Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-12
BY TED SULLIVAN.

Scouting for ball players today as COM
pared with scouting for them years back
is indeed an easy problem. All you have to
do today is to go into minor league, pick
the men you want-then go.to the owner.
arrange bargain for the player and he is
yours. Not so years ago. You may pick
your player, but some other one will
come along and pick him, too, and when
you came back to do business with your
man the answer you would get-"he has
gone with a handsomer MANN the
shape Of a scout, who gave him better in
ducements. Before reservation was grant
ed to the minor leagues there was a
great stampede every September by both
the owners or managers of the National
League and American Association for the
cream of the minors. There was a, very
strict law, however, in existence that any
player signed before October 1 Of each
year would be illegal, and very few
managers took the chances in signing a
player before the legal time. If he did
so The player would have the manager at
his mercy, because all the player had to
do was to make an affidavit that he was
signed before midnight of September 80.
reservation was finally granted to the
minor leagues at the beginning of 1888.
In September of 1877, which was the last
year to get players without paying foi
them, a mad rush Of the managers of the
major leagues was made to the north
west, where it seems all the stars of the
minor leagues that year were centered.
To the cites of st. Paul and Minneapolis,
which were members Of the Northwestern
League that year (where the other clubs
SOM. the base ball brains of both major
leagues hustled the last ten days
Of September to look over and select what
players they wanted, after the night of
September 90 The owners Of those play
ers had nothing to say. after the schedule
time of their league, as base ball law did
not permit them to hold players after
that time. The late Frank Seeley was
manager of the Oshkosh club Of that
league and Jim Hart, afterward president
owner Of the Milwaukee club. Among the
managers that were there, to put base
ball handouts in the way Of signatures
on those desirable stars, were Jim Mutrie,
manager Of the New York Giants: Gus
Schmelz. Cincinnati; Arson and Spald!ng
of. Chicago, Bill Barney of Baltimore
Horace Phillips and others that memory
fails to recall.
In the fall Of 1887 Mr.. R c. HeO+t,
president Of the Washington club, en-
gagged me to manage his club for 1883,
SO fastened to that base ball Klondike
and free market to snatch up a couple
Of players for my Washington team.
made it a point during all my scouting
for players that whenever I spotted
any player that I wanted I never spoke
to him or went near him after had an
agreement with him on terms. but did
all my talking afterward with players
did not want. This was done to throw
the managers off. The nature OF the
necessitated such a course. which at that
could not be called unsportsmanlike.
will say, further. that I never had q
player break his word with me that
had once made an agreement with.
Walter Wilmot Of the st. Paul club OF
choice of that league. AS I could not
sign either of them before October 1. l
had an understanding with them on
terms. AS Hoy's team had closed its
season four or five days before signing
time. he told me he was going home to
would keep his word with me and sign
when it was legal. WilnlOt of St. Paul
signed after IL o'clock midnight OF
September 30. Wilmot came to Washing
ton and set pace for both batting ana
base running that equaled any star OF
the National League Of 1888. A few years
afterward he was bought from WASH
ington by the Chicago National League
club. For days before the legal time for
signing there never was such a whisper
1870
was by those major league managers
between st. Paul and Minneapolis. Pa
pers one day would state that so-and-s
player was going to New York, Boston
or Chicago at a fabulous price. I myself
would pick out the poorest player In the
league and say would sign him, but his
salary was too high. This would boom
the poor fellow. and for a day or two
he was the cynosure of all eyes:
After October 1 the fog OF base ban
mystery cleared up and the sun OF publ
cation showed what club had this man
or that man. Jim Mutrie Of New York
grabbed the great fielder Foster on the
streets of Minneapolis. on the afternoon
Of September 30, bound and gagged him.
threw him into a cab and brought him
ten miles out of the city, held him there,
dined and wfned him. until after midnight
Of that date. then compelled him to take
81 900 advance money and a contract of
81. 500 for the season II base ball history
tells the truth, Fosters sojourn in New
York was two days games in the out
field for that club and Eve days on the
gate but will state without diSparaging