The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-06-27
With Uncle Sarn Now i'm Charge, Maybe the
British win Not Make So Many Mistakes
Uncle Sam to
Turn InLarge
Drafting List

When the major leagues get ready to
do their drafting this fan -Hfler lh'l'
Snmncl has finished his dfmt-lt Is NOR
than likely that fewer players WIN ne
drafted than for the past i've OF S'N
years, says nu exchange.
Last fnl the sixteen major league 'lups
drafted more than one hundred players
1t was one Of the biggest drafts IN th,
history ~ baseball. and the moguls "rh'
through with IL because they thought IN
dications pointed to another period oi
success for the grand old game.
But at that time no one knew thht
the United States would he lnNolvN IN
the world war 30 one knew or th9lshl
that the sons Of Uncle Samuel would o.
fighting In the trenches on the western
hattle front In France within II year =
time. for with the baseball war at an
end prospects were bright
War Hurts Game.
Now all this Is changed war has come
TO this fair land ~ ours and war has nv
baseball "A terrific wallop In its most Nul-
nprahlc spot the box office.
Some ot the smaller minor league :.
such ns the Blue Ridge league. have al
ready closed their gates others are nv
ing In vague hope that something VIII
happen to enable them 10 go thFough u
the season, and every minor league IN
the country has been forced TO take up
the matter OF retrenChmcnt I'm order u
get hy The big leagues, despite reports
~ the contrary have suffered as result
OF poor attendance. and II cannot an b'
blamed on the weather, bad hs th'
weather has been throughout the east
and the central western states
Scouts Work as Usual.
The hlg league scouts are on duty
1s usual this year They are looklns
over the IVORY fields FOR prospective
major league talent but they have heeh
gwen instructions tO recommend only thr
cream of the players they see In action
and only Il few of them The army draft
Will take many bah players from both
the major and minor leagues, and betof
the drafting season opens In september
many Lacquer may bee called TO M the
hooiss ~ some player In lcuglc OF
higher classification because the ranks
have been depleted by Uncle sam
Yet the club owners are not going to
take long chances with players, for they
have no idea now what conditions they
win be called upon to face within a
month or two, and tho watchword OF the
business end ~ the whole baseball world
s 'retrench
Few Lett FOR Majors.
So the hush league players who re
main behind TO be- caught In the baseball
drn,t ~ 1877 viii be few In numbers and
fortunate 10 say the lenst The minor
league PLAYER who ia not called TO serve
the cOlufs may consider himself lucky II
hc Is nhlc 20 hold Job
Umpire pilly Evans on" ~ IN" real
students " baseball has both eyes and
uoul ears open all the tim. Bily know
what every pitcher In the American
league has or has not lie knows what
Kind Of bail each batter Is weak on and
he even knows the bats. SO n isn't al
All extraordinary that Bnly knows al
about the shine bail. NJ as some Of the
dopcstcrs call IT, the 'licorice ball"
Shine" Ball In Use.
or course. ~ Enikeubcrg famOur eN.
. poncnt ~ the emery ball Is using Il An.
/ Eddie Cicottc Of the white SoS has usoC
/ Il all season Shore OF the Red SoS an,
/ Bhder VI the same team. the latter on
of the seasons phenoms, are using H. ~
are bumont aul Shaw Of the Grffmeu
The shine ball can't he barred. accord
ing 10 Evans The pitcher just puts
/ high light on one sid" Of " and II make
Ia lovely floater for the batter TO miss
Z lie doesn't harm the cover OF the bal
and he doesn't discolor IL II reall
hrightens up the leather and takes of
some OF the dirt