The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-09
MOCULS STEER
CLEAR OF TALK
ABOUT TRADES
Absence Of Chicago Representative
Believed to Have Affected
Deals.
BY JOHN b. FOSTER.
Copyright, 1922, by The Argus.

that he has down In Georgia ana
Iris Speaker leaned up against the
other side of the post and corrob-
GRATED Ty in every particular, even
to the wagging of the tail, because
Iris was going to have full
brother to the dog until his pup
died and that was as near as any
one got to taking away any ball
player from Ty and Detroit at the
American league meeting yester-
day.
Ty admitted that he would take
either Dugan of Boston or Scott of
New York in trade. That con-
firmed the fact that he would like to
get Dugan, and so would anyone
like to get him, and added to the
fact that Cobb is not likely to get
him unless someone comes along
with a three cornered trade or Bos-
ton gets more than Cobb is willing
to offer.
Speaker had come all the way
from Texas, via Cleveland, and If
he had any disposition to trade it
must have been frozen tight when
he found that the offerings were
poor and the demands for the
equivalent in barter very high
1t looked as if anything that
Speaker might have had in mind to
help the Cleveland club was frozen
before he had a chance to spring
his proposition.
The New York baseball club never
has disguised its Willingness to
make a deal that will bring a
healthy outfielder to its organiZa-
ton, but as Chicago was not repre-
sented at the meeting nothing could
be done about Strunk and when
Cobb suggested Scott as the pos
sible recompense, if the Yanks
wanted Veach, the two colonies
whistled and the United States
treasury building on the other side
of the street was discovered to be
on fire.
Never have baseball men been
gathered together with a hungrier
look on their faces for trade and
with keener appetite for one and
yet unable to meet on common
ground. Personally the. American
league owners are getting so that
they like each other. They frater-
niZed like members of the same
huge, DuL "IGll IL W
any strength to the Yankees it will
be added by also taking it away.
Indian giving. Ruth or no Ruth,
they are all afraid OF the cham
pions.
Iris Speaker said he would stand
pat with the club that he has now.
I've got a better team than had
last year. ! am sure that l have
put my men in the fight with the
shift that l have made at first base
but first base wasn't where we lost
the pennant in 1921. 1t was the in
juries to our CGtchers that threw US
down" There's the first declara-
ton from iris as to why he didn't
beat the Yankees Most folks
thought it was afalling off in his
pitchers. He says it was because
O'Neill and Nunamaker, two of his
catchers, in fact his only catchers
worth while, were injured. Speaker
wandered back to Cleveland on the
night train figuring that his little
old Cleveland club would have to
go to bat as it is constituted unless
something happens before the sea-
son begins. The fact that Speaker
came to Washington and that Cobb
was on the ground makes many be-
lieve that something was in the
wind and that it failed to develop
possibly because the Chicago club
was not represented. 1t may just
be that the absence of Chicago up
set a lot of.things. Everybody had
a guess as to why the team had no
one present. Secretary Harridge
said he had been informed that
someone would represent Chicago.
The American league folks had
quite a few words to say about the
draft. They talked il over among
themselves. They are strong for it
ana they are seeking to work out a
method by which they may bring it
to bear in baseball Others feel the
saGe way. No official action was
akent because it is hardly neces-
sary. When the two major leagues
wish to act together and can get
the class AA fellows in a suitable
frame of mind the draft question !
may be handled with some definite
purpose.
President Johnson says the draft !
issue ultimately will be adjusted on
a basis that is fit and proper for
baseball. If that means anything
more than another, it means that
the big leagues are not going to |
give up the fight. A satisfactory so
luton of the problem of not keep |
ing players in minor leagues |
against their will is to be worked
out =
The American league has revived :
the old Chalmers plan of rewarding !
the ball player most valuable to his |
club during the season by the pre- |
sentation of trophy. A committee |.
made up of newspaper men, one in |
each city with a chairman, will pass
on the merits of the players consid- |
cred. The trophy is to be selected |
by a committee composed of Presi- !
dent Johnson, Colonel Rupert and !
Frank J. Navin of Detroit 1t is \
not likely that It will be an automo-
bile as was the case when the |
Chalmers trophy was awarded.
Ty Cobb SAYS he realizes that his |
Detroit club needs some strengthen
ing and considers that he can put !
his managerial finger on its weak |
points yet he thinks that he has /
enough of a, team to give the Amer |
lean league more of battle than |
most think. That is one reason why |
he is averse TO any move that will |
New York or Cleveland |
and yes, for that matter Washing
ton, because Washington is being !
looked upon a little. more seriously !
each day as the time approaches to