Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-26
Magnates Refuse Fabulous
Offers for Diamond Stars

A star ball player is certainly
mighty valuable commodity.
If you should ask Owner Frank Navin
of the Detroit club to place a price on
the services Of Ty Cobb, about the best
you would get would be a sympathetic
smile.
If you should go even further and
tender, Mr.. Navin a check for some
fancy sum, say about $4,000, he would
politely thank you, but would be forced
to decline. It is very questionable if
Cobb could be bought from the Detroit
club for any monetary consideration.
It would be foolhardy for any owner
or manager to try to induce Connie
Mack to part with Eddie Collins. 1t is
certainty that no amount of money
would tempt the Athletics leader 1t
is hardly possible that even a trade in
vOlving a number of other stars would
cause Connie to part with the worlds S
series hero.
i only a year or SO ago Zach Wheat
of Brooklyn was practically an un-
known minor Lacquer. Today he is re-
garded as one Of the shining lights OF
Tom Lynch's organization. From Just
an ordinary player at Mobile, Wheat
has become so prominent that he is
now considered just about the niftiest
vOungstcr that has broken into the
major leagues in years. owner lIbbettS
of brooklyn is very fond of him.
Although quite a veteran in point of
service, it is hardly likely that the most
aIluriug terms would cause owner
Murphy of the Chicago cubs TO part
9t T1Tpspnt
Evers is an uncertainty. His injured
leg may never regain its strength. and
thus greatly impair his playing ability.
Vet owner Murphy is willing to take
the risk and keep him. IF Mr.. Murphy
should express a. desire to trade or sell
Eycrs it is a good bet that every other
club i'm the major leagues would make
fancy bid for its services, despite the
uncertainty as TO whether or not he
will ever be able to come back and be
as good as over.
WHY STARS ARE VALUABLE
The question naturally arises as to
why these players arc 50 valuable. and
whv any sensible club owner should
turn down such big sums for their SER
vices
The very best reason for such a con-
ditfon is the great scarcity of star
players Every year the various clubs
in the ma jOr leagues Duy ana drdIt
any number Of promising youngsters.
If out of the entire list a club is fortu-
nate enough to pick up one man of real
big league caliber it's owner is salts
fed. If the crop yields two or three
stars which is a very rare occurrence
indeed. there is great rejoicing over
the wonderful piece Of luck. Is it any
wonder, then, that the various club
owners should place such great values
on their stars?
one or two star ball players are
often the making of pennant-Win-
ming combination. pennant winner
is a mint of money to a club owner.
Therefore it is only natural that the
greatest reluctance should be shown
when some rival manager wants to
grab off some crack players. No one
realizes this better than the fortunate
possessor Of the much-desired celebri-
ties
The great value Of a couple of star
players to a team was never better
demonstrated than i'm the recent con-
tests between the All-American Stars
and the Athletics, played Just prior to
the worlds series. With Johnson and
street as the battery, Elberfeld at
third, Mcbride at short Cunningham
at second and Milan in the outfield,
six Of the players on the All-Star team
were members Of the Washington club,