The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-30
BASE BALn MANAGERS PICKING
OUT TEXANS FOR NEXT
SEASON.
FEW COLLEGE PLAYERS SIGN.
MCREARY, OF LOUISVILLE, HAS
BECOME A sTAR-THE TEBEAU
CASE.
UNCLE ANsoNs FADING BLOOM.
Left-Handed Players Are Successful
as Infelders-Caylor's Gossip
!. of the Game.

AS the championship season in base
ball draws to its close the clubs of the
major league have begun new raid
upon young players in the minor or
CARNATIONS This Is due to a general
desire to forestall the drafting privi-
lege to which every club Is entitled at
the end OF the season The Philadel-
phfas lead all clubs in this search
after new timber, which confirms the
report that it's owners intend to re-
organize their team on the basis of
young players The recent addition to
their team of Lajoie and Crier has
been followed up by the purchase Of
the release of Gallagher, shortstop of
the Wilmington Del.) club. Gallagher
Is oneo the promising young players
ON whom more than one National
league manager has been keeping an
eye.
Following in the footsteps Of Phila-
delphia, the Boston club has begun to
reach out after young blood. and it
paid a good market price for the re-
lease of Pitcher Klobedouz of the Fall
River nine. The Washingtons about
the same time secured the services of
young college player. Herbert Smith,
who made quite a reputation as an
inhelder on the University OF Pennsyl-
Vanla nine. Since the close of the
college year Smith has been playing
with mi-professionaI teams and has
rejected a number of offers from Ma
tional league clubs. The Washington
offer, however. seemed to be tempting
beyond his power of resistance. 1t is
the very general opinion that he is
strong enough to hold his place in Ma
tional league company
Very few college players suecumb to
the tempting offers with which Ma
tional league clubs beset them. Car
ter, of Yale. could have written his
own salary in either of half a dozen
league contracts. Mahoney, Of the
Georgetown university; Schoenhut
Thomas and Goeckle, of the University
of Pennsylvania; Ward, of Princeton,
and Preist, of Cornell, were all be-
sought by National league managers
to sign professional contracts, and all
refused. The ex-college players who
are now professionally enrolled In ma
jor league teams are Smith, with the
Washingtons; Lewis and Tenny, with
the Bostons; Pond, with the Balti-
mores, and McCreary, with the Louis
villes. The latter is, in my opinion. the
choice of the five. From a player Of
no particular prominence he has de-
veloped into star of the first magni-
tude.-
McCreary is not twenty-three years
ola, and his career on the ballfield is
quite brief. 1t began as second base
n hn
association team In Washington dur
ing the summer of 1898. The next year
he became a professional by signing
with the Norfolk club Of the Virginia
league, where he played at second base,
In the outfield and pitched some. In
1885 he was member of the George
town college team till the summer va
cation began, when he accepted an
offer made by the Louisville club It
was not till the present season was
pretty well advanced that McCreary
got chance to prove that he is one Of
the best batsmen in the country In
April his release could have been pur-
chased for $780, Now $4,000 offered
would probably be rejected This is
another case where opportunity came
by chance and made star McCreary
was engaged by the Louisville club for
pitcher, but am injury to Holmes and
the sickness of Mcfarland placed him
temporarily in the outfeld, where he
soon established his superiority as a
batsman and fielder Thus is added
another name to the long list of players
who started as pitchers and won fame
in the outfield and as batsmen The
others I have mentioned before, most
prominent among them being Herman,
Van Haltren, Smith, Burkett and Par
rOtt
rrix 90;
a shortstop the Philadelphia club has
laid him off. His trial on the infield was
generally regarded as a losing expert
ment for no other reason than that
the young man throws with his left
hand. That popularity is believed to
be an inSurmountable obstacle to any
irfe1der except a first baseman 1t
certainly acted as a serious handicap
to Hulen, who lost many runners by
being compelled to turn before he threw
after stopping the ball on his right side
l never knew more. than one infielder
who eyaS left handed and made any
considerable success in his playing, and
that was Carpenter, the once famous
third baseman of the Syracuse Stars
and later of the Cincinnatis Beckley
uses his left hand in throwing but his
work at first base requires very little
use of it in that way.
manned under their managers eyes as
undiscovered stars for months or sea-
sons and then suddenly burst out with
stellar attractions. we must not forget
Denzer of the st. Paul club. The
veteran Comiskey regards him as
wonder. Part of last year and early
in this season young Denzer played
occasionally for Comiskey without at
tracing even suspicion that he was
a ball player or pitcher. Comiskey
even now wonders why he didn't make
demerit of his early work for the st,
Paul club. But Denzer, like the band
played on. Some time in the first half
of this season he began to show, as
they say at the race track, and in few
weeks he by wonderful work, caught
the favor and admiration Of his man
ager The hitherto obscure youngster
had suddenly taken his place. among
the bright lights of the diamond
Comiskey is willing to stake his repu-
tation as a judge of young players
that Denzer will be a second Rusie
Hoffer or Nichols. That Is a big recon-
mendation for Denzer, but it does not
place him permanently among the
stars. He'll have to do that himself
by his work. The best judges of play
ers frequently make mistakes in their
estimates There's Arson, who several
years ago had Charley Irwin on his
team as a third baseman, but let him
go because he said Irwin was weak on
running in and fielding short ground
ers.
Comiskey took up Anson's cast off
and a year later sold his release to
Cincinnati. Today Irwin Is one OF the
best third basemen in the big league.