Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-30
ST. LOUIS CLUB IS
NOW ON THE MARKET
Magnate Bob Hedges Is Reported
Dickering for Sale to the
Chicago Club.
DEAL FOR EXCHANGE
MAY CLOSE ANY DAY
Price the Same as Last Year.
Browns Have One of the Best
Plants in American League.

CHICAGO. ILL.,, December 3O.-Bargains
in base ball clubs in the zig leagues are
getting very scarce, but right here AT
present there is one that Is going begging
The ST. Louis American League club is no
doubt the best bargain that has been Of
fcred on the base ball counter for some
time, and there is little doubt that Rob
ert l.. Hedges, the owner. Will be able to
dispose of his holdings before very long,
as several purchasers are nibbling at the
bait.
The Browns have been tailenders in the
American League race for two years, and
that fact alone Is keeping the buyers
little shy, but compared with some of the
other purchases in late years in the big
leagues the St. Louis proposition is by far
the cheapest ever offered.
While the ball team does not look like
winner at present, it Is only a matter
Of a year or two for a new combination
of players to be gotten together that will
start the fans of the Mound city toward
Sportsman Park as they used to some
four years ago.
Chicago capitalists are figuring on buy
ing the holdings of Hedges, and the deal
may be closed any day, out there Is more
than one crowd seeking to get the club.
The price Of the club is the same as last
winter, Wnen f1cuSeS secured SsOOUHO up
ton money from the syndicate OF St.
Louis men that failed to go through With
it's bargain after making the first pay
ment 1t is rumored that Hedges this
year will take the same price that he
asked last year, less the $4,000, as he is
quite willing TO get out from under the
losing team.
The St. Louis club owns It's own grounds
and has one of the best plants in the
league.
Secretary O'Brien of the New York
Giants announced yesterday the purchase
Bill Luby, the heavy hitting minor
league outfielder. who will accompany the
team to Marlin Springs late in February
for the regular spring practice. Luby is a
big fellow, 8 feet ~ inches tall and tips
the beam at 200 pounds. He started as a
pitcher, but now plays the Outfield.
Luby has played with Hartford, Spring
field and Northampton of the Connecticut
League. He managed the Northampton
team in 1910. When that club went under
Luby joined the Haverhill team OF the
New England League, and finished the
season of 1911 with it. John NJ. Wards
decision to hold Mike Donlin for Boston
probably is responsible for McGraw get
ting Luby.
Hans Lobert the third baseman Of the
Phiilies. has accepted the terms offered
him by the management and will sign a
contract within the next few days. Signed
contracts have also been received by the
Phillies from RAFT, an infielder from
Ohio; Oldham, a southpaw, who was a
sensation in the Tristate League last
year. playing with York; Hart, an out
fielder. from Kentucky. who is credited
with being a fence-breaker; Irelan, an
Indiana infielder. who played with Hop
kinsville. Ky. last season: Potter. a
catcher, and RUDE Waddell Smith, big
pitcher
Sam Crawford. right fielder and star
batsman. has signed 1912 contract with
the Detroit American League base ball
club, it was announced in Detroit yester-
day.
Good ball players don't come high.
Pitcher Hendrix of the Pirates. one of
the best-look ng youngsters in the game,
cost $3.50. which was railroad fare from
q Kansas tank town to Pittsburgh. Hen
dirk was a free agent when Manager
Clarke grabbed him.
Connie Mack has but three Of his old
guard of players-Plank, Murphy and
Bender. The first to leave him was Lave
Cross, who went to Washington in 1905,
and the last are Harry Davis and Topsy
Hartsel.
George Moriarty Of Detroit has Just
written a song. Probably this is the rea-
son why the Detroit club Is figuring on
relea sing him.
Five Boston National batters finished
among the first eleven h'tters Of the Ma
tional League. They all swatted better
than 300 In 1911, but the Hub town ca
diets wound up in last place. All Of
which calls to mind the great feats of the
Hitless Wonders same being the White
Sox of Fielder Jones.
Iarrv Mclean paid Manager Hank
O'Day a visit in Cincinnati the other day
and made his annual pledge to behave
Fifteen major league clubs waived when
Larry was put on the market. There's q
moral In this note.
Billy Hamilton. the Boston National
scout, was commenting the other day
on the great scarcity Of major league
prospects in the American Association,
International New York State and New
England leagues last year. He said there
never had been a time when these Or
gan cations had been so barren Of big
league material. He was asked If the
major leagues had produced this dearth
by carrying many surplus players, and
he replied: That's the answer. the big
leagues have been picking 'em before
they were ripe. in the rush Of the indl-
yidual clubs to get ahead of each other"