Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-25
MANY FORMER STARS
IN MINOR LEAGUES
American Association Chief
Dumping Ground for
"HaS-BeenS."

NEW YORK, December 24.-If yo,
wonder what becomes of the big league
base ball stars when they cease starring
where they drift to after they have
slowed up just enough to keep them out
Of the two big rings, take squint al
the American association averages. You'll
find the has-beens in punches.
The American Association serves as the
dollhouse wherein are ripened the un
seasoned youngsters Of some of the West
ern, American and National leagues
mainly. but is also a dumping ground
| for the old-timers. Cleveland, i particu-
lar, has a penchant for sending discards
to the A. A. and St. Louis and Was..-
ington are also closely affiliated with the
organization that has for long time
considered itself of major class.
| Some Of the old-timers-this term is
used in connection with men who are still
young, but who have seen service in the
| big leagues. as we'll as the real veterans
| of the game-are doing right well. Some
Of them are finding the pace too hot.
Jimmy Barrett, manager of the Mil.
| waukee team and years ago an outfielder
| tops the batting averages this year with
| .353 for fifty-one games. Barrett goes
along playing smashing good game both
at the bat and in the field, but is very
susceptible to injury and does not play
half the time.
"Gabby" Cravath, who used to draw his
monthly envelope from Charley Comiskey,
and. still later. the Boston Red Sox. was
the actual leader, batting 1926 for 161
games. Close up to Ciavath was tic
man, a Cleveland discard, who batted
.317 for 1871 games.
Heinie Peitz, the old Cincinnati Red
pitcher, who now leads the Louisville
ing record of 800 for % games. ely
mer, whose last American League en-
ga cement was with Washington, hit .3Oe
in 139 games. Daredevil Dave Altizer
who was one Of the worlds champion
White Sox, who comes back to the big
show next year. batted an even 800.
Six or seven clubs were after Altizer
last fall, some Of them Offering as high
as $4,000 for him. The Minneapolis club
turned down all of them, only to lose
him in the drafts, which cost the Millers
just 5000 in cold cash. for the draft
price is only $1,000.
AltiZer played six or seven games with
the Reds at the end of the season, and
| though his name does not appear in the
records. led the National League in bat
ting. He cleaned up at the rate OF about
600 for those few games.
Outside of the 800 circle you can,
stick a pin in the American Association
averages without scratching some old big
Lacquer. COngalton, once a Cleveland
Nap, and that not so long ago. hit .29l
for Columbus. Hallman, another ex.
Nap, who batted .279 for Kansas City an6
Toledo.
| Indianapolis, once on the Cub pay roll
Claude Rossman, who was with the De
| troit Tigers during three pennant-winnin,
| campaigns. and Frank Bowerman, the
| old New York Giant, who wound up hi:
National League career by making q
mess of the management of the Boston
| Doves.
| A little further down the list come Per-
| ring. the old Cleveland shortstop, who
now pastimes with Columbus and bats
I'll: and RUDE Ferris, once one of the
| fossiest third basemen in the American
| League. In the American Association he
| bats .o87 for Minneapolis.
| Right under Ferris in the record table
the New York Yankees few years Ago
Smiling Ar continues as. a steady. con
| sistent hitter. His .267 was better than
the averages turned in by all but two
of his Indianapolis teammates.
| Harry Hinchman. the old Cleveland out
| fielder, and Lou Ritter, once a catcher
for Brooklyn and Philadelphia, are in the
zoos, while Jap Barbeau, forme
Pirate and present Kansas City infielder
| Lelivelt, who saw service with both De-
| troit and Washington, and Danny Shay
| once a Giant, are in the 250s.
Below that mark even is old Spike
| Shannon, brought here by McGraw in the
hope that he would bring back the
| champions Of 1905 had gone to pieces.
Spike played with Kansas City last
| season, but the fans out there are not
| overanxious that he be retained another
/ - nod
the end Of his rope. and that another
year will see him down in the bushes.
Pickering, a veteran OF the days wher
Louisville was in the National League.
| and one OF the most sensational heiders
| Of his day, is another who has found the
pace too swift in the near-major league.
He has slowed up woefully in his field
| ing and base running. and batted only
| .241 for Minneapolis and Louisville. He's
| another who stands a rafting good
| chance Of having kid come along and
swipe his job. He was with Washington
in 1908 and with both Minneapolis and
| Louisville last season.
! Long Tom Hughes. who comes back to
| Washington next season touted as really
| ready for picking. did not hit much foI
| Minneapolis, but his .225 was lot bet
| ter than most pitchers do. At any rate
| it is as high as the average turned in by
| little Bunny Slagle, the old Chicago cub
| Only few years back Slagle was one OF
| the most valuable men on Chances team
but lost his batting eye and dropped ou
of the big show.
! Old Dan McGann. who guarded first
base for the New York Giants for years
| until traded off to Boston in the deal thai
| brought Fred Tenney to this city. anc
| one Of the worlds champions, was as poo!
a hitter last season as Slagle. Dan battec
.22j for Milwaukee in 1o1 games-an aw
full tumble from some of his old records
Dave Brain and Ossie Shrek. the for
mer a star infieider for the Cincinnati
Reds years ago. and Giant for shor
time. and the latter one of Connie Mack:
standbys only a couple Of seasons back
each batted .3O7, one for st. Paul and the
other for Louisville.
There are other old big leaguers still
further down the list. but they are Al
| pitchers, and their batting records do no
prove anything one way or another.