The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-23
Ty. COBB GIVES
JOB TO SCOUTS
Discovery Of Brilliant Out
fielder Starts Method Of In
vading Bushes for Talent:

new institution in the national game
n without doubt they have been OF
great assistance In Strengthening big
league teams, n in bringing into the
lmelight star players who otherwise
might never have. been heard Of only
in their immediate neighborhood.
IT vas due to a scout that Ty Cobb
was u%ncarthed. down. in Georgia, and
that grand plater"is only one of tho
many who " their present reputa-
tion to h "argus-eyed sleuths, who
i, The country from one end. 7.
promised to become big league timber.
" Discovery Makes Scouts.
The discovery of Cobb, in fact. wae
the. incentive that caused other clubs
than the Detroit organization to SEMI
out "agents' in the hope that another
Cobb would ba the reward of. all the
expense. that was incurred by the new
departure. -. -.
Soon there was a swarm Of embryo
Christopher Co~luftbuses, who pene-
trated into the most distant back
woods districts in. their e%ndeavors TO
dig ny Dhenoms. -.
Managers. Of clubs were swampe;l
with a.ppieati"uy ;s9pr.. as scouts.
and jni their desire: Ito duplicate the
good fortune Of the. Detroit club. man.
ayers. took. all kinds of chances and
engaecd men as scouts who were alb
solutely' useless on account Of their
ignorance. of baseball. and the qualif-
cations required that. produce a real
ball PLAYER. -.
They Buy ON Changes.
II 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 telegraph
wires would be- set on fire to head.
quarters to, secure the "dazzler."
lIe%sdquarters- would fall" for the
lofty talk: and the recruit. would he
the club selling him would be able to
continue for another month at least.
whereas otherwise the club would
have been; in the throes Of disband-
memt and dissolution.
both tn SC o y. ; bS,,nI has been a great at;
the village barber-the towns one
baseball falkland visiting scouts grew
fat on the hospitality shown them
with free shaves thrown In. The adj
vance. guard Of the sleuths c6nse-
quentlyi lived or the fat Of the land
rather than quality.
But not so the clubs who were OBJ
liged TO pay for the freight Of. all the
'junk": shipped. to them by their too
ambitious. agents" The latter were
spnrred on. to their sublimest heights
VI HlrCVNVTS 10y .IlNdlTy.
Frequently Recommend Lemons.
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 rec
commended that. were of no more
promise. as possible ,'comers" than
Charley Faust.
occasionally some sleuth would be
fortunate enough in his blind stab into
the "phenom" grab bag to 1T a 'rize.
but they were SO few and far. between
that finally h big League clubs. for
tacir " protection. were forced to
a call down.. SO that gradually. the
barber shop. element among the SCOUTS
was eliminated and the present sys-
ten that has brought into the scouting
field old ball players who. by their
experience of the game and knowl-
even ii they do not make good in dig
ging up embryo Cobbs.
No .Haphazard Way Now.
There. Is. no haphazard way now Of
selecting a player recruit. The vet
cran player now acting as scout. is in
structed to remain with one club in
which a promising youngster 'is play
ing until no Is absolutely sure Of. the
youngsters ability. and then to- make
his report.
Scout Mcmahon. the old Baltimore
tlriole pitcher, who was scouting for
the Giants. stayed with the Utica IN.
40 club for Over a month before he
was satisfied that young Burns was
good enough to become. a Giant. That
Burns is to be given a chance in the
Giants outfield, according to McGraw,
is evidence enough that McMahon's
thorough Investigation was valuable.
It Is. therefore. the only proper
nov for any club engaging a scout,
to select an old ball player for the
important Job. They cannot all be
as successful. perhaps. as Arthur r.
for his employer. Frank Farrell, sbs,
discovering promisers who were as.
posed of to such big advantage. but
the veterans can be relied on to pick
out no player who does not have big