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-17
NONE AS GOOD
AS WINNER IN
FORMER YEARS
kress, Gray, Reeves, Jameson,
Lind, kamm, and Morris
Are COntenders
MANY OUTSTANDING
Yankee Infield Immediately
Went to Pieces This Year
When Tony Was Out
BY HENRY L. FARRELL
lNEA Service Snoefs WeifaeN

@NEA service sports Wrltef)
Lou Gehrig, the busting first base
man of the New York Yankees, won
the contest in 1927 for the Amcri-
can Leagues most valuable player
prize in a walk. With Babe Ruth in
eligible for the prize, the young first
baseman was by far the outstand-
ing player Of the season and he
was almost an unanimous choice Of
the voting committee Of baseball
writer's.
This year there is no player in the
league who stands out as promin-
emily as George Sisler, the Babe,
Walter Johnson, Roger Peckinpaugh.
George Burns and Gehrig did when
they won the prize.
There are, of course, q number Of
prominent candidates, but they are
grouped closely together and the
competition will be keener than it
ever has been before. And under
these conditions there will be plenty
of argument over the fitness and
merit Of the winner.
The outstanding candidates would
seem at the present time to be Tony
Lazzeri and George Pipgras, Of the
New York Yankees; Jimmy Foxx, Of
the Philadelphia Athletics; Ralph
Kress and Sam Gray, Of the st. Louis
Browns; Bob Reeves, Of the Wash
ington Senator's; Charley Jameson
and Carl Lind, of the Cleveland In
dians; Willie Kamm, Of the Chicago
White Sox, and Big Ed. Morris, Of
the Boston Red Sox.
There are one or two players on
every club in the league who are
more valuable to the team than the
members of the squad, but it is only
= natural tendency to pay more at
tention to the stars on the pennant
contending teams because their
deeds are given more publicity.
Considering ell the angles, our
choice would be young Jimmy
Foxx, the best all-around player
in base ball. He is q great
hitter and brilliant worker
behind the bat, on first base
or third base and a capable out
fielder. He has been shifted all over
the lot by Connie Mack and he de-
livered on every assignment. /
He is playing with a bunch Of
stars. Al Simmons was fifth in the
voting last year and Jimmy Dykes
was eighth. Simmons has done val
liant work this season, but he has
not been put to the test in great |
that the kid has, and
the kid delivered like q Spartan.
The actual test that proves q
players real value to his club was
put to the Yankees in recent weeks
and it was demonstrated very plain
~ that Tony Lazzeri is a very large
part Of the main works Of the cham
pion Yankees. Tony from the start |
has been vital part Of the Yank
machine and he is the best second
baseman in the league. Last year, in
competition with Gehrie. he got eight
votes from the committee on awards,
and that meant much.
When Lazzeri went out this year
with an injured shoulder, the en-
tire Yankee infield went to pieces.
Koenig blew up when he had to
work with a stranger at second, and
the defense Of the whole team was
demoralized.
Lazzeri's only rival among the
Yankees is George Pipgras, who is
record as the best pitcher
Of the year. But, it can be argued,
any pitcher should have delivered
when the Yanks were hitting on all
cylinders behind him and when the
club went into its terrible slump
Pipgras started losing.
The creditable rise Of the st. Louis
Browns this year placed Ralph Kress
in q position to get a lot Of notice.
The romance Of a rookie coming up
and leading the league in batting for
. long time and inspiring . whole
team, put him in . fine spot. But
some Of the managers and the play
ers in the league think that the fine
improvement Of the Browns was due
Is much to the fine pitching Of Sam
Gray Is it was to anything that
Kress did.
Bucky Harris says that with Cos
lin hopelessly crippled, Bob Reeves
il the most valuable player on his
club. And it was the Gripping Of
Goslin that brought out the real
merits Of Reeves, as he had to play
shortstop from the base line clear
back to the left field wall.
Carl Lind's fine work at second
base for the Cleveland Indians was
one Of the bright spots Of the sea-
son, but the valiant work and the
noble spirit Of Charley Jameson
cannot be overlooked. There should
be some other kind Of q prize to
reward players Of the type Of JAM
ieson, Joe Judge and Sam Rice, 4
prize Of some kind for the best team
| player.
Willie Kamm is another player Of
the same kind, one Of those who do
not flash one day and sputter the
next, but one who is ''old reliable
day after day. one who is there when
he is wanted.
Ed Morris, who did some great
pitching for the Boston Red Sox,
probably will be mentioned in the
voting. He will suffer, though, be-
cause he was not on . winning team.
II he traded places with Pipgras
the situation might Be reversed.
DAWSON WAS AIR PILOT
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