Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-07
i IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS
GREED IS SHOWN IN
BIG RESERVE LISTS
Magnates SO Wild to Corral
Players They Don't Even Get
Their Initials on the Tabs.

The reserve list of the sixteen big
league teams, as 1t is now made up and
| reposing on President Johnson's desk, is
| striking commentary on the greed
which the magnates show in the herding
and corraling of youthful stars. Each and
every club is loaded down with men whom
1t will never use, never even have q
chance to use. There are men who are
covered up to oblige friends in the
minors-magnates who wanted to save
certain players for themselves, and who
will get the men back again-the poor
player, Of course, never even getting a
chance to show his speed in the fast COM
pany. There are men who might make
good, but who will be passed over. farmed
out or fired. without the slightest show
for their ability. There are men who
have quit the diamond, but whose names
are kept on the reserve list either
through spite or preposterous fear that
they might come back and play with some
other teams. And, richest of all, there
are dozens of players whose names were
put on there in such mad haste that the
magnates didn't even get their first
names or initials.
That's the funniest break of ALL That
alone is enough to show that the mag
mates could have learned little or moth
ing about the men, and merely put their
names down on the whole-hog principle.
Oh, biscuits! Oh, chocolate fudge.
oh, You Smiths.
The climax is capped when 1t is seen
that on the reserve lists of about seven
teams appears simply the name Smith"
Just Smith, and nothing more. No first
name. no initials. Nothing to show
whether these Smiths are pitchers. catch
ers or fielders, and no mention as to what
club they hail from. Doubtless each mag
nate has papers Of his own showing the
identity of the special Smith he is claim
ing. but how foolish that repeated name
of Smith does look upon the tabs
Who are these unknown Smiths. any
now: Next season ought to be a great
year in Smithburg-about fifteen Smiths
are reserved under proper names and
initials. and seven or eight without any
monokers save only Smith. Long live
the Smiths. and may they thrive-but
who are these mysterious members of
the valiant clan just listed as Smith and
Smith alone?
Now and then the magnates stub a
toe. Charlie Murphy has been chanting
gleefully the praises of Roy Miller. a
marvellous slugger, outfelder and base
runner, whom he grabbed from the far
west. But the name of Mr.. Miller does
not appear on Mr.. Murphy's reserve list
the chubby one. no doubt, was SO busy
|
put this live one down.
Browning in Demand.
The list of drafts disallowed" tells
some funny stories. too, and the best
concerns youth named Browning. This
Browning. not supposed to be a rela-
ton of the famous Pete. is pitcher
out upon the far-off coast. He Is also
the smallest ball player in captivity. The
little fellow is said to weigh 100 pounds.
uniform. and all. and to be frail kid
into the bargain. This midget could
hardly hold the fierce pace of the Amer
lean or National League. He would be
up against it severely and it is hard to
imagine how long he would make good.
There have been sawed-off players, like
Madden. Kilroy. McCill, Tot Murphy and
Slagle, but they We're heavily built and
husky. No player infantile and puny
as this Browning is alleged to be ran
stand the strain of the fastest company.
Yet-just because some fellow referred
to Browning as "a good little pitcher
they all went after him. Nearly all the
magnates claimed him. If the boy had
the right to choose the highest bidder he
could have run his salary up to monu-
mental proportions. AS it is, everybody
got "disallOwed' notice. with one ex-
ceptiOn. and little Browning will get a
tryout in the spring. In all probab ility
he will not make good though here's
hoping that he proves q star.