The Washington herald., 1910-06-19
DO YOU KNOW WHAT
ABASEDALL SCOUT IS?
WELL, Here Is Some Dope About
This Side Of the Sport +.
The DUTY HE PERFORMS

Travels Around Country Looking For
Promising Material For Major
League cIubs-Nearly All Big stars
Were Found Thin Way.
ONE years ago very few major
- league baseball teams thought
q 1t necessary to employ man
to travel around the country
and watch the young players. OF
course every team had a number Of
experts scattered about among the
leagues who. II they CHANGED to see a
likely looking youngster. would put the
manager wise, but today, so desperate
has become the hunt for big league
timber, there is not club In either OF
the major leagues that has not q cou-
pie OF men on the road looking after
their interests.
No small part of the success OF one
OF the big league teams depends on
the ability Of its scouts-that is, the
men who go all over the country look
ing out for likely material. No town
or league is too small for these watch
ers 70 visit.
For. as is well known. many q star
ball player has been picked up In some
town that had never been heard Of and
come into fame only through the base
bail ability of its son.
There are many interesting little
tales connected with the discoveries Of
] great ball players Hans Wagner was
signed up as a pitcher on one Of the
small league aggregations and seemed
doomed TO go back TO the uninteresting
and quiet life Of the country village
until his wise manager thought that
perhaps he might be able TO play some
where else, so gave him a tryout.
| And Hans has been famous ever
since. Larry Lajoie. Jimmy Collins
in fact nearly all the great ones-have
been landed by some worthy scout
whose chance OF fate brought them to
the village where these embryonic
stars were astounding their fellow citi-
Zens
To one not acquainted with the life
the work OF a scout must look very
easy and pleasant. It would seem
that travelling about the country,
watching bail games. with all ex-
penses paid. was very desirable sort
Of life. But in reality it's not as fine
as It looks. After awhile Il gets very
monotonous jumping from one little
town 10 another. putting up with all
kinds Of hotel accommodations, spend
ing the greater part Of your time on
hot. stuffy trains or arguing with
avaricious minor league managers.
The scout meets some managers that
would almost drive him crazy. They
hear that a big league scout Is IN
| town, and Immediately the prices on
| their men soar skyward. II is only by
the use Of much diplomacy and tact
that one can obtain a player he wishes
| from some Of these fellows Here IS
a good instance: In a little town in
the far west q scout arrived and for a
couple Of days watched the work OF
the team there. He endeavored 70
keep his identity a secret, but an old
timer who happened 10 be on the team
gave the secret away. He was at
tracted by the playing of an outheIder
and decided that he was the man be
was after.
But he did not mention the fact.
There was an inf1elder On the team
who was in the habit Of pulling of star
plays. and the skirmishef asked the
manager for his price on him. The re-
ply mentioned such a sum that the
scout almost tainted. Finally. after
haggling and dickering for a couple OF
hours. he agreed TO take the PLAYER
and give him a trial, with the pro-
viso that If he made good he was to
pay $4,000 for him The scout knew
well enough that the man would never
make the big league. but this was only
part of his game
When he went to the station. bound
for his next stopping place, the man
ager and the infielder were with him.
AS the train was pulling in he fished
roll OF bills from his pocket. turned
to his companion and said: "By the
way. want an outfelder. III give
you $500 cash for that chap you had
out in center" you can have him."
came the reply. and the manager, well
satisfied, tucked the money into his
pocket and waved the pair goodby.
Some two weeks later the infelder re-
turned to his old stamping ground,
while the other chap. purchased very
cheaply. is now one of the greatest
stars in the game And so it goes. II
is always case of dicker and outwit.
Then there is another point to be
considered. II a scout who is on the
road picks out number of men and
not one of them shows sufficient class
he has put his club to great expense,
ali for nothing. Say, for instance. he
Is on the coast and sends a player TO
one or the big teams in the eastern
leagues The youngster will cost sew
eral thousand dollars. while the ex-
pense OF transportation. etc, viii
amount to no inconsiderable figure.