Arizona republican., 1912-08-01
BIG MONEY IN SCOUTING AND DEVELOPING CUBS

l Pittsburgh players. among them Man
 ager Clarke. Donlin and Gibson were
 commenting favorabIy upon Coach 1 Bezdek and his methods and the re-
 suits he achieved largely through his
 knowledge of the game and his brain
 work when the conversation turned on
 the opportunities in minor league base
 ball for making money in the develop
 ment of players and their sale to major
 league clubs. The opinion was ex-
 pressed that man like Bezdek prob- ably picks up a nice little sum on the
 side every year or two by tipping off
 a good player as his Judgment is con- sidered sound How much greater the opportunity. it was argued. of a man de- voting the entire year to the game, looking over embryonic stars. seeing hundreds of them in action.
 T have always believed" said one of the Pirates that there Is big money in the business of developing and selling players-as much money as some of the major league clubs make in a sea- son. My idea of the proper way to work the thing Is for two men to asso- ciate themselves in the business. one to
 manage a club, the other to be con-
 stantly scouting around the lots and Oln6F minor league towns ana lOOk1nR over the semipros.
 ''Of course it would require two men who understood their business The 1 scout wot.ld have to know ball player when he saw him. and the manager
 would have to know how to develop his latent talent. and he would have to de-
 vote his entire time to it, not only on the ball field, but off the diamond as well He would have to associate with his young players and endeavor to keep them straight in their personal habits. 1 for department is a very important ] part of the equipment of a man who expects to make good in the big show. How many players who come up for | trial in the spring stick in the big leagues? Not more than one in twen- l ty. How many of them who are kept after spring inspection play during their first year in the big show? Again | not more than one in twenty.
 Don't these facts prove that the l players who break into the major leagues lack polish? Wouldn't 1t pay wise major league player with the right stuff in him to enter into such proposition as l have outlined? Don't you think there would be big money in 1 it? do. If had a man working with 1 me. finding fast memo other would | suit-and sending them to me to be developed, the prospect of getting such raw material in shape for sale during | the season to higher class leagues would be sufficiently alluring to make me give all my time to the work, and I | am confident that after I had grad | uated few players. ready to perform
 as soon as they entered the big show I | U0rll6 ho1 ct of ma ior 1aa
 managers who would be ready to do
 business with me any time. and I
 would find no trouble in securing a
 market for my players. I would not | have an ex-major leaguer on my team. l would fill the ranks with youngsters l from the lots and the semiprofessional i ranks-all fast men, as I have said | and firmly believe that l could clean up lot of money every year. Major l league managers would be ticl1led to l death also to have club from which 1 they could recruit their ranks with 1 good players.
 "This is no idle dream with me. 1 When the time comes that I am ready | to drop out of the major league ranks
 am going to give the thing whirl" | The talk of this Buccaneer evidently ! made an impression upon the players. 1 and none disagreed with him as to the | possibilities of developing players and l the certainty of finding a market for l them. Nor was there any difference of l opinion concerning the fact that when youngsters break into fast company
 they always lack something man. l ager who can supply that something and send up fast men who know how to play the game and have the me- | ,t,- k@gI
 profitable business for himself.