El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-10-12
EBBET5 LUCKY GETTING PETER; :
NNAGNATES MISSED Good MAN
All Thought He Was the Old Veteran Pfeffer Who Had
Dropped Back to the Minors and None Investigated =
Him Until One of Dodger Scouts Happened Upon
Him; Treatment Accor ded Players Important.
BY FRANK C. MENKE.

- DWARD C'JEFF-D PREFER had
r. a hard time breaking into the ma
- jors- Tt wasn't because no one
thought him a good pitcher. but be-
cause the magnates who heard Of the
doings Of Pfeffer in the minors con-
fused him with the ancient Pfeffer. who
passed beyond the big league pale some
years ago
Back in the latter part Of 1918. Jim
Gaffnev. then owner Of the Braves. got
letter from a friend in Grand
Rapids
pitching for the Grand Rapids club
advised the friend. He's a wonder:
been pitching real baseball and ought
70 be a sensation in the big leagues"
WhereupOn Gaffney laughed
why should I sign up Pfeffer2" he
said to one OF his associates Hes a
has been You see. Jim had him mixed
up with the old hurler by the same
name
EbbetS Had Him Hooked Up
A while later il became nOised
around in big league circles that a
chap named Pfeffer was doing great
things in the Central league But all of
the magnates. except C. Hercules Eb
bets. figured il was Pfeffer, the vete-
ran. So they passed up the chance to
snare one Of the best mOundsmen that
has busted into the big tent in many
years
G. eHrcules. however had a scout
somewhere in the Grand Rapids neigh
borhOOd c. Hercules wasn't sure
whether the Pfeffer was the old boy or
a yOuugster- But he didn't take any
chances. He wired his scout to take
a look AT that bird" which the scout
did. Pfeffer was drafted by Ebbets
because il wasn't the old Pfeffer. but a.
young one, who was setting the league
on fire.
Prefer won % out OF IS games for
last year. This season he was their
most dependable pitcher-the boy who
put them in the fight early in the year
I and who. barring one slip up. helped
TO keep them there
Wheat Cost Only SIeOO-
One Of the biggest baseball bargains
on record was Zach Wheat c Her
cules Ebbets bought him from Mobile
in 1909 for 1920. and at the time fig
ured that ma ybe those southerners were
slipping a little something over on him
But Eobets got a surprise-and an
agreeable one
Wheat has been a major Lacquer
for eight seasons and finished with
clubbing average beyond 300 on five
separate and distinct occasions Oddly
enough he never hit 800 in the minors.
vet in his first year in the big leagues
he dubbed 'ern for 3oA. In 1912 he hit
for -319 He slumped to -25S last year.
but came right back this season with
something like $50
Hobby and Cheney Lucky.
Another brace OF lucky guys are
Dick Hoblitzel first baser for the
Sox. and Larry Cheney. the spitban per
former for the Dodgers. Both were
considered all in" by their former
club owners No one wanted to buy
'em SO waivers were asked
The Sox needed first baseman just
aboUr the time the Reds wanted 70 get
rid Of Hoblitzel and they took him for
$500. The next season-1915-HOb-
litzel busted into the world series and
took a large portion OF the world Sc
ries sDondulics- And now he's in for
another big share
Cheney failed miserably with the
Cubs during his last year or two in
Chicago. II looked like the minors
for him but at the last minute. Ebbets
picked him up for $500. And now
Larry is going TO have the pleasure of
spending-Or saving a nice big sum
Of money Tor his share of the world Sc
ries spoils-
Treatment Of Players Important
Very often the success OF q ball
player depends altogether upon the way
he is handled by bosses Under the