The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-05-14
FORD COMES BACK
IN FEDERAL RANKS
Former Yankee Pitcher Dem
onstrates Ability to Heave
and Hit Despite Organized
Ball Scribes.
BY FRANK G. MENkE.

NEW YORK, May 14.-An illustra.
ton Of how players value decreases
in the minds Of some-just as soon
as he jumps to the Federals ia furnish.
ed in the case of Russell Ford.
Ford, regarded as one of the best
pitchers in the American league, two
years ago, had a bad season last year.
and this spring jumped from the
Yankees to the Buffalo Feds, simply
because the Feds offered him more
money. And now to quote New York
scribe who is one of organized base
balls warmest little supporters, and
at the same time, consistently bitter
In his jeering of the Feds. This writer
recently penned:
LAS far as the Yankees are con.
cerned, Ford is forgotten. The
Yankees owner was preparing to send
him to minor league club when Ford
jumped. incidentally, President Far
rell (of the Yankees) tried to trade
him to each American league club in
turn, but nobody wanted him."
Somers Wanted Ford.
Now the fact is that Charles Son.
ers, owner of the Maps, wanted Ford
and would have paid any sum within
reason for him. At the time Jose Ian
men closed the deal that made him
owner of the Boston Red Sox, Somers
was in New York and spent some
thing like four hours dickering with
Farrell over the very same Russell
Ford. Somers told the writer at the
time:
Il want Ford. I'll pay Farrell al
most any amount to get him. l need
Ford to bolster up my pitching staff.
But l guess there won't be any deal
Farrell wants cash and players and If
gave him the players he wanted,
wouldn't have anything left but a bat
bag"
And that's where the deal hung.
Somers, it was said, offered sum
very close to $4,000 for this very
worthless Ford, but Farrell turned
1t down. 1t wasn't enough. Ford was
was worth more to him.
iii give Ford to Somers if he gives
me the men / want" said Farrell But
Ford Is mighty valuable man and I
must get what he's worth before
let him CO."
Ford No "Has Been."
Also, In the very same little article,
this writer, continuing the Ford sub
49, anu III uOuDI, III an attempt 10
influence his readers to believe Ford
a "has-been" said:
"Ford's arm is said to be gone"
Just about twenty-four hours later
Ford showed how much his arm was
gone by shutting out the Indian
apolis Feds, allowing them only five
scattered hits and winning his own
game with timely swat
Since then Ford has been breezing
along at a clip that shows he has re-
turned to his form of couple of years
ago when he was regarded as the best
pitcher that broke into the big leagues
IN many year.
However. this Ford incident seems
to be about the last of the legions of
attempts on the part of scribbling
friends of organized baseball to
Show the public that the Federal
league is a joke organization; that it
is composed of bunch of "has-beens"
and "never-wuzzers" The public has
come to know different, and the pub
lie, in the main, simply has a nice
little laugh over the seriously written
but farcial sounding attempts on the
part of such writer's to keep it away
rom the Federal parks; or keep it
rom being just about as vitality in
crested in the Federal league race as
n the National and American league
battles.