The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-09-12
JOHNSONS.
VVACNERS.
ALL GONE
BY Babe Ruth

NEW YORK, Sept. I'm
going over the records to pick
an ail-star team, a fellow finds
out a lot Of funny things about
baseball. There was one thing
that impressed me more than
anything else, when I was Sc
Letting my team. 1T was that
there are fewer real stars In
baseball today than there were
10 or Is years ago.
Don't misunderstood me. BY that
I don't mean that there are not
just as good players now as then.
What I mean is that for every
position there are men who are
about equally good. s
Fifteen years ago, in picking an
eIl-star team a man could name
Cobb. Speaker, Wagner, Scfialk,
johnson and fellows like that and
there would be no argument. They
simply stood out. There are no
players like that today. Even =
fellow like : Jrnsby. good As he is,
has plenty OF competition from
men like Frisch and Lazzeri aud
Critz AL Simmons Is "a great
outfielder. but Manush and Combs
and Waner and Douthit and Wilson
are great outfielders too--and you
can't hand the palm to simmons
without an argument.
The best proof Of the point that
I'm making. I believe, is the fact
that q thousand arguments have
arisen about my team-and all OF
them good arguments, too.
don't know just why this Is
true. Maybe, despite what a
lot Of pessimlsts say regarding
kids losing interest in baseball,
there are more Kids playing
baseball today than ever before.
But personally believe the real
reason Is that kids are getting
better baseball training today
: than they used to and the re-
developing into real stars.
----s
Another funny thing about that
alI-star team, according to the news
paper men who handled the con-
tests, IS that a lot Of fans failed to
discriminate between the most val
liable player and the best player.
You know it's entirely possible for
q man to be the most valuable
player to his club, and yet not be a
star at the position he plays.
Take a fellow like Jimmy Foxx
for instance. i believe Jimmy has
been the most valuable man on the
Athletic club this season. He came
In at the proper moment and. filled
O. tough Job well. Yet, don't think
anyone would ever pick Jimmy. as
the third baseman on an al-star
team. Linstrom, Traynor, Kamm-
well there are four or five men in
the big leagues who loom up better
than Foxx when it comes to playing
the position.
After all the most valuable
player thing depends not so
much ON q mans class as it
does on his ability to do a GER
tain needed thing ut = certain
time--and that's where Jimmy
Foxx shOne.
Another three weeks will see the
end of the season. But between
now and then the fans are going to
be treated 10 the greatest baseball
scramble in big league history.
From here on out it looks like
dog fight in both Ieagues-and the
winner will be the club that can
keep it's head up and it's pitchers
working best.
I'm no fortune teller and can't
foresee what will happen. Maybe
the Yankees will win; maybe we'll
lose. But I'll say one thing for the
Yankees. Wen be right in there
bearing down TO the finish-and IL
we do lose 1t will be because the
other fellows were better and not
because they Outgamed or outfought
us.
Copyright, 1929, by The Christy