Evening star., 1916-12-24

seldom. although it has been done more
tnan once. OF course. such an exam
pie as the above does not refer to
those players who are regarded as be-
ing good enough for further trial. and
are simply sent back to the minors
with the option of recall at any time,
!of good and all as not having any or
the attributes Of a big league perform
er- While. as has been said, the in
stances are few when man has been
! passed up and later come back and
MADE good: there have been some
players who have not received the
stamp of approval. have gone back to
the minors. yet returned to the big
leagues and developed among the most
brilliant performers in the circuit.
Several years ago the Chicago White
Sox picked up a twenty one-y year old
nrst baseman. During the spring prac-
tfce he did not show very much. and
when the exhibition games were being
prayed did not get much of chance.
Hugh Duny. then managing the club.
acting on his own and the opinion of
one of his scouts. released the young
ster. keeping him only ten days after
the season opened. Later Gandil-
that was the name OF the player-got
his second chance in the American
League and established himself among
the best first basemen in the game. 1t
| IS practically a public secret that Ty
cobb was passed up and refused by
nnailv agreed to give $700 for him.
And the great Tyrus now could not be
bought for any amount of cash.
Every spring, when a club starts its
exhibition series. scouts of other teams
are sent to watch its players, in the
nope that it will make the mistake of
letting go a man who may later make
a big Lacquer. There is not a club in
the two major circuits which does not
at some time during the spring send
n - s-tk v,~
where players are receiving their pre-
liminary work. This is done with the
idea that one of the clubs may feel
Obliged to release player who has
.atent possibilities not recognized by
the manager giving up claim to him.
While watching the men in training
during the early spring practice and
also In getting line on recruits who
have been adjudged wanting by the
other clubs the scout has some fine
distinctions to draw and some delicate
decisions to give; but it is not until
the regular season is on that the really
hard part of his work begins From
the first week in April until the middle
Of September he has little time he can
call his own. and seldom does he get
the opportunity to visit his family. He
jumps from place to place. never know
ing what moment he will receive or
clear. across the continent.
Contrary to general opinion, it is not
among the first-class minor leagues
that the majority of time Is spent look
ing for players. These circuits depend
on getting the bulk of their strength
from major league castoffs. and young
players. for whom the big league man
'agers are anxious seldom receive their
development there. It is in the small
towns which generally make up the
class d and c leagues with which the
majors are most concerned.
OF course. from the first-class leagues
come many players, but they are gener-
ally of such caliber that they are pro-
nounced worthy of a trial by repre-
sentatives Of three or four clubs. and
it is the highest bidder that gets them
In the smaller circuits when a good
player Is found he costs but few hun
dred dollars. while to get stars from
the class A organizations thousands
must be paid, and still the chance be
taken that they won't make good.
After the season has started hun
dreds of suggestionc come to the man
Of players in every part of the coun-
try. All Of these bearing the faintest
appearance of authenticity are investi-
gated. and the scouts long journey
which does not end until the minor
leagues finish their schedules, is begun.
Sometimes these tips prove valuable
aids: at others 1t is found that they
come from some friend of the player
who is trying to boost him even
though he does not have real ability.
Former players who We're friends or
| teammates of the manager or scout
when they were In active participation
on the field are the source of many bits
OF Information regarding obscure stars.
and in such cases they are always act
ed upon to the extent that the scout is
sent to watch the player and pass his
opinion on him. no matter in what out
of-the-way spot the player may be To-
Gated.
Just how the scout is shunted around
over the country for six months of the
year may be shown by giving the ac-
tual movements of one last season for
a few weeks. The scout in question
left New York. where he had been
watching a young outfielder on whom
! it was thought waivers would be
asked. to obey an order to go to
Lynchburg. Va. to look over an in
fielder. One afternoon in that town suf-
! feed to satisfy him that the man in
question was not of big league caliber
That night he wired his manager for
orders. He received them in the morn
ing. They took him to New Orleans to
| look over an outfielder. who a few
| days later was secured by Cleveland.
and passed him UP. He had been there
but two days when he was sent to
San Antonio. in the Texas League. only
| to find that New York had an option
on the services Of the player he was
Wayne. Ind. and from there was sent
to Montreal He had not been in Mon
! treal a day when there came word to
go back to the Texas League to look
over man with the Dallas team. In
none Of the places did the scout stop
hardly long enough to have his laun-
dry done. and the uncertainty of the
whole tells In general way how he
spends six months out Of every year of
his life.
1t is not in every town. though. that
the scout stops only for the day. There
are some instances when he Is unable
to tell the worth of a player until he
has seen him in action many times and
in such cases he never leaves until his
mind Is fully made up as to the worth
Of the man.
Many tips are received by scouts and
managers regarding players who would
never have a chance to make good
were they secured. Many times infor-
nation comes from people who have
never been seen or heard of. A lack of
confidence in these tips has sometimes
cost dearly.
The expenditure of thousands Of dol
lars depends upon the judgment of q
scout Major league clubs nearly al
ways take the players who meet with
the approval of the men employed by
them to locate talent, and in doing so
they must lay out anywhere from the
S7G0 paid for Ty Cobb to the $4,000
or $4,000 recently invested in certain
players A scout will spend anywhere
club If the occasion requires, besides
his own salary and travelling expenses,
which are quite an item, and there is
little wonder that not many mistakes
in judgment are condoned
Several years ago Pajden. who was