Show THE I SPORT LIGHT I By 1 t mom I 1111 1814 New K H w York True lee lae I V U a ft tnt Palest r f t Of Oo Of-Oo Doe I n no HAPPENED SO I He took his turn halt halt-h half heartedly outlining an excuse II He figured he was beaten so 10 he be couldn't see Ite the use But when wl he made his little play I I IA It took a lucky IWI Ve A sudden unexpected hop a winning title title title- winning d And straightway they about his courage and his nerve He started In with bulldog law w to tomake tomake tomake make a winning Inning fight He started in to see it through as any stalwart might But when he cut in with his play pay It took a luck hard bound And caromed td as al It shouldn't have on any sort lort of ot ground I And so they rose rOle and branded himI hima him I a quitter and a hound The next hero says a con con oon- contemporary temporary will be the one whO can Invent In a a new alibi at golf We e expect to hear at least tour new ones the first day out We e have bave two new ones ont's of our own already primed with the fuse ad- ad adjusted adjusted lusted ad-lusted for the first chance TilE INDIVIDUAL Specialized publicity built up as al great Interest In certain in- in individual In Individual stars as II It has hu In the two flag nag battles which start Mart t this Us week amid the hoarse of several leveral multitudes How many 1924 leaders will repeat Here are arc just a few marks they can shoot at Hornsby N L batting average Ruth nuth A L batting average sa Vance ance N L 14 won 28 lost 6 t Johnson A L Won ton 23 3 lost 7 How many of these will again be on top when Aprils April's green green has haa switched to Octobers October's russet and crimson Then there are four tour great ret ret- vet veterans erans who will 1 again hold public attention Here they are with Ith their records and years Cobb 20 years 38 20 Speaker 18 years eus Collins Colllns 17 years yearl Wheat 16 years eau Hero Here I is an average a of 18 years yearl of major maj r league service still st good food enough to average at bat What will trill 1925 bring their way Wheat last lut year was next to Hornsby Collins Colllns In addition to batting led hi his league with 42 stolen bases Cobb and Speak Speak- Speaker er In addition to starring at bat batand batand batand and the th outfield managed their ball clubs An outfield composed of Cobb Speaker and Wheat averaging Ilver 18 years ears service would still look neat enough for tor any manager to carry along through the active campaign The best ones seem to last the longest lo est Fiber Ind I genius gen or stamina and skill are allied Then there will be Deacon Scott starting hI his consecutive ball game The Deacon says he ha will close out his year nine-year march shortly and ride his first charley chancy horse back to the clubhouse He seems to think that enough Is practically enough If It not Bot too much Anywhere beyond 1300 games will 11 leave them something to shoot at anyway THEY ThEN AND NOW We Ve have been asked often otten how many home homo runs Frank Schulte or Sam Crawford would have ham bam hammered out with the modern lively ball a matter to compare records where condi condl- conditions conditions lions change For example the following let let- letten let letter ter ten will be of Interest to those who pursue the vital al 1 statistics Dear Sir Please note that for forthe forthe forthe the four tour consecutive years of 1910 1911 1912 1913 Cobb averaged at bat 2081 hits hila For he four tour consecutive years ears of 1921 1922 1923 1924 Hornsby aver aver- averaged averaged averaged aged at bat 2175 2176 hits I Please note further that tHe American league batting average I the average of all players ton lor the period during which Cobb hit was Cobb therefore averaged points higher than hI his league for that period The National league batting average for tor the period during during- which Hornsby Horneby hit was 1924 not available therefore hit bit points higher than thaD his hie league for that period It seems to me that the relation ot of a mans man's average to the average for the whole league Is the only way In which you ou can fairly com corn compare compare pare averages made during dif dif- different dif different ferent seasons or at least durIng different baseball er eras For ex- ex exI example ex example ample how can you possibly com corn compare cornI compare I I pare the National league averages bitI of 1915 1916 when only four men hit bit over I Larry Larry over leading with with with the National I league lugue averages of 1823 1923 19 23 when seven thirty seven 37 31 men hit over Hornsby leading with Wheat second with Will anyone any one contend that the he 1923 Za Zach h Wheat age 35 un-ider un UD un- un under der der 1915 conditions condition would stillI still I hit and thereby lead the I over Doyle As AI a a matter of fact tact Wheat aged 27 7 hit In 1915 I I I I think that an examination of the bating records will ill convince I anyone any one that under the present I rabbit ball conditions the Cobb of 15 years ago would have aver er averaged I aged around or or to I put It the other way that the toI I I present day Hornsby under the conditions condition obtaining In 1910 I would have averaged around SO I or 10 I Yours tor for a square deal for the timers theold-timers timers old 1 I l i 2 H It MILLER On the other elds Ild suppose Dempsey decided not to appear this season leason There would be a matter of saved Raved to the taxpayers some lome of which mIght even be put to better use ule If It one was WI ca careful I about It It J I In place plate of sport A tor for sports sport's sake lake writes L F we are mo- mo moving Ing Ing on to two Sport slogans Sport to win at any ony COlt cost and ond sport tar fur f r all II the money there Is ts In It mainly It because winning Mea means nil greater s-reater publicity or more rash cash Which u iA In no sense an untrue indict indict- mea ment meni |