Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-03-10
SORTING OUT RECRUITS
MOST DIFFICULT TASK
BY BILLY EVANS.

BY BILLY EVANS. Is
Some of the most highly touted
baseball peaches, when picked. prove
to be the sourest kind of lemons. Sc.
lecting star ball PLAYERS Is one OF the
biggest CANDLES in the world. When
YOU helieve you have landed the one
best bet, II often develops that some
rna has slioped Won the hooby nrize.
When It aDDears that vou have picked
nothing ont OF the ordinary. 10 often
turns out that YOU are the possessor Of
a very rare species of the baseball
family. 81 ~
A lot Of clubs were tnuted on the
great Walter Johnson The Washing
ton club had tin on the youngster
long before It was exercised Per-
haps a broken finger. rendering Catch
pr Rlankenshin unfit for service. Is
what caused the washington club to
secure one OF the greatest peaches
ever plucked IN the baseball orchard.
Since Walter has become famous aTv
number of owners have been frank
enough to admit that they had re-
ceivad letters about Johnson's great
ability. Perhaps the greatest knock
johnson received was the contents OF
most of the letters, which PAINTED
Johnson as wonder. who had an on
day when he struck out not less than
dozen. and who was not In his best
form when he failed to shut out the
opposition. So glowing we're most or
the reports sent out from the West
that In number OF cases the missives
received little more consideration
than q smile. Owners and magnates
receive hundreds of such letters every
year: to pay attention to all Of them
would probably BANKRUPT the club. In
most cases the PLAYERS touted have
no more chance to stick than snow
ball in August. That Is perhaps the
best reason that could be offered for
the failure every now and then or
number Of wise baseball men to I'M
earth some star In the rough.
George Stallings, master Judge OF
ball players, says he regards Maran.
Vile as one OF the greatest infielders
in the history of the game. Yet sew
eraI clubs had chances to get this star
player before Boston secured him. One
club had practically agreed to take
the youngster, but before closing the
deal decided it would be wise move
to have their chief scout look him
over thoroughly One Of the clubs
scouts had reported fayorahly. but the.
owner believed it the best policy to
have his most trusted lieutenant pass
final Judgment. After looking over
the youngster for three or four days,
the chief scout reported unfayorably,
and the deal was called on.
Passed Up BY Wise Scouts.
a.Snappy player, but entirely too
small and light to stand the wear and
tear of the majors. VIII be lucky II
he hits his weight In the big league.
That is the report scout. regarded as
q wise baseball man, rendered on
MaranvilIe. When one considers that
Maranyille weighs very little, Ii can be
readily seen that he didn't regard his
batting ability very highly. Maran-l
viIle's wonderful work with Boston
has certainly been an awful knock to
said scout. Benny Kauff, repeatedly
passed up by the scouts while in the
miners, was the Ty Cobb Of the Fed
eral league last year. Scores OF high
" touted outfelders we're given the
preference over Kauff when in the
minors, yet majority OF them failed.
Kauff. who received little or no con.
when given q chance,
proved to be real star.
There is no denying the Judgment
Of John j. McGraw, the justly famed
of the New York Giants. Nc
Graw doesn't make many slips when
it comes to passing final judgment on
a player, yet two Of the players who
are now being touted as the greatest
in the game were once under NC
Graw,s direction These players were
with New York only few weeks. but
enjoyed long stays with the Giants, 50
that McGraw had5a good chance to
look them over carefully. He didn't
pass snap judgment. but considered
them from every angle. After num- |
Der of trials he decided that Catcher
Gowdy and Pitcher Dick Rudolph were |
lust q trifie shy the major leagues |
Proved Stars for stailings.
AS members Of the Boston club,
Gowdy by his great catching, and Ru-
iolph by his brilliant pitching, greatly |
aided in the wonderful showing made |
1y that club. Rudolph was known as i
i groove BALI pitcher when with |
New York, as q member of the Boston
hub he was credited with being one
II the brainiest pitchers in the bust
less, ranking second to Mathewson
,nly. McGraw, after working hard
With Gowdy, cut loose from the big
elbow, only to have him be. the big
loise with Stallings. McGraw had
,ambled with Rudolph and Gowdy, fig