Norwich bulletin., 1910-08-03
CCMBING THE MINOR
 LEAGUES FOR PLAYERS,
George Huff, Veteran Scout, Declares Shortstors ard First Seekers Are Scarce.

High class shortstops are scarce these days, according to George Huff, veteran scout and chief picket for the Chicago Cubs. Likewise there is 4 woeful dearth of classy first basemen eligible to advancement from minor tD major league society. The big man from the University of Illinois is au- thority 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 Hun. The veteran perhaps leads all the leagues in this respect and it is his boast that he never paid more than s1.200 for a young ball play CT. Bear in mind this statement and pause to consider some of the stars who owe their present rating to the activity of Huff. Reulbach Lundgren, Speaker, Pgeffer. t'alkenberg. Hoffman, Stahl, Beebe and Lobert-these are few of the brighter lights who at one time or another attracted the attention of the Cubs pilgrim.
 Chief among the short fielders dis covered by Huff is Charley Wagner of John I. Taylor's Boston Red Sox. The pride of New Rochelle has long main tained the reputation given him when Huff rendered his report and just now is putting in some sturdy whacks tow ard keeping his team up in the Ameri can league scramble. But the fTinkers, Wagners, Bushes and McBrides are growing to be conspicuous by their absence al this stage of the game, ac- cording to Charlie Murphy's adviser.
 Huff has his own method of watch. ing Q youngster in action on one of the lesser circuits. In a way he i5 the man of mystery, descending, minus the blare of trombones. upon some SC T questered hamlet or minor league com munity, always after hearing glowing reports of the prowess Of the towns diamond idol. On lthe first. day Huff, sitting in m obscure section of the stand or bleachers. makes mental notes of the pnenom's batting. The next day especial attention is paid to the fielding endeavors of the athlete in question. If the youngster scores hit the chances are Huff will hustle off a mes sage to headquarters notifying Murphy of his discovery. Otherwise the hope ful. unaware that he has been under the keen scrutiny of a past master. will continue a terror to the trolley or mi nor league slab artists, perhaps till some later date when fresh reports send Huff scurrying back to that town on another tour oflnspection.
 Baseball scouting is not the only vo cation of the genial Huff. Every fall. winter and spring finds him very much in evidence at Urbana, H., where he holds forth as physical director of the University of Illinois. In the summer he turns his energies to the profes sionaI end of the game. Among base ball men Huff is known as the dean CT scouts Ills closest rival Tor this honor perhaps. is Tommy Mccarthy. who formerly looked about for Connie Mack.
 To Mccarthy goes the credit of hav- ing unearthed such artists as Frank Baker. Eddie Collins. Harry Kraus ? and Jack Barry. four youngsters who have been instrumental in keeping the Athletics on tcp thus far in the 1910 American league flag pursuit, After digging mp this quartette McCarthy's fame scared. Then there is Sam Ken nedy another hero of the olden days, now engaged as chief scout for Cleve- land.
 In Cincinnati. where Louis Heilbron . CT has long been the leading light among the scouts, scores of promising youngsters have been found Heil- broner. together with Mccarthy Tom my CorriSan and Bid McPhee has been credited with finding Bescher, Mitchell. Paskert. Hoblitzel ard Dow ney-all headliners on Grifiths troupe.
 Arthur Irwin Is the boss scout for the Highlanders. having Duke Farrel for his assistant. Twenty five years ago Irwin was the star shortstop for the old Providence and Philadelphia clubs. while Farrell carried the banner a backstO0 fer the Washington, Bos- ton and New York clu5s.
 Many Highlanders of the present sea- son owe their berths to Irwin and Far rell 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 Brouthers Wilbsrt Robinson and Joe