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Show I Lining Up Great Outfielders for Hall of Fame Honors BY J. B. SETEBIDAJNT. ; ISCUSSING tho greatest outiielder," someone, had the effrontery to claes 1 1 Oscar Felsch of the Chicago Americans with Tris Speaker. The com- I parijon is absurd. It is true that Felsch may catch as many fly balls i in a season as Speaker will catch. Tlint means very little. It may be that more i fly balls will bo hit to Felsch than to Speaker. In any event Speaker is t ho Bupenor fielder, not onlv of today, but of all time. I Speaker can catch fly balls In bettor style, -with nioro effect than Felsch Speaker Is incomparably n better thrower than Felsch. Ho la more accurate ac-curate and he knows better where to throw than does Felsch. HIH Speaker 13 a much better man on a I ground ball than Felsch. Speaker can II I rtrie and return safe hits driven pisi j him better than Felsch can. .Speaker : j will drop fewer Dy balls, pick up more grounder and permit fewer bases to j J i be taken on balls hit to him than J jfj Fe'sch. He will play tho batters better 1 , than Felsch. It Is true that Felsch Is a flno fielder, but ho Is not In any sense at all so good a fielder as Speaker. Lver. on pop flls, the sort that a man never or hardly ever drop a fly ball on which ho gets both hands 4. That he shall be a reasonably strong and accurate thrower. 5, That his throws shall be well Judged, that he shall throw to the right place. 0. That he shall be a food man on a ground ball. 7 That he shall be a pood Judge of where to play for batters. Now let us consider how our candidates candi-dates meet these requirements Speaker No weakness. Meet all seven requirements of a first-class outfielder. out-fielder. Cobb A great outfielder, but not sr finished as Speaker, not Bo good a man on a ground ball and not so good gom-back gom-back for fly balls, the add test of groat outfleldin Felsch Another great outfielder, very I lil TRIS SPEAKER' I L JL '"HAPPY FUsiCH' Iran camp under, Speaker docs a better, surer, more complete and more stylish Job than Felsch Discussing great fielders Is a favorite pastime of those who talk baseball. They have been discussing great adders add-ers since tho day3 of JJlcky Johnston, which are sjnehronous with tho beginning be-ginning of baseball. FogarU', 3ohn-ston, 3ohn-ston, McAleer, Welch are alwas referred re-ferred to as the great fielders of tho old days, and, until Speaker earn along, as the greatest fielders of all time When Speaker Came all the oth-ari oth-ari were forgotten. It was McAleer himself who Bret dubbed Speaker the greatest of outfielders. Jim had turned f'.own a chance to buy the mighty Trls for tho St Louis Browns the ear bc-J bc-J jj fore Doak Roberts of Houston, who had Speaker, begged McAleer to buy him. J "I have enough Texas Leaguers on j my club now," said Jim. "I don't want , any more of them." "This Is no Texas Leaguer; he Is a major leaguer," urged Roberts "I have a nlco farm near Dallas, which I will give you if ho doce not make good." "Nothing doing." was McAlecr's imal word. "1 have enough Texas Leaguers. That is why my club plays like a class B team." When McAleer saw Speaker play for Boston the following season ho ac-Vnowledged ac-Vnowledged tho corn. "I sure missed him," said the famous fielding star of tho "JOs. "lie is the jl greatest outfielder I have ever ecen, lar end away the greatest " Tribute from Sir Hubert Is praise, indeed. in-deed. McAloer had been a great ncld- or. He was 44 when he saw Speaker and was claiming to be the best flelder I on his team McAleer practiced with his club th.it spring and said, "1 am I tho best outiielder I have." Qualities of Great Outfielder. I Before considering the greatest OUt- I fielders, let ub consider what tho quall- H j j 'Si tics of a great outfielder should be 1. Thai lie shall be a flrst-clas jul H I a fly bU, H 3 1 That be shall ho atle to cover ijji plenty of ground, going In, going out or I going either side of him. I 2 That he ball be a sure catch, I fast, covers a lot