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Show S) J THERE seems to be an opinion around that major league baseball's base-ball's playing standards reached a new low in the season just closed. 'v I ,V' s i !-! y 'i This is a point hard to prove, and I doubt that it is true. In the ebb and flow of tin last 40 years, we've looked at a long parade of stars. We also have peered at a still longer parade of pretty sour ball clubs, and that goes for hitting, pitching and fielding. J. Gordon No one can doubt that the four war years heid back many a budding bud-ding rookie, lifted from minor league training to war service. , Some of these were killed. Many more were wounded. All were removed re-moved from training action at vital years 19 to 23. This doesn't include such veterans veter-ans as Hank Greenberg, who lost five years, Bobby Feller, Johnny Mize and so many others who were halted in their prime. Many of these have had remarkable remark-able comebacks Greenberg leading the home-run makers last season; Ted Williams, three years away from baseball, leading his league in practically every department where a bat figures; Joe Gordon; Johnny Mize, challenging Babe Ruth's Incredible In-credible figure of 60 home runs in a year; not to overlook Walker Cooper. And what two seasons meaning 1946 and 1947 can you recall that produced a longer list of young stars: Ewell Blackwell, Ralph Ki-ner, Ki-ner, Yogi Berra, Bobby Thompson, Jackie Robinson, Spider Jorgenson, Spec Shea, Earl Torgerson, Bruce Edwards and many other first or second-year men? Alivays Been That Way There have been bad major league ball clubs this season, and many rather sour big league ball players. But this has happened since Uncle Abner Doubleday had his dream. The Phillies, in last place, are a far better bunch than the tall-end Phillies of years we still remember. And I could give you the names of many other clubs in the past that were strictly moth-eaten, of many other ball players who were not even good minor leaguers. To listen, and to read, you might think at times there were no good ball players left. What about Harry Walker, Williams, Joe DiMaggioT" Pee Wee Reese, Ed Stanky, Pete Reiser, Mize, Willard Marshall most of the Cardinals Cooper, Gordon, Gor-don, Bob Feller, Tommy Henrich, Augie Galan, Bob Elliott, George Kelt, Grady Hatton, Johnny Sain, Warren Spahn and many more who would have been good in any past baseball season? It is pleasant for those growing older to look back on the glories of the past when they, too, were young. But they overlook one major point that practically every athletic achievement that can be timed or measured has known a long run of broken records. Modern Athlete Better Practically every past athletic record has been smashed year after year. You can't measure football, foot-ball, baseball, golf or tennis by the clock or the tape. But in all games that can be timed and taped, there has been a big improvement. Other Oth-er games must depend upon opinions, opin-ions, which are about as stable as will-o'-the-wisps. Those talking and writing of baseball's base-ball's past glory have forgotten teams that couldn't draw 300 into the gate teams that couldn't draw 300,000 in 154 games. Baseball In 1947 has been far from flawless or spotless, but it has been one of the most interesting campaigns yet offered. One answer Is an attendance total for all parks that will reach or pass 20 million, where in many past years a nine million total wag rated an exceptional excep-tional turnout. Baseball always has had one weakness. This was the average condition of its players. Few ball players keep in the condition needed need-ed to play 35 exhibition and 154 pennant pen-nant games a total close to 190 games a year. Poor condition accounts ac-counts for so many bad legs, arm trouble, back trouble and other ills and ailments that afflict so many of the hired men. Keeping in Shape One famous athletic trainer told me recently that he could take a tail-end team and get it into condition condi-tion that would net a pennant. He probably meant: "If I could get it into condition." Which he probably couldn't. "A ball player should live on his legs just about all the year round." This statement was given me by Ty Cobb and Joe Medwick. Cobb went In for hunting. Medwick for golf. I don't believe either ever got out of shape. You know Cobb's record. rec-ord. And look at Medwick's amazing amaz-ing work this season, long after he was supposed to be through. |