Evening star., 1942-12-21
Star Of Braves
Is Acclaimed
A||.1inleAce
Sam Is Given No Vote
As Top Male Athlete,
Despite BriIIiunce
BY GRANTLAND RICE,
Special Corre SnOndeDt NJ The Cto =

NLW IOfLh, Lee. Il tNANA).-
1t isn't so often that we care to 60
to bat with a flock of colleagues who
know their stuff. This Is an excep-
ton, for they certainly blew the
works in every direction in naming
their top male athletes of the year"
In looking over their selections We
find them in this order-Frank
Sinkwich, Ted Williams, Don Hut
son. Johnny Beazley, Gunder Haegg,
Ray Robinson. Morton Cooper, Cor
neliuS Warmerdam, Ben Hogan, Joe
Louis, Greg Rice. Paul Governah,
Willie Pep and Bill Smith.
These are all keen, earnest ath-
letes. They have all turned in fine
jobs.
But where is the name of fellow
known as Sammy Eaugh of the
Washington Redskins, who happens
to be 1925 standout?
Apparently they never heard OF
Sammy Baugh this season.
Made Redskins Superb Team.
After all, who is Sammy Baugh?
He happens to be about the most
valuable football player of all time.
according to pro coaches I've talked
to.
He was the lean. grim, dark. wiry
Texan who took only good average
football team to the pro champion
ship, rough-riding over the Chicago
Bears in the climax game.
Through this last season. he was
the games greatest passer, the
games greatest kicker, a good run
ner. a fine defensive back and the
coolest man in running a team
On any field.
saw him average around So yards
kicking beyond the line of scrim-
mage through an ice-cold wind.
Sammy Baugh is the top male
athlete of 1912 and yet he failed to
receive single vote among list
that, in the main he outclasses.
Frank Sinkwich is a great foot
ball player. One of the best. But
the Georgia star is no Sammy Baugh.
Sinkwich headed the list. He be-
longs up close. But not ahead of
the Texan, who is footballs stand
out with something to spare. rate
Sinkwich as the most valuable col
lege player of the year. But the
keen biue-chip Georgian can't pass
with Baugh, kick with Baugh or out
tackle Baugh.
Stars for Eight Years.
Ted Williams, placed second, is a
ho11y,1oy pt1t ponOh lS
much better all-around football
player, more valuable to his team
than williams every could be to the
Red Sox.
Don Hutson of the Green Bay
Packers is the greatest forward pass
receiving end in football history.
But even the brilliant Hutson hasn't
the team value that Baugh carries
along so many fronts. Our col
leagues had others we'll up who
couldn't carry Baugh's shoestrings.
And this was no une-game or one
year contribution. We saw Baugh
with T. C. U. many years ago. We've
followed him many years since.
He has been a star in every game
he played-the games greatest
passer-the games finest kicker
the games greatest competitor when
it came to the main test-even
against Chicagos Bears in 1912.
And Sammy Baugh never got a
vote
Mid West Is Best On Grid.
Attempting to answer flock OF
letters from various Army. Navy and
Marine stronghoids for 1912. we'll
do the best we can. 1t seems there
are many heated arguments among
the several millions connected with
the war service, now scattered over
so many maps. The Northern and
Southern contingents especially step
into heated debates concerning foot
balls major strength, section by sec
ton
This is the best we can do-minus
any form of prejudice.
Top sectional strength-the Mid
West, with Ohio State. Wisconsin,
Notre Dame. Michigan. Iowa, In
diana, Illinois.
Second sectional strength - the
South, with Georgia, Georgia Tech.
Alabama. Tennessee, Auburn. L. S.
u, Duke, Tulane and Mississippi
State
Third-the Southwest, with Texas,
Rice. T. c. u, Tulsa. Missouri and
Texas A. & M.
Bad Season for Far West.
The Far West had its worst inter-
sectional year, beaten in every game
played against T. c. u. Ohio State,
Notre Dame, Tulane and Texas
A. & NJ
If you care to look back over the
charts that opened in September and
carried we'll into December, you'll
| find this rating correct.
What about the East? It's one top
football team was Boston College,
wrecked by HOLY Cross. And still
rate Boston College among the top