The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-01
HEART With tn.
70 Sporting
HEART Editor.

Every now and then a vail goes up
from some city sheltering a big
league ball club, the management OF
- which has allowed
TIGERS 10 slip through its
DON'T MISS fingers some base
DIsCARDS. ball player who
- - has proven the
man Of the hour for a rival aggrega
ton. The baseball world is familiar
with some OF these cases. Doubtless
there is not a single team whose
management has not at some time or
other made a blunder OF this sort.
There is no city, however. that has
experienced less misfortune in this
line than Detroit.
In the Spalding Record Book there
appear the names OF a considerable
number of former Tigers, now with
other teams The list is as follows:
American league-Cree and War
hop Of New York; Payne Of Chicago;
Mberfeld, Schaefer, KillifeT and Cess
Ter, Of Washington; Thomas of the
Athletics: Denny Sullivan of Cleve-
land and Eddie Cicotte of Boston.
National league-Bescher and Ro-
wan OF Cincinnati; Archer OF Chi.
cago, and Clement of Brooklyn.
The total OF Detroit discards in the
big leagues is accordingly l4-an I'M
usually small number for any club.
II is an extremely doubtful matter
If the above list contains more than
two men who would be able 20 make
places for themselves on the Detroit
cllb Of today Undoubtedly, Detroit
could use Archer and Cicotte. The
Tigers let go of the former because
of what was believed 10 be certain
evidence of failing eyesight The
oculist who delivered that opinion
ought 10 be refused further admission
to the Detroit ball grounds, as the
penalty for his blunder Last year
Archer caught swell ball for the CUBS
and would surely have been Dig
helm to Detroit in the worlds series.
AS for Cicotte, he won 13 games ana
lost five for his seasons work. mat
is good enough average TO make any
team yearn for his services. Manager
Armour turned Eddie back 10 the min
ors on account OF his penchant TOT
large pitchers. Eddie learned the
knrckIe-balI after his throw-down
locally and became such an adept as
IN place him last year very close 10
George Mullin, the league leader IN
pitching effectiveness. On the basis
Of what he knew when Detroit mad
him. II is doubtful II Cicotte was OF
big-league calibre. Since then he has
become good.
None OF the other American
Ieaguers showed class enough to en-
title them 10 a place on the Detroit
clubs of recent years. The same ap-
plics TO the National leaguers, IN
spite OF the fact that the list there IN
cludes the sensational Bescher OF
Cincinnati who led the league in base
stealing last year with total OF %.
! Bescher's base running and fielding
might be good enough for the Tigers
\ but there is no place in the Detroit
outfield for a man who can hit no
better than .240 His connection with
Detroit was in a nominal capacity In
/ the spring OF 1908.
Detroit discards who have been
nabbed and tried out by other clubs a
score OF times. The list OF those who
have made good for their new EN-
ployers is confined 10 the summary
given above The failures have been
far more numerous
When one considers that, In the
mast eight years the Detroit club has
tried out I'm the neighborhood OF l25
men. the wisdom with which the al
fairs OF the club have been conducted
almost passes belief.