Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-09
BUILDING UP THE YANKS
TOM CONNERY'S NEW lob
Veteran Scout Achieved Notable
Success With Cardinals Under
Miller Higgins.

Miller Higgins. manager Of the New
York Yankees, pins his hopes of build
ing up his new team on Tom Connery,
the man who dug up such stars as Rog-
ers Hornsby. Walton Cruise. Lee Mead
ows Mule watson, Tom Long and
Bruno BetzelI for the st. Louis Card
mails. Higgins has two years in which
to put New York at the top of the
American League and expects to do 1t
with the help of the said Connery.
Where the scout is going to find play
ers of the caliber of Hornsby ct al, the
Yankee leader sayeth not.
Connery Is veteran minor league
player and manager. native of St.
Louis thirty-seven years old, with a
keen eve for youthful stars. He began
Mofnes club of the Western League in
1902 He went from there to Mil
waukee of the American Association.
playing four seasons with the Brewers.
He played Springfield Of the Central
League and Peoria of the Three Eye
in 1907. and in 1908 was with Hartford
in the Connecticut League.
Won a Pennant First Time Out.
The next season Connery blossomed
forth az a manager, taking the job as
leader Of the Hartford club and making
good. He won the penIiant that year.
finished fifth in 1910, third In 1911 and
second in 1912. He brought out Hugh
High OF the Yankees and Kid Rehg of the
Braves.
In 1918 he began scouting for the
Cardinals. His first discovery was Roger
~ ,,l
stop whom Connery dug up when he
played with the Denison club OF the
Western Association. Hornsby has been
pronounced the sensation of the past
season. being close second TO Maran-
vile as q shortstop and far SURPRISING
him as a batsman. When Hornsby was
added to the Cardinals it was the be-
ginning OF the squirt which has been
yearly lifting the club near the top OF the
standing. In three years Branch Rickey's
outfit has moved from the second di-
vision to third place with a possible pen
nant staring them in the eyes. Last
season it was a strong contender for the
National League flag, but third place was
prislngly.
Discovered Lee Meadows.
Lee Meadows. the bespectacled hurler
whom Mack. McGraw and Jennings re-
fused to snare, was found by Connery
at durham. n. G., IN tne south Atiantic
League. Immediately Meadows showed
promise and is now one of the best
pitchers in the game. Connery was also
responsible for Walton Cruise. the hard
hitting outfielder. whom he bought from
the Jacksonville club OF the South At
lantic League and who for a time last
season topped the National League bats
men and all season doomed up as one of
the leading swatsmiths in the game
Tom Long. another terror with the
hat was Timed off to the ST. Louis
management by Connery. who advised
Higgins to go after him. after the
Washington Americans bought him
from the Atlanta club of the South
former New Haven pitcher. was traded
TO the Senators for Long. Hopper is
the twirler who gained fame as the
"bird-dog' pitcher
Now for the Building Stuff.
Building up over one-third of the
club for the st. Louis Cardinals dur
ing the five years that he has been
doing scouting duty is an unusual per
Torrance for any scout to achieve. but
Connery showed his wits and if credit
is due any one for the growing success
of the Cardinals during the past few
years it is due him. The st. Louis
club has been intrenched in the sec
ond division for years, but has been
steadily climbing ever since Connery
Joined the scouting corps.
The situation at New York for sew
eral years has been such that even
money has not produced cheerful re-
suits. Jacob Rupert has been lavish
with money to bring winner to Goth
am. spending large sums for Baker.
he has not been successful, and Con-
merry VIII he banked upon to do the
same that he has done while working
for the st. Louis club.