Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-06-13
COLLEGE LADS AFTER COIN
Even Coach Must Have His Bit
When a Big League Magnate
SHARES One of His Men.
AND THEY WANT BIG SALARIES
nY FRANK q. MENKE.

NEW YORK. June 12.--Gone are the
days when big league scouts could pick
up a college base bali star and hook nm
to a contract calling for a few kopecks
each month
Commercislism has extended itself to
college base ball and In these days the
big leaguers find that they can't grab off
good college player without coming
through" with a nice wsd for the coach
and a nice fat unbustable contract for
the rah-rah chap.
Connie Mack. the original browser in
collegiate fields. didn't encounter such
conditions. That was before coaches and
college players were alive TO that fact
that there was money in base ball. All
Connie used to do when he spotted" a
real ball player among the college boys
was to approach him thusly:
Greetings, my brave lad. 1 come 70
offer you one job ON my base ball club
I viii give YOU 2Oo shining dollars every
month for six months in the year II you
show me something like real class in the
big league ! may boost your pay TO $50
Amt II grand opportunity. What say
your"
There WAS only two possible answers
Either T. was yep. you're on; I'm your
man." or the colleglan declined the
MacSian offer on the grounds that he
didn't want TO engage In professional
base ball.
Referred to the Coach.
But timer have changed. A big league
scout having spotted" real player
among the colleges. finds that he can't
do business with the player direct. The
player refers him to the coach. The coach
being a man of the world, and knowing
that the college youth looks like a pos
! sible big Lacquer, gets an option on the
collegian's services The collegian won't
dicker with tho scouts directly and when
the coach dickers he adds about $500 or
$1,000 to- tho demand so that he will get
his own bit"
The collesians, In these days, sneeze at
the $500. $3.50 or even 1900 offers Of
yore. They have heard about fabulous
salaries being paid in the base ball
world and they want a large slice. Most
of the college stars Of 1915 who have been
approached on the subject of signing in
dictate that nothing short of 5000 a year
and an iron-clad two-year contract Will
interest them.
Many Collegiate stars.
The 1915 college season has developed
some wonderful ball players. Some of
them might make good in the big leagues
and they might not. The chances are
against It, because only about one out of
every ten collcgians who have been given
chance in fast company have made
good ~s
Neyland. the wonderful Army pitcher,
stands head and shoulders above all the
collegians who have come to the fore
this year. He won nineteen straight
| games and no one was a flukey victory.
He won all of them on pitching ability
alone. He has speed. great control, curves,
brain and he's game to the core.
| ''racks'' Hardwick, the greatest all
around athlete Harvard ever developed,
has played brilliantly in the Crimson
outfield this year, and takes his place al
the top OF the iist OF college outfielders
Legore Of Yale. foot ball star Of the
first magnitude, shone with even greater
brilliancy in the base ball armament this
year
Legore Is a shortstop and fields with
the ease and grace OF Lajoie. He hits
with the terrific power Of Lajoie and
he's whirlwind upon bases. He's the
best shortstop seen among the colleges
this year and the best that has been
produced in many years.
Rafter Of Syracuse. and Hobbs of the
Army. are great outfielders and both
arc sluggers. Nash, who played first
base for Harvard. ranks as the greatest
fielding and hitting first saclSer. while
Watt Of Columbia looms up as the best
second Eacker.
0erhardt OF the Army nine. easily was
the class among the third sackers. while
Harte of Harvard showed himself to bt
the best catcher among the eastern col
ieges. And these men are only few
OF the many stars that shone these years
and attracted the big league scouts.
But the chances are that of this outfit
not more than one. and possibly two
will become professional ball players
when their college days are over. because
theV want too much money for theil
services and the major league clubs have
tired Of gambling with collegiate talent.