Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-02

tlcally keep the playing strength of a
team intact The Indianapolis club for
instance, realized over $4,000 from the
sale of Marquard, Bush and other
members of it's team of champions and
spent half that sum in trying to re-
place them. For a month or more
Manager Carr's club was the tail-ender
of the American association and it's
low position in the race has not only
estranged patrons at home, but has
impaired its attractiveness on the road.
Had that club declined to sell Mar
guard, Bush or other players and run
the risk of the draft, only one man
would have been missing this spring
and the team would have been a con-
tender. The draft prices for players
were the same as in 1905, the increases
incorporated in the amended national
agreement becoming imperative when
two of the league, advanced to Glass
AA, declined to ratify these and other
innovations. A major league club
must pay $1,000 for a Glass A player,
$3.50 for a Glass b player, $500 for
Class player and $500 for a Glass d
player. Every major club has had one
or more scouts in the field since June
and during the month many deals have
been closed. So extensive has been the
traffic in talent that it is safe to pre-
dict that every National Agreement
league from Glass A to Glass D will
have one or more representatives in
fast company during the practice period
preceding the next race. On Septem-
ber 10 the Glass A clubs will have the
privilege of selecting from clubs in
leagues of lower classification at these
rates; Glass B, $500; Glass C, $400 and
Glass D, $780, The Glass B clubs draft
ing season runs from October 1 to Oc-
tober 15 and that of the Glass G clubs
from October Is to November 15. In
former seasons, the selection period did
not end until February 1 and Glass d
managers were needlessly kept in sus-
pense and uncertainty over team assets
for the next race almost until the
major league training season started.
Curtailing the period for selections will
do away with inconvenience to club
officials in leagues from Glass A down
to D without apreciably affecting the
opportunities of the major clubs to re-
cruit by draft If ordinary diligence is
used. According to estimates, major
league clubs will invest over 100000
in players this fall.
Easterly, $1,000 draft man, remains
with Cleveland, but Grover Land, a
$4,000 backstop has been discarded.
Archer. Kings successor, cost the
Cubs $1,000 in draft money. Mack spent
little money and secured lots of base
ball talent from colleges and minor
leagues. Griggs, the Browns classy
youngster, is a $500 man. easily worth
ten times that amount and he has not
yet had a regular assignment. Ellis.
the Cardinal outfielder, secured from
Cincinnati club for the waiver price, is
not for sale or trade. Bachman, Meter
and Harmon are youngsters, especially
the first named, who were taken on
trial and showed surprising form. The
annual major league lottery will he Off
cially closed by the national commits
sion on September is, when the draft
| ing period for the American and Ma
tional leagues end. The purchase period
was suspended on August 20. Club
owners win not know whether they
have drawn prizes or blanks until June
| 1, but prior to that time many pur-
chased and drafted players will be re-
| leased outright or sent back to the
! minors for additional seasoning with
tags attached.