Evening star., 1917-01-07
BY BILLY EVANS.

Despite the fact that club owners
are willing to take a chance on paying
fancy prices, few players who have
cost big money have been of much
value.
Perhaps the most recent case that
tends to bear out that statement was
that of Larry Chappelle with the Chi
cayo White Sox. who was reputed to
have been purchased for slS,ooo from
the Milwaukee club.
He made his debut in game with
the Athletics, with Chief Bender doing
the pitching. Not a very soft spot TO
break in.
some price they paid for that young
fellow" ! remarked to Manager Mack
prior to the beginning of the game.
That is the biggest knock that
young man could get" replied Mack.
How do you figure that out?" asked
one of his players.
simply because base ball fans will
get an exaggerated opinion OF the
players ability. and expect far greater
things from him than he will be able
to produce.
Think of the advertising the club
is getting because of having paid that
big price, l volunteered.
The advertising will get some extra
money at the gate said Connie, but
it is likely 10 prove the ruina:ion of
the player
Fans Ride Chappelle.
At that moment the bell rang. and
after getting Manager Mack's battery
selections I started the contest. Be
tween innings ! gave some thought TO
Manager Mack's opinion of the pur-
chase of Chappelle. The more re-
fected the more wisdom i saw in what
the great manager had said. He GER
tainly had summed up the SITUATION
well.
$50 you're the teen-thousand-five-
hundred-dollar lemon. was the over
worked expression employed every time
Chappelle struck out, or popped up.
Other players could do the same thing
without word from the fans. Any
one who ever attended a ball game
knows the many cutting things fans
can think of during a game. l ven
ture to say that Chappelle did not
miss any of them. Had he Joined the
Chicago club unheralded nothing would
have been thought of it if he failed
to deliver but unfortunately for
Larry, he was greeted with plare OF
trumpets-
1t may not have been the cause. but
Chappelle was a failure at ChicaBo,
likewise at Cleveland.
That is one of the unfortunate things
about being star, OF simply oelns
touted as star; you are always ex-
pected to deliver the goods. Failure of
the ordinary player to come through
with a timely hit or sensational play
In the field is passed over lightly. Let
the star slip in the pinch and the
tongues at once begin to wag.
Lot
show without a reputation, and the
pitchers VIII work or him but little
until they realize he has real batting
ability. But when bush Lacquer
joins the big league touted as Lajoie
or Cobb with the stick the star pitch
ers and those not SO famous tmmedi-
ately go to work on him. 1t instantly
becomes their desire to impress upon
Believe me- when the big league
pitchers throw in the high speed the
batter has his Job cut out for him.
This recalls remark made to me
several years ago by youngster who
had just Joined the Washington club.
He came from fast minor league and
hif a bit better than 800. In the first
game he played he struck out three
times. managing to sneak in one foul.
As.he famed for the third time 1 no
ticed that he stayed around the plate
until the catcher got away.
Il don't look very good at the plate.
do.-i?" he asked. l had to confess that
he'did not. but tried to make him feel
better by telling him that 1 had seen
Doe White strike out the great Ty
Co6b four times. and Ed Walsh make
the mighty Lajoie Whit three. AS the
youngster started to take his place in
the field / remarked to him:
Don't be discouraged. It's the same
game up here as in the bushes. They
use the same kind of a bat and the
same kind OF ball"
Pitching Looks Different.
Il realize that said the youngster
with smile, but with these pitchers
tho. ball looks lot different" No bet
ter explanation OF the difference be-
tween the pitching in the minors and
the big show could be given than the
statement OF the recruit.
70 make good in the big show is