of ground, but not so safe or so stylish, does not do so "clean a job" on a fly ball as Speaker does Not so good at going back on a ball as Speaker is, far from being as good on a ground ball, not at nil so accurate a thrower as Speaker nor at all bo good a Judge of where to th70W Nor can he go In and get short files and line drives as Speaker can. George Burns, New York a truly sound, even great flelder, reliable in every way as Speaker, but Just a class below tho mighty Clcvelander In that ho cannot quite cover the ground In any direction that Speaker can cover Harry Hooper Another great outfielder, out-fielder, capable of doing everything that a great outfielder should do. but not so great on a ground ball 3s Is Speaker. Has always played right r.eld, which Is usually " short " .--.nd therefore has not had the opportunity to display his real ability. Jlmmlo Shcckard Chicago, ll.U-14 A beautiful and great outfielder. Could do everything, but not quits 60 good on a ground ball as the Incomparable speaker, nor so ambitious or so capable wonderful thrower for distance, speed and accuracy, and beyond all doubt tho best Judgo of where to throw of any player that ever lived. A Good Throwing Arm. Arthur Hoffman, Chicago, ltKMj-U A really great outfielder for a short time. Could do everything beautifully, but not so ambitious to go afar and gather them in as Speaker. Did not hold his form lr'ng enough to rank vvith the great fielders of the game. Billy Kceler, Baltimo: u-New l ork Americans, ISOiMOlO Another Shcckard, Shcck-ard, sure, fast, a fine thrower, good on a ground ball, sound in his election of throwing places, but always B rigm lieldcr. whore his lamp did not have a chance to burn so brightly as tho lamps of the great center fielders, who tutf e plenty of opportunity to show their abilities. Lmmett Heldrlck, St. Louis, 18UCM.UM Another great outfielder, but not .as finished as a champion should be. Did his work well, but not easily, after tho fashion of a master. Had a great throwing throw-ing arm and waa a flno judge of throwing throw-ing place ?flrtge, Chicago lo.'-"-- very great outfielder in all respects, but never took the game seriously; henr-j did not perfect per-fect his great natural talent. Much on the type of Felsch, but rot so hard a worker. Miko Griffin. Baltimore-Brooklyn, 1SS7-1S0D A wonderful man on fly balls, but weal: on ground balls and not aa exceptional thrower Jlmmio Ryan, Chicago. 1886-1&UU A sound fielder, who got everything that a great flelder should get: a wonderful thrower for distance. Speed and accuracy, ac-curacy, but Inclined to he Indifferent at times. Curtis Welch. St. Louis 1ss.VSa marvelous judge of a fly ball, a wonderful wonder-ful ground covcrer, a sura catch. Wot a great thrower and not the best man that ever played a ground ball. in sheer pursuit and capture of fly balls Welch was the equal If not the. superior of Speaker. He played v. iihout the assistance as-sistance of a glove and was a sure catch with both or with either hand. Midi somo of the most sensational catches over seen on a baseball Held Taking iow line nans wnn ins uaro lett hand was his forte. Since the ' pocket" giovo came into general use the same sort of catch with tho loft hand Is not rated so highly a3 it was in the day when Yelch and McAleer and Johnson reigned supreme. James A. McAleer, Cle eland, IB87-1898 IB87-1898 A truly great outfielder. Could go in any direction and get halls that other fielders would be luckj to take on tho first bound Could go back a mile and pick them off the fences Was an Indifferent In-different thrower and only an average man on a ground ball. Joe- Kelly, Baltimore-Brooklyn, ly.H-!fx0 ly.H-!fx0 another great but not showy outfielder. out-fielder. Did everything well. In the tame class as George Burns, Keelor, Sheekard. sound, capable, sure, clover. Harry Blake. Cleveland. 