The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1908-01-16
YOUNGSTERS IN
THE MAJOR
RANKS.
Many Minor Leaguers De-
velOped into Star Players
Last Season.
Best Team of Youngsters.

Catcher.
- konetchy
First base.
Downs Knabe
Second base.
- -. Byrne
Third base.
Nichols Grant
Short stop. !
Left field.
Centre field.
Oldrlng Mitchell
Right field.
The big league season Of last year was
responsible for the development OF n num-
Der of star players, men who will be heard
from in the future II they fulfill the pre-
alctions that are made for them after they
have taken a year in fast company.
A host of minor leaguers were taken
south for training by the managers of both
big leagues last spring and a large number
Of them lasted all season. True, some
were merely retained because their man
ayers could not secure any one better,
and not because they really were making
good. But, in many cases, the youngsters
did make good and will be retained for an
other season.
Walter johnson. the young Washington
pitcher. was considered the find Of the year
and with the experience he gained with the
t%ailenders in 1907 he should be one of the
best twirlers in the American League this
campaign. He won five games out OF four
teen, but think of the team he had behind
him.
Gehring, of Washington. also did fairly
we'll. but cannot be considered a regular
yet. Pruitt, Of Boston, showed flashes OF
%brilliancy. but will never set the world on
fire with his slab work.
Five young scatchers were tried out In
the league. Blankenship, of washington,
urha hos onYopn0o1 hfa rnfiTpnnnf from
the American League, looked like the best
Of the lot, but was handicapped by fire.
duent injuries. Archer, of Detroit. was
fair. and so was stephens, of st. Louis.
Neither is a topnotcher, however.
Cleveland was fortunate In picking nee
tarines in the minor league lemon groves,
three pitchers and two outfielders. The
three young hingers-Liebhardt, Thielman
and Berger-did so well that they will be
considered mainstays In the box when the
season Of 1908 Is well under way. ThRi-
man, of course. is hardly a ~youngster'
having been tried out previously ID the
National League. Liebhardt Berger,
however, are Just earning their big league
!, spurs. Thielman won IL out of 10, while
} Iiebhardt captured IS out of 10, despite q
physical injury. Berger did not get started
until late in the season and split even
with three victories and three deteats'
That he had the goods to deliver was shown
by his one-hit games against the ankees
late in the year. Since then Griffith has
made several endeavors to secure him Tor
New York, but without avail.
Hinchman and Birmingham did not rank
among the star hitters ofsthe league, but
as ninch hitters they stood well. While as
nelders and throwers they had. few SUI
periors. considering the chances that each
took.
A youngster who looked as 4 he might
be a. real live wire is Blair OF the III
hState League, who Joined the Yankees
shortly before the season ended. lie mas
a magnificent throwing arm, put ne uiu
not have a real trying out 49,,
lister was the only first baseman tried
out. Cleveland got him when StoVall was
hurt. and It Is doubtful If he is in the
league next season. Downs of Detroit was
practically the only, young second base
man, and he did nothing consistent IN the
field or at bat, his batting average pelhs
.2l9 and his fielding record, $3.50.
Nichols. of Philadelphia. proved to be a
mighty good shortstop and a splendid bat
ter, hitting 1902 and fielding $40. IRONY
Smith and Shipke, of Washington, are Two
good infelders. but their batting Is weak
The Young outhelders besides the Cleve-
land pair were Sullivan, Of Boston; Old
ring. of Philadelphia, Welday, of Chicago,
and Milan, of washington. Sullivan made
good in n way, although he was not a
star. He batted .245 and helded .975. Old
ring batted we'll, his figure being .2S6, and
helded within a point of Sullivan. Milan
and Kay both hit strong. but Kay's field
ing will keep him on the bench for an
other season, at least. OF course, Ganley,
Clymer, Barrett and Pickering were new
corners, IN a way. but all four have been
in the big league before.
A scarcity of young catchers Is noticed
in the National League, but one having
been tried out during the year. Young
pitchers were numerous, and several more
than made good. Liefield and Maddox, Of
Plttsburg; McGlynn and Karger, Of 81
Louis; Rucker, of Brooklyn; McQuillin
Moren and Richie, of the Phillies, were
the most notable instances.
Karger and Leifield were two OF the best
southpaws In the league, and karger's re-
lease would bring a round price were ne
southpaw who delivers the goods. MaddoN
is the Wheeling recruit who broke into tn,
league with the Pirates at the close Of the
campaign and proceeded to win six
straight games, most of them being low
hit affairs.
Lelfeld won 20 and lost 16, Karger won
Is and lost 10, Moren won II and lost Is
McGlynn won IA and lost 25, Rucker won
Is and lost 10, while Richie split even in
II games. The st. Louis pairs record does
not look good on paper, but the team that
played behind them must be taken into
consideration.
OF the minor league first sackers that
were tried out Konetchy, Of the Cardinals,
appeared to be the best. He batted Isl
aud helded .975, and, according to Stanley
Robson, is a fixture. Swacina. of the
Pirates, failed to bat better than 200.
Merkle. the Toledo boy with the Giants,
did better than that, hitting at a .255 clip.
Knabe. of the Philliea, proved a star sec
ond baseman and batted .255. Grant, Of the
same club put up Il rafting good game
at third and hit .243. Byrne, the diminu-
tive third sacker for the Cardinals, is sure
of retention, being one of the stars of the
st. Louis club. He batted .256. Storke,
the Pirate third baseman, batted .25S, but
felded below the average.
Hum!bel of the Brooklyns, proved to be
tie most valuable utility man, working
brilliantly wherever he was put, either on
the in or out fields. He batted only .234,
however. Doyle batted .260 for the Giants,
but did not field any too well.
Among the young outfelders were Nit
chell, Kane, Krueger and Paskert, Of Gin
%cinnati; Osborne, of the Phillies, and An
derson, Of Pittsburg. The last named
failed to bat, his average being .206. Os-
borne played something ike thirty games
without an error and batted .276, so 1t
looks as If he made good. The best of the
bunch, however, was Mike Mitchell, who
batted. 292 and fielded about $50. Kruger
evidently did not rake good, for he has
lhaar1 sold IN Columbus. paskprt did well /