Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-02-21

| The Lloyds are supposed to be the
biggest gamblers In the world. This
mighty insurance concern will pay a
! ship owner $4,000 for his vessel lying
at the bottom Of the sea, send out a
| massive lighter and a crew of divers,
| resurrect the sunken boat and clean up
d half million. Oftentimes they lose.
and lose heavily.
| It's a far cry from retrieving lost
ships to base ball, but the national
pastime has one phase Of its existence
| In common with the work of the
| Lloyds, except that the club magnates
stand bigger chance to lose on their
investment. for, following out the
smile, it can be seen that the club
| owners pay out handsome sum for a
player, with only an outside chance Of
being able to clean up a goodly sum
for their work.
gamble in the world is, in his estima-
tion, and he will promptly reply.
Scouting" And, from his standpoint,
he is undeniably correct
The club that has good scouts is
usually the club with the best players.
though this epigram does not always
bear the earmarks of truth. man
might be a good ball player in the
IninorS, out take MIN within the SndOe
of the big top and he is worthless. He
seems to feel that he is playing out
of his class and. for that reason plays
far below his regular form. He can't
make good, is sent back to the minors,
when he at once picks up and startles
the bush league fans with his scintil-
lating array of plays.
The case of BrOnkie, Nap infielder
last year, is a beautiful one in point
Bronkie looked like a world beaten in
Z he mi, in,
their praises. and a dozen of them
We're looking at him every day. Cleve-
land grabbed him.
Then came the change. Realizing that
he was in a camp of ball players, many
of whom We're better than he. Bronkie
lost his nerve. His fielding was ragged,
his hitting nothing of which to brag. He
never opened his mouth from the time
the team took the field TO the time 1t re-
tired to the dressing room. Back to the
minors he went.
Regains Confidence in Single Night.
The next day, Sunday, he was playing
in the minor leagues. 1t was rejuve-
mated Bronke lie covered his position
with the speed of unfettered lightning.
He batted with a ferocity that landed
him in the box scores with about two
triples and the same number Of doubles
to his credit. And wonderful to behold,
he yelled every minute of the game,
Raging the umpires, panning out his op-
ponents and encouraging his own team
mates.
The scouts marveled. They couldn't
understand it. But the solution was SIM
pie. Bronkie was at home in the minors
He felt confident, knew he was the equal
of the best men in the league and acted
accordingly In the majors it was diff
ferent He was not at home there and
the feeling extended itself to his work.
He was afraid he could not make good.
That is the reason he is in the minors
today.
Possibly he may come again to the
top of the profession. but If he does he
will have to summon up the same ag
gressve spirit that he employs against
minor league clubs. Otherwise he will
fail again And it is the same with a
host of other players in the smaller
leagues.
\ scout has TO consider all these things
in addition to the players mechanical
ability. This is the hardest job in the
world. 1t is impossible for a man hunt
ing talent to anaiyze the feelings ami
mating the promising youngster. Lack
of nerve and lack of confidence are quail
tiles never revealing themselves outward
~. yet are the ones TO be taken most into
considera ton when it comes to a matter
OF landing the player.
In consequence the job of the scout is
no sinecure. Knowing that the man pos
sesses the requisite natural ability to get