Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-18

MONROE, La, March 1S.-Of all sad
words in Hughes mind the saddest are
these:
They might have been Tigers"
Detroit has been tipped off to more good
men and landed less than any team that
ever played professional base ball. The
men who escaped the Tigers pay roll and
were later grabbed up by other clubs and
who turned out to be stars number many.
If Frank ]. Navin or Hughie Jennings
could today take out of the major league
ranks three men whom Detroit should
have had at the start the Tigers could
be made an invincible ball club.
The Detroit club has secured few good
players comparatively. They have gone
many seasons without grabbing great
pitcher. although they had opportunities
to land at least five of the great mound
stars of today. They have missed out
on infielders and outfielders. But three
men, Cobb, Bush and Stanage, came
from the minors to the Detroit ball club.
In pitchers the club has suffered its
greatest loss. They have been tipped
off to the best men in the game. And
these annual failures against the finest
tabulated system employed by any league
club.
Extensive System.
In the offices Of the Detroit base ball
club are records from every league.
Box scores and data Of every description
are carefully tabulated and filed There
are hundreds of letters from friends and
members of the profession all over the
country. There are opinions and all sorts
of information. There is not a ball player
of real merit who escaped notice. The
most favorable are looked over.
With all this information on hand De-
troit has received practically nothing.
Not alone have the owners been without
returns but some of the men that were
picked up by scouts proved within few
League class.
Fortune Wasted.
Frank ]. Navin has spent thousands
Of dollars annually in having scouts
look over ball players. Railroad fares.
hotel bills, salaries. costs of players
all these items in the task of strength
ening the Detroit club amount to q great
deal.
An inspection Of the list of players in
the two big leagues shows that more
than q dozen stars or men booked to
star were tipped off to the Detroit club
beforehand. The Tigers had chance
at every one of them.
In nearly every instance where scout
was sent to look player over the scouts
reported that the player was mot ready
for the big leagues"
Two New Scouts.
This year Navin has engaged Joe Sug-
den and Jim Mcclure as scouts for the
Tigers. Jim has managed in the big
leagues. He knows a ball player when
he sees one. He dug up q few stars
for Cleveland and other major league
clubs Joe was one of the brainiest
players Of his day and he can size up
players. Hughie is banking on Jim and
Joe to land a few of the minor league
plums this year.
Jennings and Mcclure had a long talk
this morning on the scouting proposition
They discussed various players who have
been tipped off to the Detroit club. Jim
will be sent on the trail soon after the
season starts.
Here is a list Of the men Detroit had
a chance to grab while they were in the
minors. Pick two Of the several big
pitchers in the list and Imagine what
the Detroit club could do II these hurlers
were on the Tigers stan:
Grover Cleveland Alexander, pitcher.
tipped OF to Detroit while with Syracuse
Philadelphia secured him. He was the
sensation OF the National League last
year.
George Chalmers, pitcher. He was rec
commended to Detroit while pitching for
Hughes home town. Scranton, Pa. He
starred for Dooin's PhflIies last year.
Buck" o.Bren. pitcher. With Boston
the New England League. Ty Cobb calls
him the greatest recruit he ever batted
against.
Russell Ford. New York Highlanders'
r>-n - 40 -, D~A~ Ill
With Atlanta, Ga.
Salmon. pitcher. secured by the Ath-