The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-01-29
First Influences Players to jump
Organized Ball, Then Keeps
Them In II
MAY BE SENT TO HOLD
CRAWFORD FROM FEDS
linn Obtained Sam From Cincln-
natl and May Be Able to Re'
tain Him For Detroit
BY RALPH l.. YoNKER.


fortunes OF war are weird, OuI
u tba fortunes OF the TWO CON-
bined are startling ,,ar,,tra
sada,a business man at Albion, Mlch.'
during the winter monlns anu
and coach for the Detroit Tigers a"
the summer time. hall
Jim has gone through TWO Jas =,
wars and is nov actively ensaeeu -
the third. In one he Was my.
of the famous brotherhood Whlcn
likened TO the present baseoa'l
fernity. In another he was p'o9
who jumped his league Tor the oS''
llAws. In this present war ne Il -
ambassador very extraordinary anu
minister plenipotentiaIy, win pien1y
OF money as we'll as potenuary' .ui
the Detroit Tigers signing up uouO'
full players.
In these two later wars, that en-
gagged in by the American ana Ma
tional leagues. and that engaged IN
by organized ball and the rederal
league. Mcclure has been oil great
value 10 Detroit. II is worthy OF men
tion that Mcclure has been the means
OF bringing Detroit valuable players
I'm both combats.
IL was in 1902 that Mcclure hrst
served the Tigers. lie jumped the
Brooklyn club at that time and came
10 Detroit. That was back IN the
days when S. r Angus was the own
er OF the club, and Dryer was Dusl-
ness manager with his Offices III
wallet in his inside coat pocket
Kid Gleason. Kid Elberfeld, Yeager,
Jimmy Barrett Buelow, Siever and
Mullin. That was the bunch that was
here at that time George Muliin
listed the longest OF any of the 1902
team, being let 90 only last season.
He Is now supposedly signed TO
years contract with the Indianapolis
team OF the Federal league.
But Mcclure not only brought him
self to Detroit but he later influenced
two other men to follow him. These
proved to be stars, one especially be
ing numbered among the gods OF De-
troit baseball worship. The one was
Wild Bill Donovan, who was at that
time earning his woody appelation by
his hawlSlike shyness OF cutting the
plate with his heayes. The other was
Kitson.
But Mcclure hadn't done all for the
Detroit club yet. A close friend OF
Sam Crawford, he influenced that
star TO leave Cincinnati and come 10
Detroit
Having acquired all these men for
Detroit, Mcclure royed around
through baseball. rising as high as
the managership OF the Cleveland
club before he returned TO the Tigers
as scout and coach.
With his record of splendid service
for the Tigers in the first war, 1t was
little wonder that President Navin OF
the Tigers put trust on him for the
second. But this time, instead OF In
ducing players TO jump from one club
TO another he is urging them TO stay
where they are.
He has succeeded In two instances.
He kept Ray Mckee, catcher. in the
fold. and then he succeeded in sign
ing up Billy Purtell. inielder. draft
ed from Jersey City. II is under
stood that he has arranged terms with
other players whose contracts are be
ing awaited at the Tigers office at
present.
McGuires work is hardly finished
1t Is expected that when Sam Craw-
ford comes TO America from his
worlds tour, there will be Federal
agents with bushels OF stage and real
money waiting for fdm at the dock II
they don't actually cross the seas to
get TO him first. lnasmuch as Me
CURE brought Crawford TO Detroit, il