Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-07
STARS DEVELOPED SLOWLY.
ROCKIES IN OLDER DAYS
HAD MUCH EASIER TIME
1nthcwson. Cobb. Collins and D,ubcrt
Did Not Shine First Ycnr Out.
New S.stcm Wrong.

4 he chances of Il rookie maxim
/ Good in the majors are smaller to-day
/ than they We're in the other DAYS when
In" clubs took only "a half dozen
| YOUNGSTERS or a dozen at the most
| /" tn" Southern training camps.
It's the custom these DAYS for club
owners 10 grab off from ten to twenty
/ lily" hushcrS and turn them over 20
/ the manager for try-outs duriu. the
! f"w weeks that the training season
! lasts, When II manager has that many
Youngsters :" look over. it's certain
| that Ii" cannot give much time to each
Usually those he picks are the uashiest
| lockers. and he let's 80 the others who
| do not show mp wen right from the
| jump It's the logical thing To do Of
course. but very often the iiashy play
! cr ''ivv"rs later. and the one VIII" is
! turned back is the real star.
On" Of tn" greatest pitchers of NIL
time madc a miserable showing du,inl:
his rookie days, anu during his irSt
season Is a major. Had he been ~
! NounGstcr in this era he proha bly,
would have been dumped back into the
huShcs--to rise no more. Hut he lived
| his youth in the days when clubs didn't
carry small army Of mon, and so
his manager had time to give him
thorough try-ou;.
The pitcher is Chrlsty Mathewson
lie Joined the Giants in 1900 hcraldcd
as q wonder. jus, the same way that a
score OF bushers arc hcralded each
year now. Matty was given try-out
against Brooklyn in July-rnd he was
batted out OF the box. He seemed TO
have nothing. Twice after that lie was
sent 10 tho mcund-aud each time he
was walloped.
nj, Oh, Il a
aud showed nothing startling in amy
Of them. In tho spring Of 1901 hc was
taken South. but he showed nothini;
ilashy. There was nothing spectacular
about him. Had he been forced to light
II out in these days with a lot OF brill
liant looking youngsters. il Is possible
that h" would have lost ont and gone
back 10 the minors.
I;Ut the oid-timc olubs weren't over
burdcncd with minor league talent
and every man who Joined 4 big league
| club was given Clancc - make good.
| In tho next season. 1902. Matty won
| thirteen games and lost eighteen. for
an average OF .4l?. giving him a grand
average OF .tG5 for three scasons-a
| miScrabl showing.
| What do YOU think would happen in
| these days 10 n major league pitcher
who. after three seasons In fast COM
pany. averaged only .tG5'
| IL IN II III tpbb
WAS SION DEVELOPING
Tyrus Raymond Cobb may never have
become a major league star If the pres
cntday methods concerning rockies
! had been in force in 1905. when he
joined the Tigers. The Georgia
| Peach" arrived in the Tiger camp
labeled real wonder"-but the
which is applied to at least dozen
other bush leaguerS II was w to
cobb 10 prove himself.
| In 1905 Cobb worked in forty-onc
games Ills fielding was atrocious He
| had come billed as sluggcr, Vet in
100 trips TO the plate in that season.
he hit safely only thiriy-six times.
His average was 80.
What do YOU think would happen
in this day and age IL youngster hit
for only $50 in his frs, year a
najo and iielded in way that made
il seem as if he were burlcsqueing the
! art?
But Cobb fingered. Hughic Jennings
gave lot OF time and attention TO
| him. And do YOU know why? Simply
because Hughes roster wasn't loaded
/ down with q lot Of high priced minor
league talent in those days. He had
10 pick his team from a small assort-
mcnt-and. therefore. he could choose
more dclibcratcly--and accurately. lie
had a chance to study Cobb--and cobb's
ppSSlblllllcS.
Eddie Collins hit for only .913 in
1?0S. when he joined the Athletics. and
he didn't seem 10 be able 20 play either
short or third. But Connie kept him.
simply because Comics roster wasn't
overloaded. thus giving him time to
study each man thoroughly.
Jake Dauhcrt. probably The greatest
first hascman in the game to-day. got
Il chance with the Cleveland club some
years ago. There were Il large flock
OF rockies on the roster then and I.ajoic.
who was managing the outfit. didn't
have time TO watch each. Daubcrt
rounded too slowly--too slowly for
l.ajoie. And SO Jake went back to the
bushes. although he then was as great
player as he now is.
Iris Speaker hit only ."20 for the Red
SoX in 190S-hs first year in the ma
jors. Would any major league club
to-day keep a .220 rookie" outficldcr?
But the Rel SoX decided to keep iris
and what has happened?
You remember the "Rube" Maruua rd
case. don't YOU"
II manager could make his choice
from small section. and give lot
OF time 10 watching each ca ndidatc. he
would do better than he does now
when he has to select from a small
army OF youngsters-and make his
investigate each applicant for a regular
job.
What's your opinion?