Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-24
LOCAL PLAYERS ARE
SOLD To CLEVELAND
FaIkenberg and AItizer Are
Transferred to Lajoie's
Team-FaiI to Meet
Requirements.

The Washington club yesterday after
noon completed one Of the largest deals
ever negotiated in this vicinity when it
sold Pitcher Fred Falkenberg and In
fielder Dave Altizer to the Cleveland club
for $1,000. Back in the COS Earl Wag-
ner received $500 for Pitcher Meekin
and Catcher Farrell. and these figures
stood as the record price for local play
ers until yesterdays transaction.
Ten thousand dollars is a large sum of
money, but the Cleveland club is in need
OF players and it had to dig down into
its profits to obtain the men desired. The
game Falkenberg pitched against the
Clevelands last Monday sealed Fred's fate
with Manager Lajoie. and as Altizer
played good ball against the Maps it
didn't take much dickering to reach an
agreement.
New Players Obtained.
It has been against the principles of
the Washington club to sell players, but
trades could not be made and players had
to be purchased. Within the last week
or SO the local club has put out con-
siderable sum for Bob Unglaub and only
yesterday morning paid another round
sum for ,,utdelder Bob Edmondson These
expenditures will offset somewhat the
money received for Falkenberg and Altiz-
er and leave a good balance which will
probably be expended in obtaining one
or more players on whom Manager Can
tillon has had his eye for some time.
Falkenberg and Altizer found 1t impos-
sible to arrange their affairs last night so
as to take train Immediately for C!eve-
land. but will leave this afternoon at 5
o'clock SO as to arrive in Naptown early
tomorrow morning. Both Of the former
Nationals were seen this morning by a
Star reporter, and they were loud In their
praise OF the Washington club owners
They acknowledged that they would have
liked to remain In this city, but they
were fully aware OF the fact that they did
not come UP to Manager Cantillon's ex-
pectations. and for this reason were
pleased to be able to sign with the Cleve-
lands The contracts Of both men with
the local club will be carried by Cleve-
land, and the> chances are that the pair
Will do better work under Lajoie than
they did under Cantillon. The methods
OF these managers are entirely different
and those OF the former will probably
suit the temperament OF Fred and Dave
to such an extent as to result in good
ball playing.
Fail to Meet Requirements.
When Altizer joined the Washington
C1oO 1c WAo tdASu from the Lancaster,
Pa. club, then in the outlaw Tri-State
League. and he gave every indication of
being high-class man. He had a won
derful whip. was fast on his feet and for
several weeks batted we'll over the three
hundred mark. Then came a terrible
blow on the head by one Of Cy Young's
fast inshoots. and Dawes decline can be
marked from that time. It was months
before he could get going again with the
stick, but he has never reached the 800
mark since his injury.
Fred Falkenberg was playing with the
Harrisburg. Pa, team. also Of the Tri-
State outlaws, when recommended to
Washington and his release was bought
from Toronto. which club he had jumped.
"Falk" has pitched wonderful ball for
the locals at times and at times would
fall away just as much as loser. It
was this unreliability that annoyed Man
aEer Cantillon ana led to Faikenberg's
sale.
Both Aitizer and Falkenberg were very
popular in Washington and had many
close friends. They may have fallen
short OF the requirements on the bali
field. but both possessed gentlemanly
qualities and they deserve all the success
possible In their new field.