1896-9$ Great "go-getter" and thrower but not star elsewhere Did not ret.iin form long enough to he classified aa great, Owen Wilson, PItsbiiiKh-St. fxjuls, 1900-16 A great outfleldet. could go Kot them in splendid style, a eure catch and a very great thrower. Lacked enterprise and originality so essential to making a great outfielder. Alax Carey, Pittsburgh, 101- A very great outfielder, who can do everything wel!, but In a class below Speaker. Fielder Jones, Chicago Americans, (901-00 il great fly catcher, but not a good thrower. Harry Btovey, Athleilcs, ltPJMRf A high-class outfielder at all points; much in the same class as Felsch and tango. Armando Marsans, Now York Americans Amer-icans A very great outfielder, almos: as good as Speaker sae in coming in for a ground ball. Not Milte so sure a catch on easy flies as the great Cleve-lander. Cleve-lander. Harry Lyons, Eastern clubs. lSS--'- Fast, showy, a good catch, but not a good thrower or good on a ground ball. Jimm'e Fogart . Philadelphia, SOs Probably tho greatest of tho old-time outfielders. Fast, sure catch, good thrower, great all-round ballplayer, Almost Al-most as good a man on fly or ground balls as Welch or McAleer and Infinitely Infinite-ly superior to either as a thrower, hitter and base runner, Hugh Duffy, Boston, 908 A great all-round all-round player, a sure fielder of tho Shcckard tvne. Hardlv fast enough to bo acclaimed great as the greatest. Tommy McCarthy, Boston, !.Ms Much llko Duffy and Shcckard, but more brilliant bril-liant at times. A great t. elder, but not fast enough to entitle nlm to bo classed W'llh the great stars. Dicky Johnston. Boston-Buffalo, 80s A great outfielder of the V. elch-McAleor type, a little better thrower than cither. Scarcely aa capable as Fogarty, Welch or McAleer. It will be seen from reading the foregoing fore-going short rccapitulat'on of tho merits tnd demerits of the great outnelders or basehall that Speaker s'ands in what is rcaMy a class by himself. The Cleelander has no weakness. He excels in catching flls. In covering ground. In going all four ways on fly and ground balls. In style, in throwing. Speaker is easily the greatest outfielder of all time. Cobb Is not considered Speaker's equal as a fioldor, yet. for .;ome reason that I cannot satisfactorily explain, I place him second to Speaker. Cobb is not a rtyllsh outfielder. He docs not do his work with the ease and grace that distinguishes dis-tinguishes Speaker s accomplishment or his task, but Cobb gets a lot of balks that only a great outfielder could get. plas batters, takes a long chance, throws well and with good Judgment and. Is an average nun on a ground ball. Then he is aggressive, whlen scores a good deal In h s favor. Above all, he has the prestlgo of Cobb. In sheer ability to field, to do a good Job few players have shown lorm superior su-perior to hat shown by Marsans when he was with St. Louis in 1916 The Cuban can go get them anywhere, does a neat Job, Is a reasonably sure catch, picks, up ground balls veil and throws nicely. He was a sure catch In 1910, but in mi" ho dropped nan flies that 4 he got his hands upon. No first-class outiielder will drop mors than one ny on which he gets his hands In a season. I give a high place to Ilmmle Shcckard. Shcck-ard. The little Chlcagoan was a truly grand outfielder For sheer reliability. pla Ing the batters, making the throw to the right base, handling ground balls, covering ground. Shcckard has had few superiors In this regard I may say Chance's Cubs give the greatest exhibition ex-hibition of fielding I have ever seen in thirty years of baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals made eight hits and eight runs off Mordceal Brown In one inning. That means that about forty bases were run In that inning Yet not 1 single unearned base was run. That is to say that sharp fielding bv the Cub gardeners held the Cardinals to Just what their hits entitled them. Shcckard, Hoffman and Schulto held several drives that looked good lor extra bases to singles. The bags were being run all the time, the diamond whirled like a roulette wheel, but the outfielders Invariably held the drives to Just what they should have held Ui m to. Tho ball was thrown alwajs