Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-29
SCOUTS SEEK MEN
IN BUSH LEAGUES
Effort as Rule Made to Secure I'm.
known "Stars" for Major
Organizations.
SAVES MAGNATES MONEY
AS A REGULAR THING
Many Players for Whom High Prices
Are Paid Fail to Make
Good for Bosses.

CHICAGO. January 2s.-Does the nm
known ball player secured from the
bush or minor leagues at a low pric,
prove 4 better investment for the mag
mates OF the major leagues than nsn
VINO has been developed by the ma or
minors and sold 10 the circuit above at
big money?
Many magnates declare for the man
who has had experience and Who has
been developed hy the other fellow
They argue that the price. whatever il
may be. is not too large. for tho reason
that they have not been forced 10 M,
the young fellow a salary and expenses
Tor two or three years in m effort 10
una out If he Will make good, and final
~ give him up as n bad job and start
the work all over again. Let the Other
fellow do the Worrying. IS their
slogan.
On the other hand. the men in favor
OF giving the youngster = chance argue
that his services can he secured for lit
Tie or nothing and that IL he does not
make good within certain period he
can be turned back for nearly the same
price for which he was bought. The
expense OF carrying him i'm an endeavor
to develop his skill amounts to little
as his salary usually is small. Railroad
and hotel bills also are small, COM
paratively speaking.
Argument Favors Youngsters.
The moguls who believe in giving the
youngsters trial clnch their argu-
ment by declaring that IL a youngster
does not make good he has cost little.
while If a player graduates into major
league company with a big price at
tached to him and gets stage fright the
man who purchased him loses "A pot of
money So many of the big leaguerS
are coming to the latter way of think
ing that there isn't club on the circuit
that hasn't one or more scouts contin-
ually looking for raw material that viii
be subject To development into n first
class player.
A comparison Of high priced PLAYERS
who have not made good in fast COM
pany with few of the Youngsters who
cost little or nothing from base bali
standpoint il interesting.
"Rube' Marquardt. who was purchased
by the New York Giants three years ago
for S11.o0o cash. has failed TO come up TO
expectations. He is a young man and
may yet come to bat. but President Brush
is paying the freight Marquardt
considered one of the best ptchersin the
American Association when he went t.
higher company. He was drawing A
good salary and when he became a Giant
his stipend was increased, according IL
reliable information. For example. say
Marquardt is drawing a yearly salary OF
$500. the former association slabman
stands at S21 800 to the New York club.
Did ii pay?
Blackburne Costly to Sox.
Russell Blackburne came to the White
Sox at an estimated cost to Comiskey OF
$4,000. His salary is not known. but it
is estimated that he has cost the Old
Roman at least S13. 900 for the one year he
has been on the South Side. Granted that
he is young and has chances of becoming
a great player. it's going to be rather
expensive for the SoX magnate, even IL
Blackburne comes to the fore during the
While it is not generally known. Rollie
Zeider cost Comiskey in the neighbor-
hool of $1,000. Cap made good to a
certain extent last season, but the ques-
ton arises. Was the investment. prob
ably at this time $1,000, a good one?
Thoney, who at present is one of John l.
Taylor's discards, cost the Boston mag
nate something like $4,000. He went along
all right for about a month, then a hinge
got loose somewhere. and If the outfielder
was placed on the market today 1t ls
questionable whether he would find
berth in the big circuits.
Statistics show that few of the players
who have been sold for big money have
lived up to expectations, while the cases
are numerous where youngsters. purchas-
ed at a mere trifie. have come to the
front and now cannot be purchased for
love or money.
johnson Greatest "Find."
Take the case of Walter Johnson or
the Washing ton club. Johnson is consid-
cred by all who talk, sleep and know base
ball as it should be known. to be one of
,aif
in the country today. Walter was play
ing in a bush league in Idaho. Some one
tipped off Joe Cantillon. who was man,
ager of the Senator's at the time. and
Catcher Blankenslip was sent to the west
ern wilds to get the boy TO sign CON
tract. At that time Johnson was oniy
nineteen years old. He still Is younG
fellow and has a constitution that should
keep him among the topnotchers Tor years
to come. To top IL all of. Johnson old
not cost the Washington club one penny
Iris Speaker. outfielder or the Boston
Red Sox cost owner Taylor in the neigh
borhood of 500. There probably isn't
faster man on the bases or In the field,
and one who can hit up to the STANDARD
of this youngster. From past INDICATIONS
he will be in his prime the coming season
and will be q valuable asset to the Red
SoX team.
Artie Hoffman Of the Cubs is one OF the
most consistent hitters and the surest
in the National League circuit
He cost the west side team in the neigh
borhood of sI,2O0. His steady work from
the time he put on a Cub UNIFORM mas
been the marvel Of the old circuit
Ty Cobb Inexpensive to Tigers.
Ty Cobb. worlds champion batter. cost
the Detroit club 500. The Georgia crack
er, outside of Walter Johnson. was III"
greatest bargain in modern base ball
There probably is no inducement that
could get him from the Tiger manage
ment.
A man whose habits arc good and whose
playing is only ordinary as compared pos
stbly 10 that of the man next to him OH
the field has a better chance in the eyes
pf the scout than the real good pan player
with badness in his system.
often fans have wondered why scout
uill nick out a man who on the face OF
reports coming from the team TO which no
belongs is not as good as another on the
same squad The reason is obvious.
Habits" is the big word with tho present
lay scout.
WILLIS SIGNS WITH CUBS.
Ua%eron Twirler tn Get Final Trial