Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-03-10 | Page 48 | Eddie Collins is Best Second Baser

SofSOils BEST SfflD BASER Figures for 1917 Put White Sox Star at Top of the List. NEW YORK. March !. Kijrurcs don't tel; everything. ' They conic pretty close in so,"c' "s,'s' but they are not the final Proof in 'he value of a ball player. For instance, the leading second n.0" mm of the major leagues, some of them rated with the smartest and most versatile versa-tile players in the country, failed in every instance to larrup the pill for .3tu' last Season. But that Is no sign there are no good hitters anions the keystone saekmen. . , Eddie Collins, who stands at the- neao of the list of ranking second basemen, was the best .sticker of the lot last season sea-son and was geiierailv rated as the best fielder, though he did not finish witn the highest percentage in this department. depart-ment. , Collins is Hie kind of a player who knits an infield together. He made the White Sox infield and he was the individual indi-vidual star of the world's series. He is no youngster in the matter of experience. experi-ence. Any ball club tn the country would jump at the chance to land him. He is the king of second basemen. Second place among the midway Hackers Hack-ers is difficult to award. There are several sev-eral National league candidates, among them Herzog, but" standing In the offing is Jack Barry of the Hex Sox, who. despite de-spite his venrs in the game, is but little less valuable than he used to be, and that is saying a lot. Barry fell down with the bat last season, but he was up there, among the fielders and be knows baseball inside out. He is ranked second. TJiird place is awarded to Der-rill Der-rill Pratt of tlie Browns. I'ratt is one of the cleanest infielders In the business, a smart base runner and a fairly strong and consistent sticker. Herzog is ranked fourth. l!p to the time he was Injured early last season ho was a bright star, but since then he has been handicapped, and be isn't as valuable as he used to be. despite his standing as an tnfielder. Fifth pl.nce goes to young- AVanibsganss of the Indians, who is a coming star of no mean, brilliancy. He fieided with the leaders and- hit well up among tbe keystone key-stone sackers last year. Larry Doyle is rated sixth, with Bert Neihoff seventh, Johnny Ttawlings of the Braves, eighth, and Grover of the Athletics, ninth. The leading stars: NINE LEADING SECOND BASEMKN. G. SB. EA. BA. Collins, Chicago (A) 1511 53 .969 ..2SS Barry, Boston (A) 116 12 .973 .211 Pratt. St. Louis (A) 119 IS .959 .247 Herzog. Boston. (N) 113 12 .948 .23E Wumbsganss, Cleve. (AJ..13S 16 .982 .25.' Doyle, New York (N) 12S 5 .952 .254 Rawlings. Boston (N) 96 12 .977 .25C Neihoff,. Philadelphia (N). 96 S .945 .25:-Grover, .25:-Grover, Philadelphia (A). 139 12 .960 .224