The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-08-14
TALKING
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

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IN look good when they are far
away, and maybe that's why there's
p general tendency to defy the old
timer in sports. You hear it said
that there never was a hitter like
Fitzsimmons in the fight business,
that Cobb was the greatest of all
time in baseball, that Sande would
Mt have been allowed to carry Tod
bloan's tack, and that Arthur Duff
icy would have run away from
sprinters like Wykof.
These fellows were pretty good. to be
sure. but there's no exact science by which
their relative greatness can be measured.
II all depends on the viewpoint and the
Sentimental acceptance Of the particular
generation. There probably arc a lot of
gray boards around today who would re-
fuse 10 give Cobb tho call over Arson.
who came before him. And at the same
time there ere many younger fans who
never even heard Of Arson.
The fact is that each generation brings
new turnover Of sports headliners. and
Inevitably there are certain ones among
Them who stand out above the field. For
NAV be lust as good as any OF the TOP
liners Of the past. How. for instance. can
snyone say for certain that Dempsey
didn't hit harder than Fitz2
n n n
TINE other day Cornelius Nc
4 Gillicuddy of those much-too-
good Athletics made the statement
that AL Simmons is the greatest
ball player in the game and one
of the greatest Of all time. McG!l-
licuddy said he rated Simmons
ahead of Ruth at present market
quotations. Yet only few seasons
back, Simmons was merely prom
Using outfielder distinguished by an
awkward batting mannerism.
These fellows come fast when they start
TO come. It is not at all inconceivable that
in another year or so the historians of the
game will be acclaiming Simmons as the
superior OF some of the ancient gods Of
The diamond. And they may not be far
wrong. At least. they will have employed
the same formula in reaching their esti-
mate.
4 The so-called modern era of baseball has
produced many players that certainly must
measure up with the greats Of the past.
Ruth. Of course IS tops. 1 have q bunch
posterty will be jabberinR about him
even after Cobb is forgotten. What old
time manager could have frowned on
Hornsby2 or Cuyler. Terry. Traynor.
Frisch. Lindstrom. Cronin. Gehrig. Geh-
ringer or Reynolds. to name few pres
ent day performers of hand.
And even now. aren't most Of the old
Timers and the moderns agreed that Mickey
Cochrsue is the best all-round catcher the
game has had In more than thirty years2
To come close TO his equal. even in de-
bate. 1t is necessary to go back to the
EwinRs and the Bresnahans. and this is
going back much too far for the memory
OF 80 per cent Of the citizenry-
\ It must be true, too. that there are some
highly capable pitchers still in existence.
Fellows like Grove and Terrell. Grimes and
Earnshaw. French and Derringer. Already
Grove has accomplished enough measured
by the records to take his place with the
sll-time pitching stars. and he is still
young fellow.
And among the stars beginning to fade.
how can st be argued that fellows like
Vance and Pennock and Hoyt did not be-
long to the aristocrscy of the game?
81 n q
THE old order changeth, but not
i necessarily for the worse. No
sport suffered such a sharp descent
downward as prize fighting with
the passing of Dempsey and Tun-
ney, but there are symptoms that
even this battered sport is expert
encing a turn for the better.
Schmeling has fine potentialities
and one of these days he may be a
really great fighter.
s Also there are three young heavweights
around. Retzlaff. Hamas and Poreda. who
appear to have a lot on. the left hook.
While the comparison is not wholly fatter-
ine they would have ranked high among
the Wizards, the Morrises. the Fultons and
the Smiths of the White Hope days
fighters who now bulge with Importance in
retrospect.
Tennis is another sport that Is under
going an almost complete change in per-
sonnet For years 1t was all Tiden and
johnson. and Richards. Then the French
moved in to dominate the picture with La
Coste. Borotra and Cochet. Now they
have begun to fall back and the youngsters
OF England and America are coming for
ward Tilden and Cochet were the best
PLAYERS developed in the last fifteen years.
They set the standard by which the i'm
mediate champions OF the future will be
compared
But ultimately one Of the Youngsters
Il may be Vines or it may be Austin or
u NAV be someone unknown to current
competition-will be carrying off the head
lines and before very long Tilden and
Cochet will have become only q memory.
This happened to Wilding and Brookes and
Mclaughlin. It can happen Just as easily
to Tilden and Cochet. A memory is all
right but not for prolonged cheering pur-