Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-07
SHORTSTOPS ARE SCARE
SCOUT HUFF FINDS NONE GOOD
ENOUGH FOR BIG LEAGUE.
First Basemen, Too, Are Hard to
Find-List of Men Who Look
for Material.

stops are scarce these days. according to
George HUFF, veteran scout and chief
picket for the Chicago Cubs. Likewise
there is a woefnl dearth OF classy first
basemen eligible to advancement from
minor to major league society. The big
man from the University of Illinois Is
authority for these assertions. and he
should know whereof he speaks, for he
travels all summer, year after year, ever
on the lookout for available talent.
Stars galore have been crowded into the
national pastime by the guiding hand Of
HUFF. The veteran. perhaps, leads all the
leagues In this respect, and 1t is his boast
that he never paid more than $1,000 for a
young ball player. Bear in mind this
statement and pause to consider some OF
the stars who owe their present rating to
the activity of Huff-Ruelbach. Lundgren.
Speaker. Pfeffer. Falkenberg, Hoffman.
Stahl. Beebe and Lobert-these are few
Of the brighter lights who at one time or
Cubs pilgrim.
Chief among the short fielders discov-
cred by Huff is Charley Wagner of John
l. Taylor's Boston Red Sox. The pride
Of New Rochelle has long maintained the
reputation given him when HUFF rendered
| his, report, and just now is putting in
some sturdy whacks toward keeping his
team up in the American League scram-
BILE. But the Thinkers, Wagners, Bushs
and McBrides are growing to be conspic-
uous by their absence at this stage OF the
game, according to Charlie Murphy's adj
wiser.
Huff has his own method OF watching a
youngster in action on one OF the lesser
circuits. In way he is the man Of mys-
terry descending, minus the blare Of from
bones, upon some sequestered hamlet or
minor league community. always after
hearing glowing reports of the prowess
Of the towns diamond idol. On the first
day H lff, sitting in an obscure section of
the stand or bleachers, makes mental
notes of the ''phenom's" batting. The
next day especial attention is paid to the
fielding endeavors of the athlete in ques-
ton.
If the youngster scores hit the chances
are Huff will hustle of message to
headquarters notifying Murphy of his
discovery. Otherwise the hopeful, un-
aware that he had been under the keen
scrutiny Of past master, will continue
terror to the trolley or minor league slab
artists perhaps till some later date when
fresh reports send HUFF scurrying back
to that town on another tour of in
spection.
Base ball scouting is not the only vo-
cation of the genial HUH Every fall.
winter and spring finds him very much
in evidence at Urbana. ILL.,. where he
holds forth as physical director Of the
University Of Illinois. In the summer
end Of the game. Among base ball men
Huff Is known as the dean of scouts.
His closest rival for this honor, perhaps.
is Tommy Mccarthy. who formerly
looked about for Connie Mack.
To Mccarthy goes the credit Of having
unearthed such artists as Frank Baker
Eddie Collins. Harry Krause and Jack
Barry, four youngsters who have been
instrumental in keeping the Athletics on
top thus far in the 1910 American League
flag pursuit. After digging up this quar-
tet McCarthy's fame scared. Then there
is Sam Kennedy, another hero of the
olden days, now engaged as chief scout
for Cleveland.
has long been the leading light among
the scouts, scores of promising young
sterS have been found. Heilbroner. to-
gether with Mccarthy, Tommy Corrigan
and Bid McPhee has been credited
with finding Bescher, Mitchell, Paskert,
HobGtzel and Downey-all headliners on
Griff1th'S troupe.
Arthur Irwin is the boss scout for the
Highlanders. having Duke Farrell and
Gene Mccain for assistants. Twenty
five years ago Irwin was the star short
stop for the old Providence and Philadel-
phia clubs. while Farrell carried the ban
ner as backstop for the Washington,
Boston and New York clubs.
Many Highlanders Of the present sea-
son owe their berths to Irwin, Farrell and
Mccain. Among the men thus acquired
are Ford, Vaughn, Roach, Foster and
Mitchell. John j. McGraw has whole
flock of outposts looking up aspirants
for jobs. Among the lot are Dan Brouth-
ers. WilbeI Robinson and Joe Gardner,
although Dick Kinsella, president of the
Springfield, ILL.,, club, now and then sends
in few tips.
Charlie Barrett and Harry Howell, to-
gether with five men of mystery, do the
bush league invasions for President
Hedges of the st. Louis Browns. John
j. McCloskey and Billy Murray have
pushed several present stars into their
positions. Billy Gilbert teamed ii with
Roger Bresnahan in the scouting duties
for the ST. Louis Cardinals and whipped
a lot of likely men into line for the
race.
President Comiskey OF the White Sox
carries an expensive corps of scouts and
last season it was reported that he spent
more than 100000 for new talent. Ted
Sullivan, the late Tom Lotus, Mike Can
tillon of Minneapolis, Danny Long of San
Francisco and other warm admirers of
the "Old Roman" lent their services to
Comiskey, combing the minor leagues for
White Soy recruits