The Detroit times., 1909-04-07
jENNlNGS' WORRY
IS OVER LOSING
GOOD COLTS
Browns Would Claim Lafitte and
Bumpus Jones Should Detroit At
tempt To Lend Them-Must
Garry Or Sell at Sacrifice
Trade With McAleer May Be Made,
However, By Which Tigers Would
Add Valuable Southpaw.
Nv PAUL n. BRuskE.

lNDlANAfOLlS, lnu., ApiH - -
retain for the Detroit baseball club an
other year the privilege of first call on
the services OF Pitchers f. Jones AMI
LATTE is Just now the problem that
is seriously puzzling the brains Of
Manager Jennings and-doubtless-
President Frank J. Navin.
The three men represent an outlay
OF approximately $4,000 and still have
hardly shown enough form 10 enutle
them TO the places Of any of the sew
en- veteran twirlers. There is still a
long chance for one OF them 10 make
the Detroit team. More than one is
simply impossible, as regular. how
ever.
The rules OF the American league
provide that no club can lenQ a player
10 a minor-league aggregation without
first securing the consent OF every
ether member OF the American league.
Ii Detroit decides 10 farm out the
three pitchers mentioned. IL will first
ask for waivers of claim.
In case any other club OF the league
covets the men ON whom the waivers
are asked, 1t has the privilege OF sig
rifying that intention. Detroit must
then either keep the player or else
hand him To the club which has re-
fused TO waive claim. the price OF
$1,000 being prescribed as universal
figure at which players thus marketed
shall change hands. except in cases
where more than one club refuses 10
waive. The selling clue in this In
stance has the right to auction the
man OF to the highest bidder.
THE WRITER HAS CERTAIN
KNOWLEDGE OF ONE AMERICAN
. LEAGUE MANAGER WHO, UNLESS
HE CHANGES HIS MIND. WILL RE
FUSE TO WAIVE CLAIM ON AT
LEAST ONE AND POSSIBLY TWO
DETROIT PITCHERS. The manager
IL James McAleer of the st. Louis
Browns and one of the pitchers is Ed
LATTE who performed so brilliantly
against the Browns In one OF the ex-
hibition games in Texas.
81 haven't developed good
pitcher this year." the boss OF the
Browns told the writer, land it's
up TO me to grab few when the
other clubs ask waivers. Swift
and Justus have been absolute
failures. NY regular righthand-
ed pitchers are all veterans and
can't last forever. From what !
hear about this Lafitte, he's worth
all the money Detroit paid for him.
There might me some more young
sters placed where III have an op-
portunity 20 pick them up cheap.
If there are, III surely be there
with the little refusal to waive"
From this line OF talk 1t becomes
APPARENT that the Detroit club IL
threatened with a chain Of happenings
which may cause the sacrifice Of q
$4,000 twirler for $1,000. That such
an event would be guarded against
by TIE retaining OF the player on the
regular list Of the club, goes without
saying, as his salary would be con-
riderably less than the financial loss
which the club would suffer by his
disposal 10 any Club at the waiver
price.
The same, although ~ a smaller ex-
tent, Is naturally the case with Jones.
Z. is not expected that the club will
experience rny serious diiEeuity IN
plac.n SIeer. II desired. He has hs
yet Shown nothing that world war.
rant any ether big-league club In Fay
itg $1,000 for his release Woiki tco.
can probably run the gauntlet.
TO keep roth Jones and Lafittc. how.
evee, the Getrolt club will have T.
either de cacitate one or two sst-rsns
o. Else increase the size Of is PITCH
Ino etaff 20 nine men--a most urp'e-
ccdented number Of beavers 20 carry
oil season and a considerable source
Of expense &c the management.
A superiority of talent brings with
II difficulties as well as advantages.
Just what the Detroit club wi ct' Ia
the matter will doubtless be governed
by the coalitions prevailing on the
clubs which refuse TO waive claim.
1T is POSSIBLE THAT. If Nc
ALEER is SET ON SECURING LA
FITTE HE MIGHT BE PERSUADED
TO CONSIDER SOME DEAL OF A
TRADE IN WHICH GRAHAM, HIS
MICHIGAN SOUTHPAW MIGHT
FIGURE. This young man would
strengthen the Tigers most affectual-
~ In giving them a left-hander OF very
near frst-class ability.
Graham has looked like a mighty
sweet sort OF pitcher every time he
has stacked up against the Tigers.
The ] TO game which he lost TO Bill
Donovan last year was the prettiest
battle witnessed at Bennett park last
year. This spring, with perfect sup
pert. he would probably have held the
Tigers TO o to o draw In the regula-