Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-08-17
BUYING RECRUITS
JUST A GAMBLE
Dreyfuss Takes Big Chance In
Paying Fortune For OTOOle
WILL He PROVE HIS WORTH ?

As q Rule, High Priced Youngsters
Turn Out to Be Fsilures-Many In
stances Cited P~Slio's Patronage
Make, Competition.
Buying minor league ball players is
merely a gamble. In paying S22,500
for the release of Pitcher Marty
O'Tooie and $1,000 and a $500 catch
er FOR Backstop Bill Kelly to the st.
Paul club, Barney Dreyfuss, the owner
Of the Pittsburg team. hung up a price
for q minor league battery that may
never be equaled.
The New York club paid $1,000 for
RUDE Vanguard several years ago,
which was said to be the top notch
price until the Athletics bought Lefty
Russell for $1,000 from Baltimore.
President Brush Of New York was
believed to have paid $4,000 to st.
Louis for Spike Shannon, and a SINH
lar amount to Cincinnati for G. Sey-
mour, prices that were made possible
by the wonderful prosperity Of the ma
tional game brought about by the
peace agreement between the rival
major leagues,
In the old days the Boston club
caused a sensation by handing $10,-
600 to the Chicago club for the famous
Mike Kelly and an equal sum a year
later for the peerless box man John
Clarkson. Boston also put up $4,000
for the old Detroit stars Brouthers,
Richardson, Bennett and Camel.
Soden, Billings and Conant, how
ever, were the only magnates who
could afford to pay such prices for
ball players, as the other National
league clubs did not compare with the
Hub club in point Of wealth. The
players secured in this manner by
Boston were all seasoned veterans of
quality, and they proved good
investments, for they helped to make
a winning team in the Hub. But 1t
was not until Brush bought Marquard
that the practice Of paying big money
for minor league material began
Vanguard was q failure until this
season, and Russell has not come up
% expectations with the Athletics.
O'Toola can deliver the goods
n not remains to be AZ 9 rule, |
league investments do not pan
,ut, q fact that can be proved by
owners Comiskey of the White Sox,
of the Red Rox, Hermann Of
the Ctncinnatls, Ebbets Of Brooklyn
and others who have bought untried
material with ~lavishness only to find
they have overplayed themselves.
In many instances players secured
for almost nothing have shown the
required caliber. Pitcher Alexander
of the Philadelphia Nationals is a
shining example. He was purchased
from Syracuse for $500. and today
his release could not be purchased for
$4,000. Buying ball players, there
fore, is nothing more than q gamble,
particularly in the case Of minor
ieaguers, 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
magnates have placed no limit on their
expenditures. Dreyfuss outbid the
White Sox, Cardinals and other clubs
in his desperate attempt to strengthen
the faltering Pirates with the acquisi-
ton of O'Toole. and as the Pittsburg
magnate Is a good judge of playing
talent his friends will be surprised If
he has made a mistake,
Between now and next spring the
major league clubs will probably
spend 100000 for new players, yet,
according TO precedent, they may find
that only a small percentage Of the
newcomers measure up to the neces-
sary standard. It's a good thing for
the minor league clubs. however, for
without this competition among the
big fellows they would find It difficult
to make ends meet.