The New York herald., 1922-07-23
Fournier, Ainsmith and Lavan
Prove the Uncertainty
of Baseball.
COLLECTION OF CASTOFFS
Others Came From Minors at
Small Expense-Hornsby
Cost Only $500.
BY DANIEL.


At the risk of being charged with a
platitude we will venture the assertion
that baseball Is a mighty peculiar and
uncertain game. Harry Pulliam, once
president Of the National League, said: /:
'"Take nothing for granted in baseball"
and that succinct. trite statement. now
posted in prominent place in the Of
fices Of John Heydler, covers the subject
thoroughly
Take the current race in the National
League. for example. 1t may loosen up
and bring the Giants across the line
oasy winners But Just now 1t is tighter
than drum which has been out in the
rain all night, and things are not as
easy as some critics had expected they
would be for the McGraw entry. It's
all on account of the uncertainty OF the
old game--and the Cardinals.
If 1t had not been for wretched start
last year those Cardinals would have
made things very torrid for our Giants
then. John McGraw realized that after
1t was all over and decided to add a little
strength where it was most needed. He
got Groh, a great third baseman. from
the Reds in order TO put Frisch on sec
ond base.
johnny Out There Again.
Rawlings played a great game all
through the 1921 season. but was not In
the best of physical shape and had to
be nursed often. McGraw feared to
take a chance on Johnny again-and
there's Johnny out there playing his
head off. Peculiar game, baseball!
Croh Is out with injuries for a second
time. Douglas is suffering with sore
arm, some of the young pitchers did not
pan out as had been hoped, and the
blooming battle is not so extra soft for
the New Yorks. The Cardinals are
booming along. getting good pitching.
hitting Hike streaks. with the terrific
Hornsby at their head. and fielding like
creased lightning.
It's a peculiar outfit, that bunch which
Branch Hickey has collected out in st.
Louis. 1t has been said in recent years
that no club may hope to win pennant
II It does not loosen its purse strings.
The Dodgers gave that statement the
lie not so many years back, and now
the Cardinals are Willing to put 1t In
the Ananias class again. For De II
known that when 1t comes to spending
money for players Hickey and his asso-
ciates are about as loose as a concrete
wall
They spent next to nothing to gather
the club which now Is fighting the
Giants tooth and nail and threatening
the baseball world with a calamity-a
world series In st. Louis. Some OF those
Cards were supposed to be through years
ago. Take jacques Fournier and Eddie
Ainsmith, for example. When tne
Yankees got Fournier during the war
time season of 1918 from Los Angeles
there were snickers. why not drag
Amos Rusie back into a uniform?" some
Of the comedians asked.
jacques Made Them SIT Up.
M Jacoues went back to Los Angeles
md the Old Mans Home in 1919. but
IN 1920 Hickey made the snickering
squad snicker some more by buying
Fournier. Then Jacques made them
look foolish by hitting .3O6. Last season
he slugged for .343 and now he Is hitting
again at lively rate. though not In
the 200 class. AS for Ainsmith. De-
troit released him outright and an
nounced he was through. Look al
Eddie now
Take the case of another Cardinal
yeteran-Dr. John Lavan. shortstop.
You may not know it, but DIR. Lavan Is
two years older than Fournier, who Is
only thirty. Lavan was a. 1air IN
fielder with the Browns through lyli,
q good fielder but a weak hitter. lie
rot into some sort OF alteration with
the owner. Phil Ball, and with Derrill
Pratt requested a change of scene.
Iayan was traded to the Senators Tor
Shotton. Gallia and about $4,000 The
Senators used him for one season and
then decided that they could do better
by making a trade with the Cardinals
hickey was sure he could get better
baseball out Of Lavan than any other
manager had got-and Branch was
right.
Last season Lavan hit for only .25s,
but his work in the field far outshone
h anything he had flashed previous 10 his
becoming a Cardinal. This year Lavan
again is playing a fine game after a
poor start.
$500 Paid for Hornsby.
Hornsby, the keystone of the st.
Louis arch, was acquired by the club
for only $500 from Denison of the
Western Association in 1915. Like Ty
\ Cobb, he was no wonder In his first
season. Cobb hit for only .2io in 1905,
when he joined the Tigers after having
been purchased from Augusta of the
Sally for only s700 Hornsby hit for
only .246 in his first year as a Cardinal.
He played at short that season.
Now this fine buy Is setting the pace
IN the National League both as a gen.
eral hitter and home run slugger.
He is fielding brilliantly and starring
every which way--all for the modest
sum OF $500 paid in 1915.
Milton Stock. the t,.ird baseman. was
cast off by the Giants and then by the
Phillies. He came to the Cardinals in
ne19 and Immediately became a sensa-
kion.~ This infielder who had been hit
ding only .270 as Phillie became one
Of the most dependable clouters in the
league and In his first season In st.
Louis compiled the fine average OF .307
Ffe repeated that last season and had a
ss1s In 1920.
Gets stars for Discard.
McHenry was bought from Milwau-
kee for batch OF discards in 1918,
Jack Smith came from Seattle for an
other bunch OF discards In 1916. and
Schultz was acquired from Kansas City
for stiil another gang Of minor leaguers.
Mueller was taken on from Syracuse.
the ST. Louis farm, last season. and
F1ack was acquired this year In n
fpaHe which sent Heathcote TO Chicago
IA great trade for the Cardinals and
a wailop at the Giants. Max took few
hard swats at the New YorlSs In the
recent series He always did play well
against the Giants.
Hickey has built Up pitching staff
out OF a lot OF Fingers who cost the
<.r,,h v,ra ctica1lv nothinR DOak. Pertfca