The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-01-22
Ban JohnsOn's Circuit Has
Filled Many Holes With
Youngsters
ONLY FEW MEN IN 1T
MORE THAN FOUR YEARS
Number of Real Veterans on
Any Team Is Surpris-
ingly Small

American league clubs may be able
TO cease experimenting with recruits
outside OF the batteries within two or
three years, as by that time il is ex-
pected that the majority of teams will
De well fortified with young men who
possess the requisite big league stun.
Outside OF the box the Athletics are
all youngsters. Boston has only three
real veterans, Stahl, Wagner and Car
rigan, and the latter is not old in
years. at that Turner and Lajoie are
the vets OF the Naps, while Land and
Carisch have served many years as
professionals Outside OF Walsh,
White. Jones, Sullivan and Callahan,
the White Sox have few to worry
about and Comiskey will scarcely
think about successor to Walsh In.
side the next few years. Crawford and
Mullin are the old timers with Detroit
Bobby Wallace is in the veteran class
with St. Louis. New York cannot be
said to have a single old-timer in its
ranks. Tom Hughes and Mcbride are
the old men of the Nationals.
With p exceptions. all of the Amer.
lean leaguers have entered the circuit
since 1905, which makes the Ban John
The cause may be explained briefly.
When the American league expanded
and decided 10 become a real big
league instead OF a feeder to the Ma
tional, II raided the older organiza-
rion. grabbing number OF star play.
ers. Only men OF experience were
, taken. Most OF the new clubs filed
their ranks with stars, men who had
Rn, 10 unQ
Those men could not be expected to
20 on forever. They began to show
signs of age aud one by one, they
gradually slipped Into the minors. be-
came managers or quit the pastime al
/. together. The National league. having
been deprived OF many of it's best men,
was forced 10 years ago to recruit
from the minors. AS. a result, they
built better for the future than did
the American TnLs II happened that
the Cuba twice outclassed the Tigers
In the battles for the worlds cham
pionship.
II was about 1903 that the American
league teams found their veteran play
ers slipping The eastern clubs MADE
tn, discovery first. Ii was forced
Chicago and st. Louis finished one,
two. three. four at the end of the 1908
campaign. They Immediately began
to recruit more strenuously thsn De
fore The western clubs, flushed by
their success, s;ood pat and suffered
as a result. Detroit being the only one
to come back strong. But all the
western clubs proflted by the expert
ence. They also began to try 10
strengthen the points weakened Dy
the aging of their former stars. Inc
minor leagues were Iaided With drag
nets ard In the last four years nun
dreds OF youngsters have been gwen
trials by the American league teams
The result OF these trials has been the
development OF such diamond artists
as Speaker, Baker, Wood, Gardner'
McInnis. Barry, Collins, FORD, CoDD'
pratt, Slotten, Johnson, Gandll' MI
Ian, Gregg, Jackson. Handing Ieioer
and host OF others.
The old sayiag Youth Will De
seryed'" Is particularly true OF paSa.
hall The American league today is
built up of young men. The Natlonai
Iaague which recruited eight, nine
and ln years ago " iOPi -, a.
roads OF the younger league mus
self loaded ND with more Yeeerane
than the American.
But the demand upon the minors "
strengthen the l6 big league tearns
has been remarkably great ana tne
supply was not equal 70 tne occasioi
Some OF the WEAKER teams nave peen
unable to acquire the necessals
strengthening r.aterial, put She lilne
seems close at hand when ths nilhols s
will be able to deliver. Inc Teas..
will be that the big leaguers VIII no no.
need as many recruits. Ihey wiz
nave fewer weak spots, for most OF
them are made up OF young men wno
should be able to stick In las' coni
pany for several years.
rosters