| Show G A SPICE A A NY time you crawl out on the end of a limb youve you've got to be ready for the limb to crack We moved into that position recently when we attempted to name an all all- time National league outfield In the wake of this nomination we heard the shots fired around the world including including including ing the South Pacific Pacific Pa Pa- and the European European Euro Euro- I Our I peon front i nomina nominations were Fred Clarke of the Pirates Terry Moore of the Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Cardi Cardi- nals Mel Ott of the Giants and Jimmy of the tip Dodgers and the Cubs Then the fusillade Grantland Rice opened What about Zach Wheat of the Dodgers What about Ross Young of the GIants GIants Giants Gi GI- GI- GI ants What about Stan 1 of the Cardinals There were others- others George Burns of the Giants Mike Donlin of the Giants Wildfire Schulte of the Cubs Circus Solly Hofman of the same team Roush of Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincin Cincin- nati Klein of Philadelphia not forgetting forgetting forgetting for for- getting Paul Waner of Pittsburgh and Brooklyn Medwick of the Cardinals Cardinals Cardinals Car Car- Dodgers and Giants These were among the leading counter-attacks counter thrown at our top selections covering only the last 40 years That's as far back as we feel like walking or looking In spite of the heavy barrage thrown in our direction we still stick with our original pick admitting that thai Mike Donlin Zach Wheat Paul Waner Waner Wa ner and Pep Young would be serious challengers Here is our testimony Fred Clarke and Jimmy old- old timers are better than the modern crowd knows Far better Terry Moore r is the best defensive outfielder outfield outfield- er the National league ever looked at a ball ban player with a fiery spirit who was also a 3 strong man on the offensive side a normal hitter I dont don't have to tell you any more about Mel Ott the lone National leaguer who could match the best of the A. A L L. L in power Leave off oft Mel MelOtt MelOtt MelOtt Ott and you slip in a machine gun for a howitzer or a navy 16 American League Better I can name you two sets of American Ameri Amen can league outfielders who for total val value value e- e outclass ss the the the-pT pick k of f the N Na Here they are No 1 Cobb I-Cobb Cobb Ruth Speaker No Joe 2 Joe 2 Joe Jackson DiMaggio Di Di- DiMaggio Maggio Ted Williams This second American league outfield out field is much better than any top tOJ outfield we can pick from the Na Na- There cant can't be any argument over Cobb Speaker and Ruth or Ruth Cobb and Speaker And the they have only a brief nod over Jackson DiMaggio and Williams especially on the run making side I dont don't believe my fervid assaulters assault ers ens can pick a National league outfield outfield out out- field as good as the second American Ameri Amen can league trio I have named Those who think they can would make poor scouts Bill Dickey will tell ten you that Ted Williams was the greatest hitter he ever saw and Bill played with Ruth Gehrig and DiMaggio DiMaggio was something more than a great hitter Joe was a great ball player about 50 with Tris Speaker on de de- de- de I Into nto Deeper Trouble Here is a race where we ran a poor last A marine sergeant sent us this problem from somewhere in the Pacific Pa a problem starting an uproar with several hundred dollars bet It seems that with two out the next man up took a swing at the third strike He missed the strike but the ball struck truck his shoulder bounded away and he ran to first The marine sergeant claimed he was out The infantry didn't think so I agreed with the infantry Trusting Trusting Trust Trust- ing foolishly to memory and intuition intuition tion Hon I figured he must be safe 1 I wrote the sergeant to this effect Now Ford Frick president of the National league writes me that I Iwas Iwas Iwas was wrong The liThe batter was out he says If It Ifon Iton on a third strike the ball touches any part of the batter he is out auto auto- I still sun cant can't understand why as ason ason I on a 3 third strike the batter can run on a ball thrown into the dirt or on ona ona ona a wild pitch I only hope the marine sergeant doesn't sue me and I can only promise promise promise prom prom- ise that on the next matter of rules I will consult Ford Frick before attempting attempting attempting at at- tempting to make any decision |
