Show R CE THE HE toughest sporting job for tor 1945 belongs to the committee who must make the next nominations for baseballs baseball's Hall of Fame There are now from twenty to thirty present and former stars who stand along the bordel borM border bor bor- M der del line where the dividing margin is isy y thinner than a rate ra- ra razor razor ra ra- te zor blade such men as Jimmy Collins Collins Col Cal lins Uns Roger Bresnahan Bresnahan Bresna- Bresna han Mel Ott Otto Bill Klem Clark Griffith Griffith Grif Grif- Ji Frank Chance Chance- Johnny Evers Ed Walsh Fred Clarke L i Miller r 11 er Hug Huggins gins Grantland Rice Lefty Letty Grove Oarl Clarl Hubbell Rube Waddell Wad- Wad dell dell on on and on I Most of at these players numbering or thirty will have to wait for tor another year All left deep impressIon impression impression im im- on baseball fans and their mark in baseball history but only a afew afew afew few can be chosen Any Hall of Fame that becomes too loo crowded and has too many names loses at least a part of its enduring value But Bot the long list of available names still left leU proves ag again In why baseball for over sixty years has contributed so much to the sporting side of American life There are any number of at old stars who wont won't even get a vote who vote who wont won't even be mentioned mentioned and and yet I these are not so far tar away from top I rank Your correspondent has been covering and watching baseball for over forty years yet the problem of selecting leaders from the long parade parade pa pa- rade rode of stars becomes a blur How we keep muttering can anyone leave so-and-so so out You might suggest that if it a ballplayer ballplayer ballplayer ball ball- player isn't a standout why should he be considered But what are you going to do about so many standouts standouts standouts-at at least so many who have given so much skill and color to the game that they wind up in a pho photo 6 finish Ed Delehanty Frank Frisch Dizzy Dean Mickey Cochrane Cochrane Cochrane Coch- Coch rane Herb Pennock Gabby Hartnett Hart Hart- nett once again it is on and on Frank Chance For example theres there's Frank Chance named as The Peerless Leader of the old Cubs Chance led his Cubs to four pennants and two world series from 1906 through 1910 His IDs Cubs set an time all up up- to-date to winning record in 1906 The C Cubs bs of Chance the Giants of McGraw McGraw McGraw Mc- Mc Graw and the Athletics of Connie Mack were among the greatest of all ball clubs over a period of years It was also known as Franklin Pierre Adams who sounded sound sound- ed the best remembered tocsin o of Chance and his Cubs After more I than thirty years where our memory memory memory mem mem- ory may be vague we recall these lines after the Cubs had slaughtered the Giants Giants- These are the saddest of possible possible pos pos- sible words words- Tinker to Evers to Chance Trio of bearcats bearcats and and fleeter than birds birds birds- Tinker and Evers and Chance Pricking forever our gonfalon bubble Forcing a Giant to hit into a double Words Word that are heavy with nothing nothing noth noth- ing but trouble trouble- Tinker to Evers to Chance As I recall it it Charles Dryden wa was the first to call Chance The Peerless Peerless Peerless Peer Peer- less Leader Later on Charley I shortened this title to P. P L. L Chance i was a great fighting field manager I He was a fine first baseman a dangerous dangerous dangerous dan dan- hitter But above all a game I scrappy battler fearing tearing noU nothing ng not even a flock Sock of bean Gamest Players Which reminds me that the two gamest ballplayers I ever knew were Johnny Evers and Walter Mar- Mar I anville They played together for forthe forthe the Boston Braves of 1914 the 1914 the overlooked overlooked overlooked over over- looked team that whipped the famous fa famous fa- fa meus Athletics four straight games Evers was as smart as he was game The Human Splinter isa is isa isa a big part of our baseball history He is now at his old home Troy N. N Y and if it you get the chance drop him a hello Pepper Martin was another who belonged in this Ulis class By that I mean any anyone one of the three mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- would break a leg or a back backor or a neck to win a ball game game or or I even to ge get an extra edra base Maybe Mabe I you can name me a gamer ballplayer ballplayer ballplayer ball ball- player than Evers Maranville or Martin Maybe you can can but but I 1 I doubt It They were the Three I Musketeers of baseball who could take it no It-no no matter what it was was take take it and like it Passing Marvel arvel It is 15 still my belief that Harry GUIDer GUmer Alabama's crack rifleman is the best college passer I ever saw Including Sammy Baugh This might be taken as a rather largo order The Alabama kid barely 18 weighing from to pounds narrow narrow- shouldered narrow and thin- thin Is the top artist of ot them all Gilmer is not only a brilliant long and short passer accurate to the inch but he is the only passer passerI I 1 ever saw who can keep nailing a target 50 yards away |