The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-06-17
Minor Leaguers Are Now Old
Men, or Youngsters Tied to
Some Major Club
| IMPOSSIBLE TO PLUCK
PEACHES FROM BUSHES
Tigers Are Among the Leaders
in Grabbing the Rah-Rahs
From CampuSes
BY RALPH L. YONRER.

BY RALPH l.. ION En-
There has been during the past rev
weeks an unusual influx OF coliese
baseball players into the big leagues
That is because the college players
are ripe To be plucked just about TINS
time OF the year.
But II Is worthy of notice that never
ia the history OF the game have SO
many absolutely untried rah-rahs
Ibeen grabbed from the college dia-
monds by the big leaguers.
Frank Navin, president Of the Tig'
ers. SAYS that he has given his scouts
instructions 10 pay especial attention
: 10 the campus brand OF player this
spring. The result is that there are
some new names on the Tiger roster
that used to be In college and univer-
sity roll calls.
1t Is not that thee ollege player Is
considered to be an Improvement now
over what he was years ago. He may
be; II is likely that he Is, for the col
alages have been able TO spend more
money in obtaining professional
coaches with real big league expert
ence to aid them.
But big league clubs have been
forced to resort to the campuses be-
cause OF the scarcity OF available play
ere in the minor leagues. The college
player Is cheap. He is usually glad
to sign up with a big league club for
nothing. SO there is no purchase price
to be paid. or course, what is gained
in that is risked in the bigger gamble
that big league magnate takes IN
getting an untried player for nothing
ALL AL IN n
few thousand dollars.
Look through the line-ups OF the
minor league clubs" said Frank
Navin. In discussing the unusually
large number Of college men that the
big league clubs are getting. and you
Will find that they are composed or
former big leaguers who have served
their time up here. or men who have
been In the minor leagues for years
and have demonstrated conclusively
that they are not quite good enough
for major league clubs or promising
youngsters who are already tied up by
xOme major league team.
I'm facing condition like that.
swnat are you going to do? You sim
Fly have to send your scouts around
where the players are not writing APP
plications for the old mems home or
securely bound to a rival club. The
college diamond Is the logical place
to send them In the spring before the
college season has closed
~ Manager Jennings has often stated
that he didn't fancy the college
eprout. II was not because Hughie
swas prejudiced against the rah.rahs.
simply because they were rah-rahs,
for Hughie himself Is a Cornell grad
bNata. y'know. and proud Of IT, But
) Hugnie has held that the college play.
er doesn't make good very often In
1.-THE majors when he Is sent directly
there from the college
.oe Yet Hughie himself has had to sec
5 some Of the boys who wear low shoes,
thigh trousers. flaming hose and hats
! with the bows in the back. come to
the Tigers. One OF them, Hennessy, a
second baseman. joined the Tigers on
their eastern trip and for a while the
Tigers boss sent him In about every
day to play part of the game for o.
car Witt. Hennessy Is Scandinavian
from Georgetown university.
TO- There Is Walter Ptpp, also, the mys-
IfEriOus young man whom the Tigers
Kicked of his varsity team at Catho-
lie university, Washington, d. c.,
where he had been playing as an
xmHteur. supposedly. when they
@hought him from Kalamazoo, with
(which club he had played the latter
fart Of last year and which club own
led him. Walter said that he had some
of the purchase money coming TO him
sdnd has failed TO show up But he's
q collegian and heb elongs to the
Tigers, nevertheless.
Then there is Peplowski, who Ia
probably a Pole. from Seaton Hall.
southern college. He Is a big right
handed hurler who is expected to Join
the club pretty soon now.
Another collegian, Roland Howell.
the pitcher Manager jennings saw
work down in New Orleans when the
Tigers were down there on their ex.
hibitlon game trip this spring. Is to
81 to Chattanooga soon now for some
seasoning TO see IL he Is good enough
for q trip In the majors. Howell so
impressed the Tiger Yannigans under
the leadership Jim MCGUIRE and
George Moriarty who took their club
around to some of the colleges In
Louisiana that they brought him back
with them to N'Orlins, and after pitch.
lag part OF game against the Peli
cans he was tied up. Howell had n
trial with the st. Louis Nationals
some time ago.
The Tigers are not the only big
leaguers who are keeping their eagle
eyes open for college stars Even
Musgsy Mc0raw. the last man In the
world one would expect TO turn to the
college diamonds. IL picking them up.
Hardly club can be named that is
net gathering them In as fast as pos.
sible.
There are only three players on the
Tiger roster besides the new men who
attracted attention while PLAYING col.
-f,ge baseball Spin Stanage started
course of baseball IN California
university and then changed his mind
aud went into the professional game
where you walk right up to the pay
window and hold our your hand in
front OF you for your remuneration
lean Dubuc was q Notre Dame altar
before he went TO Cincinnati and from
there round about to the Tigers. Car,
Eam)och pitched for some small col.
logo team near San Francisco.
The usual rnnte to n berth. In the
Tiger Pullman 10 from sandlot "a