The Washington times., 1930-07-02
RABBIT K | \ G
FD|AMOND
VETERANS
BY BABE RUTH

NEW YORK CITY, July 2.
What a man that Rabbit Maran-
vile is.
Talk about your super stars
and your men who stick up in
the big show beyond their al
lotted span-there never has been
another like the Rabbit and never
will be. He has more color. more
personality, more fire and more
real fight than any mali know
in either league today, and the
longer he plays, the better he
seems to get.
The fellows on our bench were
talking about him the other day,
and Herb Pennock pulled a line
that I think was a great tribute:
"The Rabbit comes nearer
being the spirit of youth than
any one l know" PennOck de-
clared, "and he's the only man
/ know who can clown without
losing his fighting spirit"
Maybe you wonder why all this
talk about the Rabbit. Well I'll
tell you. 1t all started the other
day when some of the boys were
talking about colorful ball play
ers. They mentioned fellows like
Mickey Cochrane, Goose GoSlin,
Art ShireS, Tony LaZzeri, Paul
Waner, Babe Herman, Hack Will
son and a lot of fellows like that.
Colorful all of them, and fellows
who have a lot of personality in
their play out there on the ball
field.
But when some one men,
toned the Rabbit, all the
others were quickly forgotten.
He tops them alI-and, i'm ad-
ditiOn he's one of the great
est fighting, winning, perse-
vering players 1 ever knew.
You know so much has been
written lately about the value of
color in ball players that I'm
afraid the boys are inclined to
cultivate color and peculiarities
at the expense of their playing
ability. With the Rabbit it's all
natural. His antics, all Of them
are just as much a part Of his
play as his swinging a bat or
fielding a ground ball. His wise
cracks are as natural as eating
and despite the fact that he
keeps the fans in a constant up
roar I'm convinced that he gives
no thought at all to getting a
laugh.
In this day and age when
young players get most of the
publicity and most of the ap-
plause it's unusual to see an old
fellow out there holding his own
spot in the limelight. He was in
the big leagues about the time a
lot of the present-day stars were
getting out of romperS and into
knee breeches. Yet he's the
spark plug of the National League
today and the one man more
than any other who carries the
playing weight of the Boston
Braves on his shoulders.
Rabbit has never made any ALL
America teams; he has never won
any more most valuable player
awards and there have been
times when his conduct wasn't all
that it should be. There are bet
ter mechanical shortstops than
Rabbit and there are lot better
hitterS. But there is no man in
either league who plays the game
more sincerely or who carries
more value to his own club than
little Rabbit Maranville the
king of all the veterans.
You know what I really started
out to write was something about
the veterans who are sticking in
the limelight this season. There
are a lot of great youngsters,
but there are a lot Of old-ttmerS
who are in the throne room, too.
Sam Rice and Joe Judge Of the
Griffmen; Jack Quinn, of the
Athletics: Herb Pennock, of the
Yankees; Red Faber, of the
White Sox; Harry Heilman, of
the Reds; George Sisler, of the
Braves; Hank GoWdy, of the
Braves; Clarence Mitchell, of the
Giants-all of them veterans and
all of them holding their own in
, a season of bitter pennant bat
ties.
Copyright. 1880, by the Christy
Walsh Syndicate)