The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-02-17
Three Stars Were
 Regarded As Jokes
O'Brien, Alexander and O'TOOle Passed up by Numerous
 Big League Clubs

Philadelphia, Feb. 17-Grover Cleve- land Alexander, Buck O'Brien and Marty O'TooIe were the pitching sensa- tions of 1911.
 Two of these "phenoms' are in the National and one in the American league.
 The PhilIies own Alexander. the Bos- ton Red Sox own OBrien, and the much advertised MT. O'Toole belongs to little Barney Dreyfuss in Pitts> burgh.
 Now, what would big league own CT give for the three?
 President Frank J. Navin of the Ti- gers was asked. His reply in brief, was:
 sfOne hundred thousand cash.''
 Not long ago these three pitchers be- longed to one club. This club sold them all, and the total sum received for the trio was S75O. The difference that just a few seasons make is S9S, 250 which is a pretty fair rate of in- crease in valuation.
 The case of these three pitchers shows how scouts can go wrong in their judgment and how the best of judges often go astray.
 Indianapolis is the club that owned Alexander and O'Toole and O'Brien- w. II. Watkins. who gave Detroit her world championship team, is the own CT of the Indianapolis team. Char ley Carr, who played in the big lea gues, at one time for Detroit, and who is to manage Kansas City in the association this year, was man. ager of the Indianapolis club. Both Carr and Watkins looked these three pitchers over thoroughly and passed them up. They brought draft price which totals $750.
 Other clubs as we'll as Indianapolis went wrong on these three men. They were wandering around in the bush eS' for several years before they drew attention from major league clubs. And then execution of O'Toole they did not develop until they were launched in the major lea gues.
 Detroit had a chance at all three of them.
 Frank Navin had a draft in for Alexander. He cost the Phillies $500. One other major league club besides Detroit and Fogel's club put in a to- Detroit, sbut careful Investigation did not make his out and out pur- chase appear like a good venture. Just to cover the minor league field went to the Phillies by draft. and not another magnate envied FUgel, for getting him. Nine months later any of those clubs would have been will ing to pay something like $25,oOO for Alexander.
 A peculiar thing about Alexander. He has pitched overland in the minor leagues. He did not show more than
 
 he hurt his arm and could not pitch overland. so he developed a side arm delivery which he figured would not be much strain on his arm. 1t was this side-arm delivery that pitched him to the top notch in the majors last season.
 O'Brien pronounced the best pitch CT in the league by Tyrus Cobb, knocked around the minors for several years. Carr had him with his India napolis team in Cuba. Frank Navin and Carr talked about O'Brien, but Carr did not see enough in him to ad- wise Detroit to pick him up. The De- troit club also had a scout look O'Brien over when he was pitching down east, but the scouts report did not favor O'Brien.
 O'Brien was traded by Indianapolis to Hartford in 1910 and after making a great record in the Connecticut league was sold to the Boston Red Sox at the close of the 1910 season. He was farmed to Denver in the Wes- tern league in 1911 and led the Wes- tern league pitchers last season.
 O'Toole's story is known. Nobody wanted him. They all agreed that he was not fit for major league society. Then suddenly somebody awakened to the fact that he was a great pitcher. Result, Record sale price.
 Alexander, O'Toole and O'Brien, these three, were a long time coming and were overlooked many times, but when they did arrive-Mr Navin would willingly give s1OO,OO0 for the three