to the right spot Burns a Great Flelder. Next to Sheekard I should put George Burns of New York, who has never been given the credit his great playing really deserves. Burns Is not showy find does not catch the eye of the New York baseball writers, who always are looking for the odd and sensatlona'. But Burns Is a truly great fielder and all-around ball player. I have never seen him display the slightest wakne. in tho field. Ho can catch files, play batters, cover ground, pick up grounders, ground-ers, throw, do everything a great fielder field-er should do. lie is not quite up to the standard of Speaker and Cobb; these stars can cover a little more ground, but Burns is good enough lor any man' money. tate? I I j, ! v III I I MJL Emmet Heldrlck was a splendid out-finder out-finder of the Cobb sort Heldrlck 'lid not do a neat job, but he covered acres of ground, was a sure catch and a wise and strong thrower. I doubt that a harder thrower ever played ball. Joes Birmingham, of Cleveland, was a Ur-riflc Ur-riflc thrower, hut, all in all, I doubt that he had very much on Hetdrl ': when It came to whanging the ball In from tho outfield. It is not at all ns. to remember many better outfielders than Joe Keii and Billy Keelor, They were not showy but they were sound and sure They did eerythlng easily and well. It Is to bo gravely doubted that either Ke.ly or Keelcr could go as far for fly balis as Sneaker can go. But Kelly and Keelcr were always In the right place and did not need to kill themselves to make catches. They had been infielders before they were out.-.".eloers out.-.".eloers and could handle ground ballj very well Kelly, Keelcr, Sehcckard iind Burns graded about the same, flrst-elass flrst-elass outfielders but a shade behind iho really great stars. Jimmy Ryan was another of this class. Ryan was steady, played tho batterj, got everything that he should get. was a sure catch and a deadly thrower. Saving that he was unaggressive and retiring, did not show his wares proml- nAntll Owen llunn U n a r-r , I ...... v.... w,vi. m iiovii i, 4i nuiiuerilil outfielder. Ho was. I think, the surest catch I have ever seen. Anything was his that he got even one hand upon, I never saw him drop a fly on which ho got both hands. I have never seen him lose anything that ho should have got. Ho was a great thrower. Somo of the very best throws, for aceurac;. especially, good judgment and distance were made by this little-heard-of player. Tl-cre can be no doubt of the cmlnen.e o Max Carey. The Pittsburgh star is a wonderful outfielder in every way. He is aggressive, can do everything well, but he cannot throw as Speaker can throw, nor Is he quite as good a man "on the outer edge of the clrclo" thit Is circumscribed around every outfield. r by his own limitations. Carey is a splendid man to retrieve balls hit pan him and to knock down potential extr.i-baae extr.i-baae hits and hold them to singles. Sure and Clean WorKers. It is difficult to name surer fielders than Tommy McCarthy and Hugh Duify, who did their best work with the Boston Bos-ton clubs of the 00s They were not showy, but they were sure and clean. They excelled in "plai.ig the hitter." that is. in adjusting their defense to the well-known peculiarities of the various va-rious hitters. They km.w the nsychol- nrv tt tlir. hai&.mnnn., ....u 0 . via lu mi al ways throw to the right place. Dufi and McCarthy were a bit Inclined to be stout and did not Impress sp; tator? by their spoed, but they got everything that they should ha 0 got, and that la the measure of a great outfielder. Of the moderns, Speaker is, of course, best. I would place Shcckard. Burns. Cobb. Hooper. Ryan, Kceler and Kelley clooo behind Speaker, our a degree below be-low him. Speaker Is Class 1A for all time, ancients and moditns. No fielder eve- attained such clear pre-eminence over his rlx.ils. Ho Stundf away out In tho ;;ght Cobb. Burns. Shcckard et al. come in Class IB. Of the ancients, I would pick Jimmle Fogarty, tho old Philadelphia. Fogarty was a great ballplayer. He could do