Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-16
BY BILLY EVANS.

One morning in the early part OF July
base ball fans on perusing the sport
page ran across a news item which read
something like this:
''Outfielder Chappell, star of the Mil
waukee team for whose services a num-
her of major league clubs were bidding.
was Yesterday purchased by Owner
Charles Comiskey of the Chicago Amer
leans. The reported price was $1,000 and
few players to boot. The price is said
to have been the largest amount ever paid
for a minor league outfielder. Chappeli
will report to Chicago at once He Is a
lcft-handed batter, and. according to his
record in the American Association.
should make plenty Of trouble for the
American League pitchers.
Practically every paper in the country
carried such AN announcement. Attention
was first directed 10 Chappeli when it was
stated that he would he auctioned off to
the highest bidder. This evidently was
merely advertising. for the Milwaukee
star was not sold under the hammer,
after the manner of crack race hC-ses.
The purchase was made quietly, and UNI
til il appeared ON the sport sheets in
large, black type. few people thought Chi
cago in the running for the players serv-
ices.
larry Chappell. almost unknown to the
sporting world a large when the season
of 1913 opened. before its close the
best advertised ball tosser of the year.
Inside OF a week everything that Larry
had ever done since the time of his birth
had been aired on the sport pages. Aside
from calling attention TO his ability in all
lines. constant stress was laid on the
fact that never in the history of base
bali was bigger price paid for an out
fielder. II was pointed ont that Owner
ComiSkey was Sparing no expense in an
effort 10 give Chicago fans a winner. Nat
uraliy with much boosting IN advance.
the fans placed Chappeli on level with
Cobb awaited his coming with anxiety
and expected wonderful things from him.
At the time of the sale Of Chappell to
Chicago / was working a series In the
west in which the Athletics were one OF
the contending teams. Sitting on the
bench Of the Athletics for a few minutes
prior to the start of the contest / joined
in the conversation that was being held
by some of the players relative to the
latest acquisition to the White Sox.
Big Price Knock to Player.
some price they paid for that young
fellow" / remarked TO Manager Mack.
THAT is the biggest knock that could
happen to the young man. replied Mack.
How do you figure that OUT" asked
one of his players
simply because base ball fans will get
an exaggerated opinion Of the players
ability and expec: far greater things from
him than he will be able to produce.
Think Of the advertising the club rs
getting because Of having paid that big
price" / volunteered
The advertising will get some extra
money at the gate, said Connie. but 1t
is likely To prove the ruination OF the
player
81 this moment the bell rang for the
start of the ganra, and after getting Man
ager Mack's battery selections | started
the contest In between innings l gave
serious thought 10 Manager Mack's opin-
ion of the sale of Chappeti. The more i
reflected, the u,sIr>s wisdom | saw in the
words of the great manager. Mack had
certainly summed up the situation to
nicely when he remarked that the price
paid for Chappell was the biggest knock
that could have possibly happened TO the
player.
If ChappelI had come To the Chicago
club without an INFLATED reputation Gre
ated by the glowing press tributes that
were handed hir2. his work as a member
of the White Sox last summeT would have
been looked upon as very favorable. In
stead. ne is generally regarded rs having