THE SPALDING BASE BALL HALL OF FAME
(From Spalding's Official Base Ball Record.)
New faces enter into the Spalding Base Ball "Hall of Fame" this year. The object of this "Hall of Fame" is not necessarily to portray the very top men of each department of the national game, for it frequently happens in these days, when players take part in only a few innings now and then, that they become entitled to mention in the records, although they do not bear the real brunt of the work.
In the "Hall of Fame" will be found the men who might well be termed the "regulars." Day in and day out they were on the diamond, or ready to take their place on the diamond, if they were not injured.
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
First of all, Daubert has earned his place at first base for the season of 1912. Threatening in other years to become one of the group of leading players, he performed so well in the season past that there is no doubt as to his right.
There is a new player at second base. The regularity with which Egan of Cincinnati performed for the Reds earned him a place as the banner second baseman.
At third base the honor goes to J.R. Lobert, the third baseman of the Philadelphia club. In this particular instance Lobert was crowded, not for efficiency, but in the number of games played by Byrne, third baseman of Pittsburgh, and Herzog, third baseman of New York. In the matter of chances undertaken on the field, Herzog surpassed both Lobert and Byrne, but, in justice to Lobert, the honor seems to be fairly deserved by him.
John H. Wagner, the brilliant veteran of the Pittsburgh club, fought his way to the position of shortstop in 1912. His fielding was better than that of his rivals and at times he played the position as only a man of his sterling worth can play.
Owing to the fact that the able secretary of the National League, John A. Heydler, has compiled two methods of comparing pitchers, the "Hall of Fame" in the National League this year will include two faces. They are those of Hendrix of the Pittsburgh club and Tesreau of the New York club. The former won the greater percentage of games under the old rule in vogue of allotting percentage upon victories. Tesreau, however, under a new rule which classifies pitchers by earned runs, easily led the league. The editor of the RECORD is very much inclined toward Mr. Heydler's earned run record; in fact, has suggested a record based upon the construction of making every pitcher responsible for runs and computing his average upon the percentage of runs for which he is responsible. That places Tesreau in the front row, with Mathewson second.