Evening star., 1942-01-20
Righthand Stick
King Given 1872
OF 233 Votes
Topped N. L. Botsmen
Seven Times; Five
Others Far Back
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Dress GnnrtS Writer


NEW YORK, Jan. 20.-The fabu-
lous baseball career of Rogers
Hornsby, the greatest righthanded
hitter of all time. carried him into
the Hall of Fame today.
The "Rajah," who performed for
five different clubs and managed
four of them in a 23-year span In
the MAJORS, who batted over 400
in three seasons and twice was
named the most valuable player
in the National League, who earned
perhaps half a million dollars from
baseball and lost most of it, received
1872 votes out of 233 cast by base
ball writer's.
AS a result bronze plaque. bear
ing his dimple-cheeked likeness,
soon will be placed alongside those
of baseball's other immortals--
Cobb Wagner. Ruth, Matthewson
and the rest-in the little shrine
at Cooperstown, N. Y.
Will Be As in April.
Hornsby, who will be As in April.
now is the general manager and
bench pilot of Fort Worth in the
Texas League. He is jovial, gray
haired minor league executive. But
in DAYS that a vast majority of the
baseball fans still can remember
he was bright comet. shooting an
unpredictable course across sports
horizon.
He broke into the National League
with the st. Louis Cardinals in 1915
as a shortstop. Later he played
every position in the infield. tried
the outfield, and moved to the New
York Giants, to the Boston Braves.
to the Chicago Cubs, to the Carc1-
nails again and finally to the st.
Louis Browns. He managed the
Cards. Braves, Cubs and Browns.
reaching a salary peak Of $40
year with the Cubs.
He led the National League In
batting for seven years. six of them
in succession for the Cardinals from
1920 to 25. inclusive. He batted
.4O1 in 1922. in 1924 reached .424,
. the modern record for both major
leagues. and in 1925 followed up
with .403.
He also led the league in 1923
with .387 for the Braves and was
voted the most valuable PLAYER in
1925 with the Cards and 1929 while
with the Cubs.
Hornsby had no faults on the
playing field. but the magnates
found some with him of the dia-
mond.
In 1926. at the height of his career
as a player and manager. the Car
dinals let him go because he could
rot be brought to salary terms BY
President Sam Breadon. He was
traded to the New York Giants for
Frank Frisch and served one season
as captain under John McGraw.
then was tradeS to Boston as man
ager of the Braves. His salary.
then about $4,000, was too much
for the club to carry and he was
passed along to the Cubs in the
biggest trade in history-Cficago
'giveing 100000 in cash and five
PLAYERS. =.
Hornsbv's passion for betting on
horse races probably We his biggest
stumbling block with the club
owners. however. He was in hot
water with Commissioner Kenesaw
M. Lands about this at one time
or another and in 1927 was sted for
100000 which a Cincinnati betting
commissioner claimed was due him.
Hornsby contended this was a
gambling debt and not admissible
at law apd a circuit court jury
found in his favor.
Drops to Minors as Pilot.
The Cubs let him go unceremonl-
ously in 1882 and the Browns dis
missed him for actions off the ball
field in 1887. Since then no ma lor
league club has ever hired him, but
he has managed at Baltimore and
Oklahoma City in the minors and
is moving to Fort Worth this year.
Hornsby is the 14th player elected
to the Hall of Fame. To enter he
had to receive rs per cent of the
baseball writer's vote. qualifica-
ton he narrowly missed at the last
election three years ago. He follows
Lou Gehrig, who was chosen last
year under a suspension Of the
rules.
Besides Hornsby. five other former
stars received more than 100 votes
in the newest poll-Frank Chance,
1856: Rube Waddell, l26: Ed Walsh.
1l3; Miller Higgins, Ill; Ed Dela-
hanty, l04.