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Show WHO Is the greatest all-around ballplayer and who Is the greatest all-around football player of all time? This doesn't Include stars playing only one position. It Is an argument that covers many positions, where versatility Is the big idea. We put the first problem up to Ed Barrow, the veteran director of the New York Yankees, Yan-kees, who has been in the thick of the scuffle for some SO years. "My nomination," Ed says, "is Hans t Wagner, when it comes to all-around ability. "I'll tell you why. Wagner was a great outfielder with a I great arm. I've seen crantland Rice him star at first, second, short and third. He was a first-class catcher. And one day I made him pitch and he would have made a fine pitcher with that arm. He was the only man I ever knew who was above the average In all nine positions. He was the greatest shortstop. I "I'll go beyond that. He also was I one of the greatest hitters baseball ever knew. He had no weakness. As Christy Mathewson once said. 'His only weakness is a base on balls.' Hans led the league eight years. He was a power hitter and a place hitter. About Wagner "Here's another angle about Wagner," Wag-ner," Barrow continued. "He was one of the greatest base runners in the game. Here was a big, awkward 200-pounder who used to steal from 50 to 60 bases. Everyone knows how great Cobb and Ruth were. But I am talking about every angle that makes up baseball outfield, Infield, offense, defense, hitting, base runningI run-ningI mean everything. "Cobb and Ruth have been our two most Dhenomenal nlavers. Rut Wagner could do more, in more positions, posi-tions, than either of them could. He was an amazing ballplayer. ball-player. He was a great kid ballplayer, ball-player, and he also was a star when he was 43 years old. Don't forget that. Honus Wagner "H,anJ had greatest pair of hands that anyone ever brought to the game. He had a pair of hands that looked like hams, but they had a sensitive touch. They were live hands. "I don't have to say anything about Cobb and Ruth. You know : where they belong. Remember, I'm just telling you about a fellow who could do more things better than anyone else. I mean Wagner." What About Football? The player in football who matches Wagner in baseball is Jim Thorpe. Thorpe, like Wagner, could do more things in a better way than anyone else. Here's the answer Thorpe was a great ball carrier, one of the best. He could run an end or crack a line. He was an exceptional kicker punter, drop-kicker or place kicker. kick-er. He was a good passer and a good pass receiver. Thorpe had just one weakness. If he didn't happen to be in the mood, or in condition, on a certain day, he would put out only when he had to. The reason Pop Warner picked Ernie Er-nie Nevers over Thorpe was this "Nevers eave me 60 minutes of ev- erything he had," Pop said. "Sometimes "Some-times Jim would and sometimes he " would not. But they were two of the greatest I ever saw. Thorpe at bis best was the best." A Few Others For all-around value I can add two others Babe Ruth in baseball. Bronko Nagurskl in football. Ruth was a star pitcher, a fine J outfielder, a pretty good first base- man, a great hitter. He was the greatest of all power hitters. And Babe is still prouder of his pitching pitch-ing than he is of his hitting. The football entry is Bronko Nagurski. First, a star tackle; later a fine end; still later the greatest great-est fullback I ever saw. As Steve Owen Babe Ruth once said, "Nagurskl "Nagur-skl is the only back I ever saw who could run his own Interference." Bo McMillin picks Cal Hubbard, now coaching at Genera college-great college-great end, great tackle, and probably proba-bly the best line backer of all time. Cal, fast on his feet, weighed only around 250. Then there is Dutch Clarke, another anoth-er luminary of exceptionally high all-around class. In checking back through this list, one of the most Important factors is the length of time they played. How long could they hold the pace? Stamina Stam-ina and durability are qualities that can't be overlooked in any final summing sum-ming up. |