Baseball Magazine began publication as a monthly in May 1908. Soon after the baseball season ended, the November issue (vol. 2, no. 1) included a one-page article, "All-Star League Teams" (1908). That seminal article listed "All-American League", "All-National League", and "All America" teams under the line, "Following are the All-Star team selections of The Baseball Magazine:".
Every year 1908 to 1950, BBMag selected the two league teams and one "All America" team. The selections were unattributed 1908-10, then attributed to F.C. Lane, 1911-37, and Dan Daniels, 1938-50. Here the annual AL and NL teams are listed explicitly and the annual "All America" team is identified by bold face in the league listings. For 1913 only, there is a second team from each league.
Every team comprises one player each at positions 1B, 2B, SS, and 3B, and three Outfielders; that is, seven players for seven regular positions. The 1908-1911 teams name one man at outfield positions LF, CF, and RF, but the man did not generally play the position. Beginning in 1912, every team simply names three outfielders. Here, the men who regularly played centerfield are marked "[cf]".
The "battery" of pitchers and catchers is variable:
1908 2 catchers, 5 pitchers 1909 3 catchers, 5 pitchers 1910 2 catchers, 5 pitchers (3 pitchers on each league team) 1911 4 catchers, 6 pitchers (4-5 pitchers on the league teams) 1912 2 catchers, 3 pitchers 1913 1 catcher, 2 pitchers (same on the league second teams) 1914 2 catchers, 3 pitchers 1915-19 1 catcher, 2 pitchersTwo Leagues in Competition. At the seven regular positions, the American League dominated the All America Teams in the Deadball Era. In twelve years, BBMag honored 54 players from the AL, 30 from the NL. The number of National League players named at the seven positions was four in 1908 and 1912, three in 1910 and 1918, otherwise only two. At the same time, 16 of 20 All America catchers were from the NL.Baseball Magazine All America Teams
bold face marks the one "All America" team [cf] marks each regular centerfielder 1908 American League National League 1B Hal Chase Fred Tenney 2B Nap Lajoie Johnny Evers SS Bobby Wallace Honus Wagner 3B Harry Lord Art Devlin LF George Stone Fred Clarke CF Sam Crawford [cf] Mike Donlin RF Ty Cobb Frank Schulte C Lou Criger Johnny Kling C Billy Sullivan Roger Bresnahan P Ed Walsh Mordecai Brown P Cy Young Christy Mathewson P Rube Waddell Nap Rucker P Addie Joss Vic Willis P Bill Donovan Ed Reulbach 1909 American League National League 1B Hal Chase Frank Chance 2B Eddie Collins Johnny Evers SS Donie Bush Honus Wagner 3B Harry Lord Art Devlin LF Sam Crawford [cf] Fred Clarke CF Tris Speaker [cf] Tommy Leach [cf] RF Ty Cobb Solly Hofman [cf] C Bill Carrigan Johnny Kling C Billy Sullivan George Gibson C Gabby Street Roger Bresnahan P Ed Walsh Christy Mathewson P Eddie Plank Mordecai Brown P Walter Johnson Ed Reulbach P George Mullin Howie Camnitz P Joe Wood Babe Adams 1910 American League National League 1B Hal Chase Frank Chance 2B Nap Lajoie Johnny Evers SS Bobby Wallace Honus Wagner 3B Harry Lord Art Devlin LF George Stone Sherry Magee CF Tris Speaker [cf] Tommy Leach [cf] RF Ty Cobb [cf] Frank Schulte C Ira Thomas George Gibson C Ed Sweeney Jimmy Archer P Ed Walsh Christy Mathewson P Jack Coombs Nap Rucker P Chief Bender King Cole P Walter Johnson (*) * Johnson is one of the five "All America" pitchers but is not one of the three on the American League team. 1911 American League National League 1B Hal Chase Jake Daubert 2B Eddie Collins Larry Doyle SS Donie Bush Honus Wagner 3B Frank Baker Hans Lobert LF Sam Crawford Fred Clarke CF Ty Cobb [cf] Mike Donlin [cf] RF Joe Jackson Frank Schulte C Ira Thomas Roger Bresnahan C Bill Carrigan Red Dooin C Oscar Stanage Chief Meyers C Jimmy Archer P Walter Johnson