The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-06
EARLEAFTER BENTON
Pirate Scout Looking Over
South Atlantic Twirler.
PITCHER A ROUGH DIAMOND
President Etheridge Refuses to Let
Benton Go to Piftsburg-With
Proper Handling anA Careful De-
veIOpmens He VIII Make a Big
League TNirIer.

From the Macon Telegraph.
One of the best known scouts now
working for a major league club. Earle,
of Pittsburg. spent the day in Macon.
Although no definite statement could be
extracted, It is believed that he was dick
ering with President Etheridge for the
great and only Benton. He probably
received the answer that all OF them
have been forced to accept for the nonce
that Benton is not for sale until the sea-
son is over.
THAT boy is a great piece of stuff all
right and with proper handling and care
ful development should become a great
big league pitcher" said Earle to the
writer at the Lanier last night
of course. he has a lot to learn. a
great deal TO learn. but the material is
there and good material these days is
scarce. I liked the way he worked yes
terday. and with Kahlkoff handling him.
he should be ready by next spring for q
farming process in fast Class A league.
say with the American Association or the
Eastern League. Then he will be ready to
test HIS mettle In the white heat of the
big league blast. He surely is a promis-
ing recruit. there is no doubt Of that"
However. what the Pirate scout is look
Ing for more than anything else is a good
catcher. This. he declares, 10 be an aw-
full hard thing TO find.
You know we have in George Gibson
the greatest catcher in the game, OF
that there is no doubt, and to come Up
10 his standard is well nigh impossible;
but just the same ] would like TO run
f1fa IN he mir "a
have failed yet TO see big league tim
Der this year. and Dick Padden, OF Wash
ington. says the same thing.
According 10 Mr. Earle, the great de-
mand in the majors is for hitters.
I'VE can get lots of fast boys who car
field and throw and run bases like q
house afiTe. but when they get up there
In the big show. with those heady. top
notch pitchers heaving them over, they
fail 10 hit A great defense Is a fine
thing, but you must have hitters. Pitts
burg is not winning right now. because
Wagner. Leach. and ClaTke-the Bis
Three-are not hitting What we want
and what the American race is not pro
ducing. from a baseball standpoint, j!
crop OF 300 hitters. You just tell am
fair fielder and base runner you see WHIT
can hit 800 in any sort Of company
against any sort of pitchers, that If h.
wants to make good. fat salary play
ing bail, I VIII see that he gets #.
They do not hit the ball now like the,
did in the olden days. Look at Lsjoi'
and Wagner. For years they have beer
Asupreme as hitters. The only two 10 ap
proach their class of all the younger
crop have been Cobb and Speaker And
yet when Wagner and Lajoie started
twelve years ago. and broke In as 30
hitters. they were surrounded on al
sides by men who could hit once out Of
every three times up. or pretty close Il
It. A man could not hold a big league
job then unless he was there with a so
| average. or one Whereabouts. Look al
them now Out OF every ten players 4
team is proud If II has one 800 sticker
The argument has been advancet
that the pitching has become so mucl
more puZziing Nonsense. Wagner anS
Lajoie and Clarke and Keller. and 10,
Kelley when they played an occasiona
game with Boston two years ago hit the
ball just as hard as they ever did.
"Cy Young has been pitching big lesgu.
| bah for nineteen years. It's a cineh tha'
he Is hot better now than he was fifteer
years ago, and yet he is in the front ranl
of modern day pitchers. No sir-the coun
| try is not producing the old time natura
| hitter The boys are not built on thos,
lines any more I see a youngster play
a star inf1eld game and look for bis
things from him until he comes TO bat
and then I weep. He doesn't even lOOl
| like a hitter"
Mr. Earle was told of Jack Lee hit
ting the ball at a $50 clip.
That's hitting it all right in any ole
company"
| He said. IF a man hits the ball fol
over 800 on a corner lot he is h&kting Il
A consistent $50 hitter in the South At
lantic League is a fair sticker, according
TO modern standards. and there is NJ
doubt about that"
Mr.. Earle thought quite lot of Pops
Tuesday when he opposed Benton. He
thinks. perhaps. the Jaxer kid may make
it some day, but like Benton. he need;
a lot of finishing and grooming before
he viii be ready 20 burn up the bis
ring,