Show ONLY 15 OF BAll INI PLAYERS OF Y V 1916 REMAIN IN fr f. SWIFT COMPANY Tenure of Office in the Big Leagues Is Less Than 2 1 10 0 Years rears Statistics Show I flAT is the average tenure of or the 7 WHAT ball player in the tho big leagues The reader who a asked ked this question ques ques- tion caused us to go back lt over tM records for tor a a. few tew years and we found something Interesting and enlIghtening enlightening ening on the the- subject Somewhere under ten years would be bethe bethe the the answer answer Just a at what point would be he difficult to determine Thero are aro players who have gone on for fot a score of or years but players of ot the I Anson AlIson Wagner Lajoie type are scarce There have been hundreds who have lasted only a season or two hut but It is eafe to say the tho average ball player is good for tor somewhere between eight and ten text years It is interesting right along this same line Une of ot thought to go through a record 1 book hool of at ten or twelve years ago and find Just what percentage of ot the players Inactive in inactive active e service then win wiD be ready to re report report re- re port at the 1918 1913 training camps The result is astonishing even to the most mO ardent followers of ot th the game TH THIS IS YEAR LESS It seems scarcely possible that out of or men drawing salaries in the National National Na Na- and American leagues in 1906 only fifteen played ball bail in 1917 and four of or these probably will wilt not be seen in 1918 1915 And that is in the sp space e of only twelve years Of Ot tile the American league pitchers of who included ed Waddell Mullin Joss Chesbro and others only three three Bender Bender Plank and Coombs were wera were able to pitch successfully last year yearS and Plank retired In the middle of the sea season OD One other Donovan Donov n managed a big league club Of the National league pitchers of or 1906 and Ames Ames' were the only ones who saw service in 1917 and Reulbach Reulbach Reul- Reul bach pitched very little at Boston and has been given his unconditional release Matthewson was still active In base- base t ban ball all as manager of the Reds Not a catcher of the 1906 1908 troop was in the harness eleven years later except except ex ex- capt Gibson who did a little relief work vt t New York SIX INFIELDERS r Of the infielders six remain of the 1906 crowd providing Lajoie is counted for Larry for Larry after a years year's sojourn in the minors is Is' Is certain to wear a big league Uniform next season The others are er who only played part of the Reason ason Lobert who was in less less' lest less than twenty games at New York who Evers-who was out of the game a great part of ot tho season Turner who pla played ed in the utility role with Cleveland Cleveand and Chase The latter was the tile only regular of the outfit nt i In n the outfield we find five fhe still in fl tb lie game Strange to say sayS the gre great Tyrus Raymond Cobb is among them v and is stUl still the greatest of all aU ball players play play- ers rs The others are Sam Crawford who has about reached the end of the Schulte who had an unsatisfactory tory season last year and Sherwood Sherwood Sher Sher- wood Magee who has been released by Boston Others actively in the game who were up up there In in 1906 are Fielder Jones manager of the Browns and Bob Vallace Wallace Wal Val lace who will be back bac l in the big tent next year ear probably as a coach This is a striking picture of or the length of or time a big leaguer may hope to re remain remain remain re- re main in fast company compan Most of them are gone and andall all all with t the e exception of at Cobb are ms fading Twelve years years- means a great deal to a ball player yer |