The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-28

| dIs--SaI uuDcllCVHDICs DIey luss
owner of the Pittsburg club, has book
in his offices in which arc recorded th
names, addresses, descriptions, batting
and fielding averages, character AM
general makeup of thousands Of play
ers Of whom the baseball world neve
has heard and probably never Will hear
except when they are produced in th'
form of a Wagner, Leach or JAY
Miller. The country schoolmaster, play
ing ball at recess with the big boys
may be watched by a major leagu,
minor league player may lay off som'
day to rest sore finger and discover
afterwards that scout, who had trav
eled thousands of miles to see him play
was IN the stands, and that he lost his
chance Of promotion by remaining idle
on that day.
1t is related that Dreyfuss was sit
ting IN a buggy on a dusty country
turnpike near Goshen, O., watching the
schoolmaster playing "Anthony over
with the boys. The schoolmaster caught
the ball, wound up, ana instead OF
throwing it bnck over the roof of the
and hit one of the boys in the back
Dreyfuss thercupon climbed out of his
buggy, and signed the schoolmaster to
pitch for Pittsburg, thereby discover
ing Sam Leever, one of the greatest OF
pitchers.
Dan O'Leary, when he was manager
of the Indianapolis club, arranged an
exhibition game with the team ropre'
senting n small town near the In
diana capital. The small town team
looked fairly strong, but complained
TO work that day, refusing to remain
idle when he could make So at his
trade. OLeary volunteered to per-
suade the player to get into the game.
He hired horse and buggy, drove three
miles into the country and found the
player busily engaged in shingling a
barn. OLeary agreed to pay him So
if he would play against Indianapolis
that afternoon. In the game the lanky
Hoosier twice hit the ball out Of the
pasture in which they were playing.
o 'Leary offered him a position on the
Indianapolis team and took him away
penter was Sam Thompson, who devel.
oped into the greatest batter Of his day
and one of the hardest hitters the game
ever has known.
Hans Wagner became Il ball player
because George Moreland, who owned
the Youngstown. o., club needed a
pitcher and could pay only $50 a month
Wagner S brother, Al Wagner, suggest
ed that he try Hans, who accepted the
offer.
There was one discouraged scout
about ten years ago who lost one of
the greatest pitchers ever developed
Frank Bancroft, still-hunter
after baseball talent of all sorts, was
Informed that there was n pitcher
named Charlie PIckerel at Lyuchburg,
o., who was as good as any man on
the Cincinnati list. Bancroft FASTENED
into the country and watched Pickerel
pitch. He was amazed Mt the speed
and curves of the amateur, and was
on the point of making him an offer
when he discovered the one weakness
of the man. He could not pitch with
his shoes on. Every inning when he
went to the slab Pickerel removed his
shoes, took a toe hold on the rubber
and was another Rusie. but Bancroft
feared complications and allowed him
to escape.
Tom Ramsey, who perhaps was the
most remarkable left. handed pitcher in
the history Of baseball, was discov~
cred scientitically. He was n brick
layer, and being accustomed to grip
ping brick with his left hand while
breaking them with his trowel. he had
cultivated a marvellous power in thumb
and forefngers. The Louisville club
secured HIM on the report of player
who had seen Ramsey twist the cover
81 baseball by pressure of his fingers
The player figured that a man with
such power in his throwing hand ought
TO be great pitcher. and Ramsey
within short time after joining the
team, pitched curves of such wonder
full speed and such quick breaks that
he became the sensation of the game.
James A. Hart. when he was manag.
ing Louisville, studied tho secret OF
Ramsey's s success, and instead of look.
ing Tor ball players In minor leagues
went scouting for left-handed brick
layers. trailing them TO the tops OF
but he never discovered an
other Ramsey
Nat Hudson. who won the world S
for ST. Louis in the fla,
nous series between the st. Louis
Browns under Comiskey and the Chi
rago White Stockings under Anson.
was found in n peculiar manner. Co.
niskey was Chicago man. and in the
middle of season he went to Chicago
With his st. Louis club, being in des-
oerate need of a pitcher. He was in
barber shop when the barber sug-
sested that he try Hudson, of whom
Jomiskey never had heard. On hunt
ng for the pitcher Comiskey found |
hat he lived directly across the street |
rom his own home, so after searching
he entire country for a pitcher, he
got his star at his own doorsteps
But there are few such discoveries
made under modern conditions. The
men arc watched by scores OF clubs;
md records Of their habits, dispositions, |
peed, hitting ability and intelligence |
ire kept almost from the day they
tart to play. AT one time in the
'arly part Of 1907 four scouts roprc.
enting four major league clubs were
n the stands at Springfield, H., at
me game, watching Doyle, for whom
light clubs had already made bids.
rhe New York club, fearing some other
lub would get the player, paid $4,000
or him by telegraph without seeing
i'm play, thus securing great second
'ascman. In 1909 eleven clubs were
bidding at ono time for Blackburn Of
Providence, who went to Comiskcy g
'hicago team, "Tad" Jones. tho Yale
atcher and football player, received
III erS from every major lcapun OH, n |