The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-10-13

ball club when Tho, started north
Speaker battod 800 for Littlo Rock
that season. and the Il,i S0N bought
him back again f.r $500. but the
scout who had NrsO discovered his
value and picked hum out when his
batting average vH. mot so impress
sivc was no longer 'u the service W
the Boston ball U.HN
The Alexander story.
Here's another N.. I was sitting
In the grandstaud Ii IS ball game ono
afternoon when Alexander WAS
pitching ON pf h.. very best haIl
games. ana % companion turned 30
me ana said Pretty soft fur the
scout whos can rIUk up great
pitcher like this follow Alexander
isn't ~"
That fellow didn't know tina, the
scout who discovered Alexander
aud brought him into tho biz league
Joe O'puurk,. uf Philadelphia
was dismissed from the service ot
the Philadelphia National league
club before they ever knew that ne
had secured for thcm the greatest
pitcher Tn the game % pitcher who
brought them boo many thousands ot
dollars az th, gate. who put thcm
I'm the worlds series money, and
whom they later sold for $50.
Neither did ho know that the dia-
covcrv OF Alexander had handed
that club two other pitchers. almost
AK great, In Chalmers and Tom Sea
ton, and then had 10 go to work in
a factory because no ball club knew
enough of his Judgment OF slumhor.
ing baseball talent Co give him Job
Another prophet once told tho
Los Angeles club that Christv Mat
hcwson. then pitching Tor BuCknclh
was worth CarfarC from Factory
Why. Pa, to the coast. And they
wouldn't believe him and thus lost
the chance to get for nothing one
who was destined to become one OF
the great masters Of the pitching
art.
Clift Blankonahip. just n year bc-
fore Joe Bush pitched and won the
deciding worlds series games for
the Athletics against the Giants at
the Polo grounds IN 1911, tried 70
get several big league clubs 60 take
Bush from Mlssoula, Mont. ana vir-
tually had TO beg the Athletics 20
give him a trial, with no pay unless
he made good.
Last fan Iris Speaker led the
Cleveland team TO worlds cham
piunship. But what about the poor
scout who. when the team was tot
tcring gnd apparently crGrus!!fs -
pieces, following the sad accident
which resulted IN the death Of Ray
Chapman, went out into the tall
brush and dug UP for him young Joe
SowCll, who offeCtually plugged up
the gap In the infield through a
gruelinE finish to an important sea
son, and who, when the Cleveland
pitching staff had apparently "shQi
It's bolt" toward the finish through
the overworking Of Cuveloskie and
! Bagby sgain went out into the vast
unknown and brought back "Dust"r'
Ma!!s, the brawuy lett handler thai
| saved the pennant for Cleveland bl
! stepping In direct from the minori
| To win six atraighJ games, more thar
/ the margin OF Cleveland victory a
| the finish? Yes what about tina
] poor prophet? The fans who chccre'
| Justify at Cleveland's victory and tn
| reporters who wrote reams abou
| Speaker do not even know the nam
of tho scout who was the real her
Of the 1920 worlds series.
Hugh Jennings was one manager
who appreciated the tough job thai
| Confronts the baseball scout. In q
] conversation Jennings told me:
| Il never criticize my scouts II the
| players they pick up fail TO make
good. lts' one OF the hardest Jobs
/ I know, There are only two scoutf
! | ever have blamed, and they are