Show R CE THE HE question has come up concerning concernIng concerning con con- the comparative v value lue merit and skill required In playing shortstop or second base We put the problem up to Frankie Frisch one I f of the sect greatest second sec l ond end basemen and andone 7 one of the best allaround allaround all all- around ball players A ti 1 I In the in-the the annals of the Y Y i game gamer also one of f. the smartest 09 Why Is it we tf a f Y asked the slightly r j. j graying Flash from Honus Wagner Fordham the Giants and the Cardinals on the playing side that there are so many star second basemen and so few outstanding shortstops Just how do you figure that out Frisch asked Look over o the list we suggest suggest- ed At second we have Nap Lajoie La- La Joie Eddie Collins Colllns Rogers Hornsby Frank Frisch Charlie Gehringer Johnny Evers to Evers-to to mention only a I few There are still arguments as asto asto asto to which one of at these Is the greatest But when you yon come corne to shortstops you reach out for a fellow named Honus Wagner Wagner and and you stop Travis Trav Trav- is Jackson Marty Marion Beauty Bancroft a few more more but but not out out- standing Only Wagner There are two answers to that Frisch replied In the first place Wagner was Wagner Wa A gre great t shortstop short short- I stop the stop the greatest He led ed his league seven years at bat He could steal 50 or 60 GO bases a year He could do everything You may remember that John McGraw before his death ranked Wagner as the greatest ball baU ballplayer ballplayer player of all time Over Cobb and Ruth So does Ed Barrow These I two are not palookas But Ill I'll have to admit that outside of Wagner while there have been fine shortstops shortstops short short- stops the game hasn't shown many great ones More lore Speed Skill Needed One reason for this is that shortstop shortstop shortstop short short- stop Is a tougher job than second base is You have to cover more ground You need more speed and anda a better arm You may h have ve to throw from short left on the grass ass to first base base base-a a longer throw than the third baseman has to make But just why it is that no shortstop outside of Wagner could hit to match Lajoie Collins Gehringer Hornsby and others I couldn't tell you There haven't been many hitting hard-hitting shortstops who could hand you or Maybe they were too busy trying to cover all that ground What about third base I asked Frisch Not as tough as short not as tough as second Less ground to cover Frisch couldn't go back quite far farenough farenough farenough enough to cover all the great third basemen Art Devlin of the Giants Jimmy Collins of Boston Bill Bradley Bradley Bradley Brad Brad- ley of Cleveland and Buck Weaver of the White Sox Sox four four of or the great great- est the matt matter r with Pic Pie Traynor Traynor Tray- Tray Traynor nor he asked Pie belongs with any third baseman This is true But there have been more good third basemen for around all value than great grent shortstops The same applies to first base You can get arguments arguments arguments ments today over Hal Chase George Lou Gehrig Frank Chance Bill Terry and one or two others Must Be Heavy Hitter A first baseman has to hit Frisch said Maybe Chase was the greatest fielding first baseman But Buthe Buthe Buthe he couldn't hit with Sister Gehrig or Terry A first baseman should be a power on attack Of course it helps when he also can field nis job Stuffy McInnIs wasn't bad He could cover that bag and still hit over Stuffy was a great first baseman And Glen Wright was a great shortstop shortstop shortstop short short- stop Frisch added Having Frisch fin finally lly loosened up we put on the pressure If you had to win one big game a game you had to win who would you pick to pitch it Carl Hubbell or Dizzy Dean Frisch lost no time In an answering this one What difference would It make Both would pitch shutouts shut If the blue chips were down I mean at their peak Just give me a shutout shutout shutout shut shut- out and Ill I'll promise that I wont won't lose even if it I have to take a tie You know one of the great things about Hubbell He never gave you youa a pitch that you had hit before If It you got the same hit off Dean Diz would come back with the same pitch and probably strike you out Of at course Hubbell had a n longer and therefore a greater reater career He was one of the greats of all tim time But ButIn Butin Butin in 1934 and 1935 before he hurt his arm there never was a greater pitcher than Dizzy Dean Just give me either one A Better Racing Year For the first time In a good many years I think It would be safe sate to say that this year there will be bigger and better racing and In saying that not to be thinking of play and the breaking of ot financial records It seems probable to me that the handle will be he e down again this year that the wild spending days are over for tor some somo time to come I am thinking of better horses and jockeys sounder track management management manage manage- ment merit and a more sporting attitude |