everythlng-flcld. throw, hit. run and core runs. He was a picture of a baseball base-ball player, jliC pounds, me Hum height, fast, strong, aggressive. jiked him better than McAleer or than A'elch. because be-cause he was a better thrower than either, a more dashing ballplayer. Try as you will, tho glamour of all-round pood play, hitting and base running, as well un of fielding, will affect your Jud :-ment :-ment even in specialties Fogarty feould frit, llo was a real base runner. So I would class him highest of the ol4 W timers. Most good Judges esteem McAleer x j better flelder than Welch. Thev were much along the same lines. Neither could hit very much, but Welrh ccuM get on base and scoro runs, things at which McAleer was not adept Me-Aleer Me-Aleer s great power lay in his ability to knock down posslbl extra-ba-. hits and hold them to singles. He was the superior of Welch at that. But I wa In St. Louis In the days of WelcYa ! glory and the glamour of that glory affects af-fects my Judgment It Is ery close but j I would glvo second place among the veterans to W elch. Ho made Bomi of the most startling catches; With the bar? lft hand. I have ever seen made. Dicky Johnston, who played around Buffalo and Boston, w aa a hero of the dayn of my boyhood. There can be ro doubt that Johnston was a great outfielder, out-fielder, in the same class as McAleer and Welch. Johnston was scarcely as good a man on a fly ball as Welch or as McAleer. but he could outthrow cither of his great rivals And throwing is an important part of equipment of an out-fleldir. out-fleldir. j Development of Fielder Jones. Harry Stovcy was a wonderful base-runner, base-runner, a god hitter and a very good j fielder, but. as I remember, distinctly a e'us below Fogarty, Welch, McAleer and Johnston, the stars of the outfield ' in the 80s. I Harry Ljons was a very good man, fast, showy, but scarce up to the iirst cla?s Fielder Jones was a bad flelder when he first entered the major leagues, but ho developed into a great man on fly balls. He could do as pretty a Job on fly" balls as any man that ever lived, but he never could throw very much. Jimmle Ran of Anson p Cubs was a grand outiielder. Ryan c.uld do eery-thmg eery-thmg hit. run, field, throw above all things, throw. He was, with thJ possible pos-sible exception of Speaker, the mcst accurate ac-curate 'cft-iiandcd thrower that has ever p!aed ball. Ryan had one faulf, that of his team Indifference. Armando Marsans has done some beautiful fielding. When he was doing do-ing his best work with the St. Loui Browns In 1016 I was puzzled to plcic "best man" between him and Speaker. After watching Marsans' work for a season 1 came to the conclusion that Speaker was a surer catch and far Marsans' superior In the Important department of picking up a ground ball and returning it to the plate. Not that Speaker was a better thrower than Marsans. lie was not But he played in closer, raced to meet the I ball and whipped It to a base quicker than Marsans did Marsans haa not shown consistency enough, has not played good ball over a long onough period of time to entitle him to be y ( Classed as a great outfielder He waa ( t great for one j car only. 1 Some of the very best fielding I have ever seen done was done by Fielder Jones when he played center for the White Sox. The greatest consistent throwing I have ever seen, year I" and year out, has been done by Em-mett Em-mett Heldrlck and Jimmic Sheekard. Sheekard' arm lost its fine edge earl In his career, but t was a useful member to the last. The more I thin , of Shcckard the higher I rate hrrn ( Heidrlck's arms always remained good. He was not a finished or stylish styl-ish plaer, but he got them and b sure could wing thorn into tho infield- n On the whole, I think Heidrlck's arm ( remained fresh longer than the " of any other I can remember. Aa 1 rule, the arm loses its line edge af,tr ? a year or two of big league play, often after the first year of regular dallV j pla'. Amateurs usually have the bet 1 arms. Everyday usage wears out th limb. 1 |