Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23
BY BILLY EVANS.


Star, yes. even good. players are in
great demand. Managers are ever alert
to pick up some promising phenom
Scouts are paid fancy salaries to tour
the country in hopes of picking up play
ers in the rough with big league posi-
bi11ties. Owners and managers have their
eye constantly. on the pennant and its
right to contest for the worlds title. 1t
means a lot of money to all concerned,
and it takes star players to accomplish
such an end.
Crack fielders are. hailed with delight,
heavy hitters are received with open
arms, but it is doubtful il anything
pleases more than the acquisition of
sure-enough star pitcher. Johnson,
Rucker, Mathewson. in fact, nearly all
the stars, were picked in the rough and
gradually developed into the great pitch
ers they are at present Get a run or
two for twirlers like Walsh Bender,
Mathewson. Johnson. Wood or any of the
other cracks, and it is a mighty difficult
feat to beat them. OF course, all the
stars have days on which they are
bumped hard, days on which the man
ager is compelled to resort to the derrick
In short order, but nine times out of, ten
a few runs for any Of the star pitchers
to work on and the opposition is up
against tough going
Seldom Offered for Sale.
No end of money would tempt New
or Tesreau, Philadelphia to cut loose of
COombs, Bender or Plank Pittsburgh to-
trade Hendricks. O'Toole or Camnitz.
10 80
or. in fact, Of the star twirlers on any
Of the other major league clubs, would
put big crimp in the club making the
deal. In the first place, the star pitch
ers are usually great favOrites, and are
big drawing cards at the gate. In the
second place. the work OF the stars
usually makes it possible for their team
to stay in the running for the pennant,
and. incidentally, creates the enthusi-
asm that causes big crowds to attend.
In the third place, such sale would
cause the fans to believe that the club
was merely in the game for the money.
and not the glory as well as money
that goes to the pennant winner.
The sales of star players, pitchers in
particular, are very rare these days.
Owners and managers are wise to the
results that follow such transactions.
Usually when star is placed on the
market nowadays all the other man
ayers at once get suspicious, believing
never be offered to the highest bidder.
1t seems like an awful lot of money
to let get away, when an oner- or
$4,000, $4,000 or $4,000 is offered for
a ball player. It would seem IKE "a
100000 for Walter Johnson. but such
q move would in the end cost the Wash
ington club many times that amount Of
money 1t would deprive the club OF
a great drawing card on the road. 1T
would disgust the home fans so that
thew would stay away from the game.
and would take so many games away
from the won column of the club, and
il would be several notches further
down in the race.
Size Up Recruits.
Since star pitchers are always in such
great demand, it is interesting to know
how managers size up the recruits who
are sent on for trial. Once upon time
speed was the only essential consid-
cred, then the fellow, with the curve
was in demand, then came the day or
the spit ball pitcher. The great success
of the other twirlers who depended al
most entirely on the spit ball caused
every pitcher Of any prominence to dab
BILE with the moist delivery. Seven or
q new pitcher one OF the first questions
asked the scout who stood sponsor was,
what kind Of spit ball does he
throw? For a time every busher was
touted as having splitter that made
Chesbro's most deceptive Offering look
easy. In 1907 1t seemed as il every
young pitcher who came to the Amer
lean League depended entirely on the
spit ball for success.
Spit ball pitchers have met with vary
ing success. There are few like Ford.
OToole, Walsh. Tesreau and some others
who have met with excellent results in
its use A majority OF the .'spitters."
however, have been failures. While any
number Of the recruits who come to the
majors for trial have lpuzzling assort-
ment. lack If santrol renders their stuff
useless. Now when a new pitcher is
secured one Of the first questions asked
is. "Does he use the spit ball?" II the
reply is in the negative. 1T is almost
q cinch that the youngster will be re-
garded more favorably. Pitchers who
can get away with the straight stuff
are accounted the more desirable. Few
"spitters" have good control.
Only One Ed Walsh.
Receiving spit ball pitchers is hard on
the catchers. Throwing the spit ball
generally shortens the life of the arm; in
cidentaAy, 1t has q similar effect on
Catchers and 1ufleldera and results in