New-York tribune., 1917-06-24

"The most versatile player since the'
days of King Kelly" is the way arthur
Irwin, the Peerless Scout, pays tribute
10 the star Young first baseman OF the
ST. Louis Browns. Irwin can go back
further in the national pastime than
official records. He's the walking ency-
clopedia of baseball.
Look at George Sisters accompany
ing record. It's sieve-like document
when placed alongside that OF the
Kellys and Cobbs and Speakers and
Jacksons. It's a blank, all but the last
couple of seasons. Yet Sisler has the
distinction of holding the champion
ship for publicity through inactlon
Ask Barney Dreyfuss. Sisler, while
doing nothing, got almost as many
scare heads as Ty Cobb when the Tiger
( star was making habit of winning all
the baseball championships there were.
Sisters is one of the most peculiar
cases known 20 baseball. For several
years before an official whitewashing
enabled him TO step into fist company
in the Mound City friend George was
the bone of contention in one OF the
most bitter fights ever waged before
the court of organized baseball. After
he had been legally sold by minor
league club TO a major league team he
played four years as simon pure
amateur with one of the greatest uni
versity teams of the United States.
Sisler. who was born at Nimisila,
Ohio, in 1898, attracted attention first
when at the age of seventeen he played
almost every position with the Akron,
Ohio, high school nine. The manager
of the Akron (Ohio and Pennsylvania
League) team prevailed upon the young
ster 10 sign contract. The allure
ments of the game, together with the
tales Of fabulous pay for the stars of
the first constellation, naturally ap-
pealed TO the schoolboy.
But Sisler recanted after he had
affixed his signature to the document.
He notified the Akron management that
he wished TO equip himself with col
lege education and asked that the con-
tract be nullifed. Sisler did not play
with Akron. lie refused 70 report to
that club in 1911. But his fame as
schoolboy had spread so far that Akron
had no trouble in disposing OF the con-
tract TO Columbus, Of the American
Association.
Because he refused to report TO Co
lumbus in 1912, which year he entered
the University OF Michigan, the Iolum-
bus club suspended Sisler on June 6.
His name was bulletined on the ineligi-
bic list. Columbus, however, like most
Of the minor league teams, was willing
enough to make the best Of a sorry
bargain. So on August 22 of that year
Columbus sold it's claim upon Sisler TO
the Pittsburgh club of the National
League.
Meanwhile Sisters father had inter-
ested himself in the welfare of his son.
He wished the boy cleared of the taint
Of professionalism, and so applied 70
the National Commission TO rule on
George Sisters amateur standing. The
father showed 10 the satisfaction Of
the triumyiratc that the contract en-
tered into with Akron had been the
hasty action of minor, not entitled
20 transact business for himself. Sis
Ter the elder made it very clear that
he wished his boy TO be equipped with
university education. The National
Commission. 10 restore Sisters amateur
standing, declared null and void the
contract the bov had signed with the
Akron club OF the Ohio and Pennsyl-
wanna League.
George Sisler meanwhile had begun