The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-12
|MODERNS MISS
 | ALL-TIME NINE
 OF BRESNAHAN
Great Catcher Picks Only
 GeEringer With Great of Another Era
RY GEoRGE KTDD

TOle0O, May 1t - (UE)-HOReE Bresnahan, one of baseball's great immortals, who caught Christy Mathewson, doesn't think the na- tional pastirne is what 1t used to be.
 Bresnahar1, ruddy but overweight in late middle age, now is a sales man for Q Toledo brewery.
 Modern baseball lacks strate- gy," he says. To emphasize his conviction, he has named an ale time, all-star team on which he has placed only one man who IS playing today. He is Charlie Geh- ringer, of the Detroit Tigers.
 Inside baseball, as practiced by the old-tirners, is missing from the game today" Bresnahan believes.
 "In the old days, ball teams al- ways were trying to out-guess and out-smart the opposition. They always were thinking one play ahead of the game. The only time they would get crossed up would be when the other side pulled @ boner, and did the wrong thing"
 Day of IndlvldualiSm
 "But take the game today. Nine times out of ten you know what each batter is going to do. He's going to try to knock the cover off the ball. Players on old-time teams dove tailed. Today, most teams are just 50 many individual ball players"
 Bresnahan probably is best known as Q partner of one of the great batteries of baseball. He caught Christy Matthewson during "Matty's" hey-dey with the Giants, from 1904 to 1908. He began his 20 years of active baseball before the turn of the century.
 Following is the all-time, all- star team as Bresnahan sees it:
 Willie Keller, Baltimore, right field.
 Clarence Beaumont, Pittsburgh, center field.
 Fred Clark, Pittsburgh, left field.
 Frank Chance, Chicago Cubs, 1st base.
 Charlie 0ehringer, Detroit, End base.
 Honus Wagner, Pittsburgh, short stop.
 Jimmy Collins, Boston Nation als, 3rd base.
 Martin Bergen, Boston Nation als, catcher.
 Pitchers Christy Mathewson, Giants; Rube Waddell, Athletics; Waiter Johnson, Washington.
 "There," Bresnahan said, you have Q team that could hit, field, run bases and think. Of course, l have passed up some mighty good ball players, but I'm ready to back up my choice"
 Bresnahan 300 Hitter
 Many old-time fans undoubtedly believe that no all-star team is complete without Bresnahan, him. self, the "Rajah" of his day, be- cause of his general ability. The records show him to have been not only Q catcher, but @ winning pitcher, an infielder, and an out fielder as well. He was 300 hitter in Q day when 300 hitters were scarce, and he could run bases.
 Bresnahan was pitching for Q Lima, O., team when a scout spotted him, and sent him to Washington. He was Q youngster nearing 17 then. He became a catcher more or less by accident, some time later, while he was pitching for Baltimore.
 Wilbert Robinson, regular Balti- more catcher had Q broken finger. One of his relief men had typhoid fever, and the other Q sore arm. One day, when Bresnahan was in the box, the catching became 50 weak that he left the mound and replaced the catcher.
 "I didn't know how well was going to do, but I knew I could do better than 0 cripple" he said.
 Managed Two Clubs
 Tn the course of his career, Bresnahan managed St. Louis and Chicago clubs, and owned and managed the Toledo Mud Hens of the American association. He finds 1t impossible to pick out the "hig- gest moment" Of his baseball life, because "thefe were too many of them"
 When Bresnahan started catch- ing, shin guards were unknown. His legs were constantly bruised. So he designed a shin protector. A sporting goods house made @ pair for him.
 "The first season used shin guards" he said, T took an awful raging, all around the circuit. Fans called me everything from 'Sissie' to Cream Puff But 1t wasn't long until all catchers were using them"