Christy Mathewson P Ed Walsh Rube Marquard P Vean Gregg Pete Alexander P Chief Bender Nap Rucker P Jack Coombs 1912 American League National League 1B Stuffy McInnis Jake Daubert 2B Eddie Collins Johnny Evers SS Heinie Wagner Honus Wagner 3B Larry Gardner Heinie Zimmerman OF Ty Cobb [cf] Dode Paskert [cf] OF Tris Speaker [cf] Owen Wilson [cf] OF Joe Jackson Sherry Magee C Oscar Stanage Jimmy Archer C Eddie Ainsmith Chief Meyers P Walter Johnson Jeff Tesreau P Joe Wood Christy Mathewson P Eddie Plank Nap Rucker 1913 American League National League 1B Stuffy McInnis Jake Daubert 2B Eddie Collins Jim Viox SS Jack Barry Honus Wagner 3B Frank Baker Heinie Zimmerman OF Ty Cobb [cf] Gavy Cravath OF Joe Jackson Zack Wheat OF Tris Speaker [cf] Tommy Leach [cf] C Wally Schang Jimmy Archer P Walter Johnson Christy Mathewson P Cy Falkenberg Pete Alexander 1913, second team 1B Chick Gandil Vic Saier 2B Napoleon Lajoie Johnny Evers SS Donie Bush Joe Tinker 3B Larry Gardner Hans Lobert OF Sam Crawford Sherry Magee OF Clyde Milan [cf] Armando Marsans [cf] OF Harry Hooper Max Carey C Ray Schalk Chief Meyers P Ray Collins Tom Seaton P Reb Russell Rube Marquard 1914 American League National League 1B Stuffy McInnis Jake Daubert 2B Eddie Collins Johnny Evers SS Jack Barry Rabbit Maranville 3B Frank Baker Hans Lobert OF Ty Cobb [cf] George Burns OF Tris Speaker [cf] Zack Wheat OF Joe Jackson Sherry Magee C Wally Schang Jimmy Archer C Ray Schalk Ivy Wingo P Walter Johnson Pete Alexander P Dutch Leonard Christy Mathewson P Eddie Plank Bill James 1915 American League National League 1B Stuffy McInnis Vic Saier 2B Eddie Collins Larry Doyle SS Donie Bush Dave Bancroft 3B Fritz Maisel Heinie Groh OF Sam Crawford Gavy Cravath OF Tris Speaker [cf] Cy Williams [cf] OF Ty Cobb [cf] Zack Wheat C Ray Schalk Frank Snyder P Walter Johnson Pete Alexander P Jim Scott Al Mamaux 1916 American League National League 1B George Sisler Jake Daubert 2B Eddie Collins Buck Herzog SS Donie Bush Rabbit Maranville 3B Larry Gardner Rogers Hornsby OF Ty Cobb [cf] Zack Wheat OF Tris Speaker [cf] Cy Williams [cf] OF Joe Jackson Dave Robertson C Ray Schalk Hank Gowdy P Walter Johnson Pete Alexander P Babe Ruth Al Mamaux 1917 American League National League 1B George Sisler Hal Chase 2B Eddie Collins Buck Herzog SS Ray Chapman Rabbit Maranville 3B Buck Weaver Heinie Zimmerman OF Ty Cobb [cf] Edd Roush [cf] OF Tris Speaker [cf] George Burns OF Happy Felsch Max Carey [cf] C Ray Schalk Red Killefer P Walter Johnson Pete Alexander P Eddie Cicotte Wilbur Cooper 1918 American League National League 1B George Sisler Jake Daubert 2B Eddie Collins George Cutshaw SS Ray Chapman Charlie Hollocher 3B Frank Baker Heinie Groh OF Ty Cobb [cf] Zack Wheat OF Tris Speaker [cf] Edd Roush [cf] OF Harry Hooper George Burns C Steve O'Neill Red Killefer P Babe Ruth Hippo Vaughn P Walter Johnson Burleigh Grimes 1919 American League National League 1B George Sisler Jake Daubert 2B Eddie Collins Milt Stock SS Roger Peckinpaugh Rogers Hornsby 3B Buck Weaver Heinie Groh OF Ty Cobb [cf] Edd Roush [cf] OF Joe Jackson George Burns OF Babe Ruth Hy Myers [cf] C Steve O'Neill Ivy Wingo P Walter Johnson Hippo Vaughn P Eddie Cicotte Jesse Barnes
"All America". Walter Camp (1859-1925) selected his first annual "All America" football team after the 1892 season --reportedly with Caper Whitney, published in Collier's Weekly. By 1898, his "All Americans" were an institution in college football, recognized as official. Grantland Rice succeeded Camp in 1925. The Walter Camp Foundation now makes the annual selections and publishes some historical information.
Acknowledgments. David Jones (8 years), Bill Bishop, R.J. Lesch, and Doug Pappas transcribed annual teams from Baseball Magazine. Richard Lynch provided a copy of the original 1908 article.
