The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-12-29
COSTLY DIAMOND
STARS WILL GET
BIG SHOW o. O.
Jimmy O'Connell and Will
lie Kamm Must Stand
the Sport Searchlight
BY LARRY SHIFTS
!. ~ 8. STAFF Correspondent.

NEW YORK. Dec. rs. -- Two
youngsters upon whom the eyes Of
baseball critics in tho press box and
blcacheg3 win rest IN the i923 sea-
SON arc Jimmy O'Connell and Wnue
kamm--tho most expensive pieces
of baseball flesh that ever brought
gold and slshs FROM check writing
major league magnatos. Their ealo
figures wore records, the $4,000
paid by John McGraw for O'Conncn
boiug high water mark until Co
miskcy laid down 100000 IN cash
ana pla, 20 tht amount OK S20,-
lnasmuch as their scales took
these team mates and buddics OF the
san Francisco Coast LenRuo club to
different teams. I'm different leagues,
there viii be no chance TO compare
them next scasun--unless the Giants
ana white Sox tanRle in the worlds
series, a dream That seems not more
than hair possible OF realization.
Joins "Sons Of Rest"
But from a devout San Francisco
fan we have a thumbual compari-
son Of James and William that may
or may not prove interesting, in
O'Connell has been described ia a
tan lad, fast on a fly BAH or on the
bases, after he gets started. and n
mean hitter from the left SIDE Of
the plate. 10 also has been rumored
about that he suffered from hook
worm after his sale set minor league
records.
San Francisco fans bear this out,
and the following prediction fire.
quently was passed about the bleach
ers In his home town, as Jimmy
made his lnnguid way from center
leld to tho bench.
"Wait uutil NcGraw gets hold di
him. Hen take that drag-ankle
spirit out OF him soon enough
On the hases he was another
player again. Too big to have a
flashy ge away, he knew how TO
tako advantage OF battery delays
and was always willing TO take "A
chance. generally getting away with
Il, lie furnished frequent exhibi-
tions Of the stuff that Cobb made
famous and that is becoming unfor-
tunately rare in these days Of "biff-
bang" baseball.
Kamm IL Pcppicr.
Kamm is smaller. trinity built, not
30 fast, heady, but not |as aggres-
sive on the bases: right-hand hit
ter, always dangerous and always
in the game.
He Is fun of the jazz. morale or
esprit dc corps that is known on the
diamond as pepper. Between pitched
balls he cannot keep still but
moves forward with n peculiar,
springy step. toward the batter and
back TO his place at third, or toward
the box for n word with the pitcher.
Always working, Willie. As sweet
an infielder as the minors ever saw.
To right or left, gets them all. And
throw--San Francisco was hysteri-
cal about his ability there.
And Willio was his name on the
coast--not Billy, az some have tried
"a chrtsten him since he became a
White SON. No Implication OF ef-
femlnacy there. Just the moniker
the fans put on a player they liked
without reserve.
Willie Popular.
While was far more popular with
Seal fans than Jimmy. Both pulled
prima donna shortly after their
sales into the big time, both with
the more or less Understandable no
tlon of getting some slice Of the pie
that their sales brought to the San
Francisco club. O'Connell suffered
criticism for holding out for more
money after his sale, before the
tho start Of the 1922 season.
When he didn't deliver in the
pinch. or bobbled one, as the best
sometimes do, he was referred to as
| the "SiN-bit Beauty"
| After Chicago bought Kamm in
! mid season he disappeared from the
| lineup for a day or SO, and it was
known In the sport-writing frater
nifty and to most OF the fans that
/ Willie was dickering to get some
| added dough. He got Il, returned
/ to the lineup, and not a word wa!
passed from the stands in criticism
It was perhaps the na,ural differ
! ence between the customers attitude
toward a player who always is work
ing. or who appears to be, and to-
ward one who sometimes appears Il
he loaflng. or, perhaps, hecaus,
the higher priced Of these two cost
ly babies - Just naturally more pop
ular.