Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-24
From the
Press Box
Picking AII-Stor Team
Is Must These Days
By JOHN LARDNER,

Special Correspondent of The Star.
NEW YORK. Sept, 24-If I've said
It once, I've said it hundred times:
You're not respectable till you pick
your all-star team these days. You
might as well go without shaving.
Yesterday a leading Republican
Che was leading a horse) stopped
me on the street. We talked Of this
and that, chiefly in English.
"Lardner," said this tycoon. have
you picked your all-star baseball
team for 1910 as yet?"
We'll, frankly no. General" I re-
piled nervously. Il was sort Of
hoping to get by without doing 1t
this year. What with one thing
and another
"Faugh!" said the civic leader. His
horse looked me over contemporary.
1T must be done, you know. One
does. 1 will expect to hear very
shortly that you have attended to it.
Otherwise"
He shrugged his shoulders deli
cately. I knew what he meant. No
all-star team, no WaShee Cthis fellow
handles my laundry work. Does a
nice job. too, except for a little too
much starch in the collars.
Third Bose and Shortstop
Give Expert a Workout
Well, the fact is, all kinds Of
editors, pollers and classifers are
collecting all-star teams this week,
and having been asked three times.
I now will comply. But I wish I
could make up my mind about third
base and shortstop.
The outfield is no cinch either. In
an ordinary season, you can find
three outfielders in the two major
leagues who field as well as slug the
ball. This year the good f1elders,
the ballhawks - the Kreeviches,
Galans, Waners and Otts-are not
hitting their share, while the slug
gers-the Greenbergs and Will
liamses-are by no means graceful
or thoroughly competent afield.
Johnny Cooney is getting hits in
clusters, short ones, but you wouldn't
call Johnny as valuable as Green
berg or Williams, would you?
Nossir. Nor can you take Terry
Moore. at 305, or Doc Cramer, at
.307. Great fielders both, but lack
Ing the power you want in an all
star outfield.
Well, III apologize later. This
would be my team for 1910:
Mize. first base
Doerr, second base.
CAIRNS, third base.
Apphng, shortstop.
Greenberg, left field.
j. Dl Maggie. center field.
Williams. right field.
Hayes and banning, catchers.
Feller, Newsom. Derringer and
Walters. pitchers.
The chances are that there is only
one player in that lineup, outside
the pitchers. with whose selection
nobody would quarrel-Giuseppe Di
Maggie. Joe is the best player in
the game. He's the first man you
pick. Then you scratch your head
and say, who else?
Mics Superior Power
Coins Nod at First
The race between John Mize and
Buck Mccormick at first base is
close, but I think for this season
and perhaps another year or two
you have to take Mize. His power
is little heavier and more con-
sistent; he pulls the ball better; he
is harder to fool and he hits left
handed. Those things more than
offset Mccormick fielding advan-
tage.
Bobby Doerr was far and away
the best second baseman in the
game this year, as good a fielder as
Gordon, fast, hustler-and try
and laugh off those 100 runs batted
in. Appling. enjoying a good sea-
son, has an edge over Joe Cronin
at shortstop for speed and con-
sistent hitting and an edge over Lou
Boudreau and Eddie Miller in ex-
perience. Debs CAIRNS at third
base? Well, Debs is more than
just a good fielder. and when he
is batting 100 points better than
Keltner and Rolfe. why take 1t away
from him? This is his year.
Hitting Offsets WiIIioms',
Greenbere's Fielding
I've already explained about
Greenberg and Williams-no balls
of fire defensively. hut two of the
greatest hitters extant. Well let
Di Maggie cover most of Green
bergs territory.
A year ago Bill Dickey still was
the must catcher. Today I think
Frank Hayes and Harry banning
are more valuable. And my pitchers
can all throw above whisper, with
Teller and Derringer the two best.
Don't start shooting at this hand
some old head till the starter gives
the word.