Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-24
ONE OR TWO STAR PLAYERS
OFTEN MAKE A REMNANT TEAM
This Possibility Causes Managers
Spend Thousands of Dollars Each
Spring on New Recruits.

proved more troublesome to the oppo-
s1t1on last year than Grover Alexander.
His running mate, Chalmers. also won
many contest through high-class work
on the mound. Few batters were more
feared by rival pitchers than big Lude-
rus, who starred at first base for Doom.
His speciality was breaking up ball
games. He delivered many a hit in a
pinch. and cracked out many four
base wallop at an opportune moment
that figured in the result in many a
game. Little consideration was given
these three recruits prior to the opening
are matter Of history, and this spring
Phllly supporters are basing much of
their hopes on a similar showing by
Alexander. Chalmers and Luderus.
Spring training, aside from getting the
men into condition for the long grind.
gives the nagement a chance to get a
line on the future greats. To the I'M
initiated 1t often seems as Il the spring
training trip was waste of much time
and money. Such belief always Is evil
dence that they have not figured out the
possibilities and benefits to be derived
from The workouts in the south.
Many Big Salaried Ones Fail.
It is a strange fact that, as a rule, the
players for whom major league club own
ers pay the most deliver the least OF
course. there are exceptions, but there
are any number of players who once
commanded almost fabulous figures as
minor leaguers who are back in the
bushes after brief trial in the big show
1t is hard to understand such a condition,
yet it exists. 1t would seem these minor
leaguers, who shine SO brilliantly in their
own company and who so impress wise
scouts that they recommend the paying
Of fancy prices. should have no trouble
making good. Yet base ball records re-
veal failures by the score. Naturally
when big price is paid for some recruit,
such sale brings that young man into
much prominence and causes his name
to be played up in the headlines on every
sport page. from the smallest hamlet to
the biggest city. Whether the advance
stuff makes the public expect a great
deal more than 1t should, or whether it
makes the player feel he must show a
greater amount Of ability than he pos
sesses is a problem yet to be solved. Yet
there is no getting away from the fact
that very often the much-touted players
fall away below expectations. There
is q reason. Of course. but 1t is hard to
decipher.
The Pittsburgh club paid $22,5eO for
Marty OToole last year. It is ques-
base ball spotlight hit him stronger.
Fans figured pitcher who could
command such unheard-of figures must
surely be wonder. Marty OToole
is undoubtedly a great pitcher. Yet 1T
is good bet that any number of fans
have had that s22.50O impressed so
strongly on them that phenomenal
feats performed by O'Toole will not
receive more than passing attention.
Any time he does anything out of the
ordinary fans will only regard such a
feat as one that should be performed
by a twenty two thousand five hum
dred dollar beauty. If some pitcher
who had not been touted so strongly
in the advance notices performed the
same feat his name would be on the
lips of every fan.
I really don't think young player
could have anything worse happen to
him than to be purchased by some
major league club for a fancy price.
There seems to be a hoodoo connected
with the big money stuff. There are
any number of players who can bear
witness to this. among them Jack
Thoney, Heine Berger. RUDE Marquard.
Russell Blackburn, RUDE Benton and a
host of Others The big figures paid
for these players cause fandom to ex-