Evening star., 1955-07-20
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW !, FRANCIS SIAM
With Every Hall q Rhuborb

NEXT WEEK IN CooPERSTowN N " where baseball
very likely not conceived six stored ball players
win be nducted into the Hall of Fame ALI alive and
scheduled to be present too meaning Joe DiMaggio
Run Baker Dazzy Vance Gabby Harnet Ray Schalk and
Ted Lyons.
Meanwhile the mail brings an invitation to vote in the
second annual election FOR boxngs Hall of Fame,
gimck invented by Nat Feischer of Ring Magazine but
apparently Of great interest to the International Boxing
Club whose Jim Norris is being pressed for space in Madison
Square Garden for the museum. ss
Halls Of Fame pretty common these days-there's
for football too at New Brunswick N j. and one for
golf in New Yorkand 1t is not certain they serve much
years. instance there telling how many millions Of
words written about who did did not get into the
Cooperstown shrine
THE BASEBALL WRITERS who were to choose got to
snpng at each other The public sometimes appauded their
choices often accused the writers of being dopes
couldn't recognize deserving candidates served silver
paers Eventually Just about all the deserving made it. or
viii have made 1t, along with some not deserving
This boxing Hall of Fame is not much different Already
chosen boxers. is of them from the pioneer group
This starts with Jim Figg, who retired in $780, and ends
with Nonparei Jack Dempsey who the middleweght
title back in 1884 Six form the @od timers" group
Stanley Ketche Bob tzsmmons Jack johnson, Joe Cans
Jim Jees and Jim Corhett These two classcations pre-
sumaby are closed out, should be. Even Heine Miller
doesn't remember Jim Figg.
The third and so-called modern group is where con-
toversy rears its futile head The moderns must have
fought within the last IS yearsor since 199but must
have been retired at least years prior to the voting which
began last Current newspapermen and radio and Tv
commentators covering boxing do the voting for this division
which may explain lot of things The other groups
chosen by the Hall Of Fame directors and other specialists
JACK DEMPSEY MADE IT last year, having received
the minimum of rs per cent of the votes So did
Louis and Henry Armstrong. But surprise Benny
Leonard Gene Tunney, Mickey Walker and Harry Greb
among Others failed on the first ballot.
Tunney and Walker must be wondering what fellow
has to do to become standout in his time they
nard and f1rahn hn vonder f0n Thev
all stckout champions and Leonard might have been
the best Of all lightweghts
None of this foursome fourth in the poll That
distinction fell to Sugar Ray Robinson whom 66 writer's
radio and Tv speers wasted votes because Robinson still is
active Leonard fifth with So votes followed by Tunney
t5s). Walker (5D and Greb (55).
THE PUBLIC is IMPATIENT when particular hero's
commentator is delayed It was way when basebas
Hall Of Fame was set UP. Ty Cobh Honus Wagner Walter
Johnson Rabe Ruth and Chrsty Mathewson honored
in 1885
~{@Wlyq" demanded the people, edid IRIS Speaker cy
Young Grover Alexander and few others Of comparable
ability have to waltz"
- The answer is simple. Too many spray voters Instead
Of concentrating the emnenty eligible baseball writer's
like the boxing voters last Of detous and
ballots for hopeless outsiders.
Fighters like Marcel Thi Freddie Miller, Lou Ambers
Panama Al Brown, Ike Williams Gus Lesnevich all got
one more votes Somebody named Charley Ledoux and
Kid Charo mot Chocolae scored I'll make book the
the street never heard of either one.
Well, that's what Ring Magazine gets for letting the
commentators get into the act Next thing Editor Fescher
knows he'll be counting ballots for Chuck Dayey and Chico
Vejar, a couple of beer and razor blade statesmen.