Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-04
BY Sam Crane.

y t-E.Al4l4 SCOUTS are q COlll-
X paratively new institution in
Jhe national game, and with
out doubt they have been of great
assistance in strengthening big
league teams and in bringing into
the limelight star players who 9TH
erwise might never have been heard
OF only in their immediate neigh
borhCod.
It was due to a scout that Ty
Cobb was unearthed, and that grand
player is only one of the many who
owe their present regulations to
the argus eyed sleuths who roam
ed the country from one end to
the other in search Of talent that
promised to become big league
timber
The discovery" of Cobb. in fact,
was the incentive that caused 9TH
er clubs than the Detroit organi
zation to send out agents" in the
hope that another Cobb would be
The reward of all the expense that
was incurred by the new departure.
Soon there was a swarm of en-
oryo Christopher Columbuses, who
penetrated into the most distant
baclIWoods districts in their en-
deavors to dig up phenoms.
Many Scouts" After Jobs.
Managers of clubs were swamp
cd with applications for jobs as
scouts, and in their desire to du-
plicate the good fortune Of the
Detroit club. managers took all
kinds of chances and engaged men
as scouts who were absolutely use
less on account of their ignorance
of baseball and the qualifications
required that produce a real ball
player
The scouts would see a man per-
form in one game, and if the latter
happened to have a good day" on
that particular occasion the tele-
graph wires would be set on fire to
headquarters to secure the "daz-
2ler." Headquarters would fall"
for the lofty talk and the recruit
would be bought outright at a price
SO high that the club selling him
would be able to continue for an
other month at least. whereas 9TH
erWise the club would have been in
the thToes of disarmament and dis
solution.
The scout system has been a
great boon to webbing little clubs
run by the village barber-the
towns one baseball fan-and visit
ing scouts grew fat on the hospi-
tality shown them-with free
shaves thrown in. The advance
guard OF the sleuths consequently
lived on the fat Of the land and
counted their success on quantity
rather than quality.
Bu, not SO the clubs who We're
obliged to pay fof the freight for
all tho Junk" shipped 10 them by
rheir too ambitious agents" The
latter were spurred on to their sub
lime heights OF discovery by ri
valry
Frequently several scouts would
meet accidentally in the same town
at the same time and professional
jealousy would overcome their
crude Judgment and players would
be, recommended that were OF no
more promise as possible. Corners"
than Charley Faust
Agents" Called In.
Occasionally some sleuth would
be fortunate enough in his blind
stab into the "phenom" grab bag
to get prize, but they were SO few
and far between that finally the
big league clubs. for their own pro-
lection, We're forced to call in their
enthusiastic agents" for a call
down, so that gradually the bar
Der shop element among the scouts
was eliminated and the present sys-
TEN adopted that has brought into
the scouting field old bali players
vino. by their experience of the
game and knowledge of players