New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-05
Oil Man Has SiXty-three
Players to Put on the
Baseball Market.
ABOUT FIFTEEN MAY
GO TO BIG LEAGUES
Zip" O'Neil Set Higher Batting
Mark than Cobb When
with Browns.
By FRANK O'NEILL.

Not long ago Harry f. Sinclair told
US that the prOhlor's o'
baseball were many and were more
said in a joking sort Of manner thai
all one had to do TO become an oil
baron was TO locate a well, sink the
shaft and let inc money tufn oL, %.
the ground.
But baseball. he said. was decidedly
another matter Tho wells were d,ill-
cult to find, and the money refused TO
guSh In many instances II didn't even
trickle. He spoke with the air Of "a
man who had studied the situation
from every side, and cXhaustiveiy.
Mr.. Sinclair has yet 90 face another
problem which will be interesting, 90
all probability, but which viii result in
some financial loss. a thing TO which
he must be well accustomed by thu
time. He has 20 dispose Of the player
OF the Newark, 10 falo and Kansas city
Federal League teams and II Will not
be easy.
Just now, ball players OF ordinary
ability are n glut on the market. Men
like Kaufr Magee and George Ardcl
son, who also are under his control,
will be sought by the clubs. u is fot
tunate for him that he has not shout
dered the responsibility for all the
players under steel shod contracts with
the league.
Mr.. Sinclair has about s.Nty-thr'
players to look after, and Of these he
may be able TO sell about hit"e. TO Do
major leagues. The minor leaCu '~ WI
pay only minor league prices, ana De-
possible loss Of $4,000 confront the
oil man. which Of course, is not pleasant
TO contemplate. When comparing base
ball and the oil industry, Nf SnclaH
declared that there were many angie
to baseball that he did not understand.
II was probably his belief 'ha' III"
PLAYERS would be one way Of relmburs
ing himself for some Of the losses ina
led him to assume their contracts.
He apparently did not consider that
war placed false value on some OF the
noble athletes" as Bill Byron calls
them. Some of the men are receiving
salaries far in excess OF their real
value, and the club owners will lnger
long and ponder carefully before en-
tering into any deals.
Let the cases of few be cited as
examples. There are Hal Chase, Harry
Lord. Guy Zinn, Tom Seaton and a few
others. There are a number Of mag
mates who have said that they will
refuse TO dicker for Hal Chase. II IS
asserted that he is a trouble maker and
bad man TO have on club. More
over, Chase has seen his best days
and is on the decline.
Ha. Lord is another man who has
seen the sun Of his career pass its
zenith and sink behind the hills. Guy
Zinn never really made good IN fast
company He was turned back by the
Yankees and Braves, and when he made
his leap he failed TO set any lakes on
fire with his speed.
Tom Seaton is q man to give the
critic pause. He might come back and
he might not. Toms arm was mighty
core last season and gave him not a
little trouble at times. He didn't estab
lish MANY records last year, but II IS
not possible TO forget In q day the great
work he did FOR the Phillies before he
leaped to the Feds. But Seaton has
contract which calls for something
like SIS. 500 a year, and II has year
or two 70 run. A manager buying a
pitcher with sore arm might pc
called more courageous than wise, es-
pecially al such price. On the other
hand, however, there is the case OF
Jack Coombs, who scoffed AZ Fate ana
gave tradition the lie direct.
Harry F. Sinclair, incidentally, was
expected in this city yesterday, Dut ne
STAYED over in Cincinnati 70 attend me
meetings OF the National Commission
and National League and try 70 market
some Of his players. He will return TO
these parts some time next week
When James f. C"Tip"D ONeil ans
wered the final summons in Montreal
last week he left only five members OF
the original Browns behind him in the
land of the living. These are Charley
Comiskey, now owner of the Chicago
White Sox; "Kid" Gleason, who is a
member Of the fire department IN 81
Louie; Arlie Latham, once with the
Giants; Hugh Nicol and Tom Nc
Carthy. Hugh Nicol coached the base
ball team of Purdue University last
season, while Mccarthy has been doing
scout duty for the Cincinnati Reds,
which should not be held against him.
O'Neil has passed beyond. but his
name will live forever as one of the
greatest sluggers who ever lifted bat.
lie was a right-hander, and the sort OF
batter that gladdens the hearts Of the
fans and weakens the knees of the
pitchers. When he was with the 81.
Louis Browns the team was in the
American Association, but the company
was mighty fast for all that. His mark
of .492, hung up in 1887, still stands,
and it may stand forever. Between the
years of 1885 and 1891, when he retired
a. a player, he never dropped below the
charmed 800 class.
In 1856 he hit at .342 clip, the fol
lowing year he slugged along at .339,
and then the years Of 'S7, 'os, SO and
'91 saw him assault the pitchers for
marks Of .l92, $50, 1897 and .324 re-
spectively. In 1891 O'Neil jumped
from the Browns to the Chicago team
Of the Brotherhood and hit 800.
ale hit .492" may not sound like
much. but when you stop 10 consider
that Ty Cobb's best year with the stick
Melted him an average Of .42O, and that
Ed Delehanty, the famous slugger OF
the Phillies, cut his highest notch at
the .40S mark in 1899, the mark looms
up a bit more conspicuously.
Athletics Sign