Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 193, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1917 — QUIET PLAYERS MOST POPULAR WITH FANS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

QUIET PLAYERS MOST POPULAR WITH FANS

It is a matter of, hair-splitting to draw the line of popularity between the ball player who raises a rumpus on the field and the steady easier-going star who merely plays at the national pastime to win. Of types there are plenty of each variety in either of the big leagues. There are stars who are pointed to for their aggressiveness, and there are stars who are referred to as" calm, close-mouthed players —men who are put off the field so seldom the fan cannot remember the happenings. Of the bellicose type John J. McGraw, Charley Herzog, Arthur Fletcher, John Evers, Heinie Zimmerman, Ty Cobb, Fred Tyler, Miguel Gonzales and Rabbit Maranville are the most prominent. And every one of them is a popular player. On the other hand, there are Eddie Collins, Jack Barry, Joe Jackson, Roger Pecklnpaugh, Wally Pipp, Lee Magee, Walter Johnson. Grover Alexander,

Frank Baker and half a dozen other real, high-class ball players, from whom a real, live kick in angry tones never was heard. And these men are almost if not quite as popular as the ones listed under the heading of belligerents. The Braves, when they were driving well and sticking around the top of National league standings, constituted one of the greatest drawing cards the game ever has seen. Every man on the club was a fighter. The club won its games by fighting. Then there were the Athletics —men who rarely uttered a protest. They merely played baseball and were recognized as the greatest machine baseball ever has seen in action. They drew powerfully in every American league city. The main difference seems to be the quiet kind of ball player draws his check Intact, while the scrapper suffers the setback of fines.

CRACK PLAYERS WHO ARE CLOSE-MOUTHED.