The Ocala banner., 1914-09-04
SOME BASEBALL LITERATURE
An Unprecedented Record for the
Purchase and Exchange of Play
ers Established.

The baseball season of 1914 already
noted as periol of unusual occur
renee in the national sport promises
to establish record for the purchase
and exchange of players in the big
leagues. Omitting entirely any ref
erence to the sensational trades and
purchase which preceded the opening
of the penant races the present sea-
son has been an exceptional one in
this respect. With the exception of
the worlds champion Philadelphia
athletics every club in both the Amer
unusual Efforts toward Strengthening
one or more departments by means
of exchange or cash transactions. Not
alone have the minor associations be-
ing invaded for big league clubs have
dealt with each other to an extent
greater than has been the case in
other years.
In the American League Boston
secured Egan, Shore and Ruth from
the Baltimore club of the internation-
al; Hobitzel from Cincinnati; Vean
Gregg from Cleveland in exchange
for Coumbe, R. Johnson and Egan, as
well as several minor leagues and col.
lege players. The Chicago White Sox
have signed or released to date an
even dozen players not including Hal
Chase, who jumped to the Buffalo
Federals. The dealing, however, has
been confined to the minor and col
lege class, although Comiskey held
the present season record in his pur-
chase of fielder Felch from Milwau-
kee of the American Association at
$4,000 cash for two players.
The New York Americans have pur
chased, exchanged or released six
teen players since April Ia. Some of
cludes catcher Munamaker from Bos-
ton Americans, pitcher Carroll Brown
from the Athletics in addition tol
Birdie Cree from the Baltimore In
ternationals. Cleveland is another
club which has dipped deeply into the
players part. Close to twenty play
ers have been bought, sold, exchanged
or lost by desertion this season. A
majority of these transactions involv-
ed minor league, the principal major
league deal being with the Boston
Americans whereby pitcher Vean
Gregg went to the Red Sox in ex-
change fer Pitcher Coumbs, and John
son and catcher Ben Egan..
Aside from purchase of two minor
league players, and the release of
catcher Gibson the Detroit club has
stood to date and the same may be
said Of Clarke Griffith's Washington
combination. The capital club pur-
chased outfielder Mike Mitchell from
the Pittsburg Nationals, released
pitcher Collier and Cashion and secur-
ed j. E. Blair from the Martinburg,
w. Va, club. The st. Louis Browns
released two players and purchased
one for future delivery.
Far more activity in this direction
has been shown in the National
league. The Cincinnati club record
shows that close to 80 players have
figured in one way or another in club
deals or jumped to the Federal league.
Claude Derrick was bought from Bal
timore and then traded to Chicago
for first baseman Mollowitz. Hobitzel
went to the Boston Americans and
Tex Erwin from Brooklyn to Cincin-
matt and back again. Bert Daniels,
former Yankee and part of Jack
Dunn's 100000 Baltimore Internation-
al league assets found his way to the
Cincinnati club to say nothing of a
number of minor league and college
players.
Pittsburg Scouts have been busy
and the Pirates have thirteen deals
OF one kind or another to their credit.
Aside from the deal with the Wash
ingto whereby Mike Mitchell was sold
the transaction involved the purchase
or release of players from or to minor
leagues. The Philadelphia Nationals
have ten transactions on record, the
principal one being the trade of Gosh
Deyore to Boston for third baseman
John Martin. Boston records show
some thirteen deals. The major trans
fers including the sale of George Beck
to the Cleveland Americans; the trad
ing of Hub Perdue to st. Louis for
players Whitted and Gather and Gosh
Devore' acquisition for John Martin.
The Chicago Cubs have eleven
transactions in the record. Elimina-
ting the minor league purchases and
releases the schedule shows that