Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-08-06
BUYING PLAYERS is A GAMBLE
As Rule Minor League Investments
Do Not Pan Out
IS oTOOLE WORTH THE PR1CEi
Between Now and Next spring Major
Leagues VIII ray 100000 for
Talent. MOst OF which is
of Unknown Quality,

fan who thinks he knows the valuation
Of star ball players says the team that beat
the Clevelands for the recent joss beneht
would bring the following prices II placed
in the market. Ford. $4,000; johnson. w.
600; wood. 5000: Livingston. 5000; street,
Sc 900; Chase. 5000; Collins. $4,000; Baker,
$4,000; Wallace 5000; Crawford. nSOOO'
spealer. $1,000: Cobb SS5.0OO, and Milan.
5000 He basesthese figures on the fact
that Dreyfuss Is said TO have paid kzz'cW
for OToole. a star minor league pitcher
and declares that this team as whole
would win a worlds championship in
walk
BUYING minor league BAH players is
merely a gamble. In paying $22'5Oo Tor the
release Of Pitcher O'Toole OF the st. Paul
club Barney Dreyfuss. the Pittsburg mag
nate. has hung up a record price that may
not be euualled for many years Assuming
that Dreyfuss actually paid this amount
o'Tooie has earned the distinction OF be-
ing twice as valuable as any ball player
whose services have been secured Tor cssh'
The New York club paid $1,000 for RUDE
Marquard several years ago which was
said to be the top notch until the Atm
letics bought Lefty Russell from the Balu-
more club for $4,000
President Brush was believed to nave
paid $4,000 to st. Louis for Spike shannon,
and a similar amount TO Cincinnati Tor "
Seymour. prices that were made possible
by the wonderful prosperity Of the national
game brought about by the peace agree
ment between the rival major league.
In the old days the Boston club caused
sensation BY handing $4,000 to the Chicago
club for the famous Mike Kelly. and an
/ Lat for the neeTleS9
boxman. John Clarkson. Boston also put
nm sbO 900 for the old Detroit stars. Brouth-
ors richardson, Bennett and Camel
soden. Billings and Conant, however,
wera the only magnates who could AFFORD
IN nav such prices for ball players, as the
ether National league clubs did not COM
mare with the Hub club IN point OF wealth.
THE p,avers secured In this manner by Bos'
| con yyere all seasoned veterans of known
ouai,tv and they proved good investments
| for they helped TO make winning team
On thu Huh. But Il was not until Brush
| hought Marouard that the practice OF
paying big money for minor league mater
ial began.
| Nar0uard Was a Failure
Ns.rcuard was failure until this season
and Russell has not come up TO expecta'
|
can deliver the goods or not remains &c
! he seen AS a rule minor league invest
men,s do not pan out, fact that can be
proved by owners Comiskey OF the White
Soy Hermann of the Cincinnatis, Eooeti
of BROOKLYN and others who have bought
untried material with lavishness only "
| find that they have overplayed themselves
| In many instances players secured toi
almost nothing have shown the required
caliber. Pitcher Alexander OF the Phila'
delphia Nationals Is a shining example
He was purchased from Syracuse for $3.50
and today his release could not be our.
chased for $4,000 Buying ball players
therefore is nothing more than gamble
particularly In the cases OF minoi
| leaguers. and chances would not be taken
by the big club owners without the liberal
patronage of the public.
Winners mean large profits, and in the
competition for talent the richest mag
mates have placed no limit on their ex'
penditures Dreyfuss outbid the White
! Sox. Cardinals and other clubs In his des.
perate attempt to strengthen the falterins
Pirates with the acquisition of OToole, ane
as the Pittsburg magnate is good Judge
of playing talent his friends will be sur.
| prised II he has made a mistake.
Between now and next spring the major
league clubs will probably spend $20O,0N
! for new players, vet according to precedent
they may find that only a small percent.
age of the newcomers measure up TO the
necessary standard. It's a good thing fol
the minor league clubs however. for with.
out this competition among the big fellows
| they would find Il difficult to make ends
| meet.