Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-17
WILL HIGH-PRICED MINOR
START FLIWER IN MAJORS?

Living down a bad reputation is
one thing. Living up to a good one
Is another.
Ali of which, in a way. brings up
the much-mooted question: What
will Willie Kamm, Jimmy O'Connell,
Jack Bentley and Sammy Hale do in
the big leagues this season? Will
they make good and substantiate the
faith that has been placed in their
ability?"
The advent of this quartet into
the majors is causing much food for
thought. There is a great deal of
specializing going the rounds. And
incidentally there are many skeptics.
For there have been other high
priced men who have flivvered. And
fandom, as a rule, doesn't forget.
Not so many years ago. $4,000
was considered a top-notch sum to
give for a minor league player. And
in those days it was a lot of o n
Consequently, the entire baseball
world gasped aloud when 1t was an.
nounced that the New York Giants
had paid the Indianapolis club in
the American Association a cold
$1,000 for Rube Marquard.
1t was indeed a record price. And
naturally a great deal was expected
of the great southpaw hurler. But
for two seasons Vanguard failed to
show his supposedly battling stuff.
and was of little use to McGraw.
After that he did better, setting a
modern record for consecutive vic
tories, with 10 such performances.
In 1915, or seven years after COM
ing to the Giants, he went to Brook
lyn by the waiver route. n though
he is still in the main tent the
$4,000 beauty has hardly lived up
to the reputation that preceded him
into the majors.
Then there was Russell Black
burne and Larry Chappelle, obtained
from the Milwaukee club by the
Chicago White Sox IN 1910. Lena"
as Blackburne was more Familiarity
known, cost Comiskey $500 and a
couple of players. Chappelle cost
about $4,000. With the Brewers,
BIackburne had been a sensation.
But with the Sox he never accom-
plished a great deal, being a lament
ably weak hitter and a rather erratlc
fielder.
Blackburne finally drifted back in
to the Double A" loop, and later got
on with Cincinnati, from which team
he was shortly turned adrift again.
Chappelle had a similar experience
getting a second trial with CleVe-
land, and then fading out.
And there was Marty O'Toole, an
other Indianapolis product, pur-
chased by Pittsburgh. O'Toole set
the Pirates back just 22,500 berries
But all they got for their money was
the privilege of feeding Marty. He
failed utterly to come through as a
big-time pitcher.
This trio, UP until a few years ago,
brought the highest amounts ever
paid for minor league a players
And in the main they were all poor
investments, though Marquard has
hung on fairly well.
In a nutshell, they couldn't live UP
to their regulations. Advance press
notices were too steep to mount.
Too much was expected of them.
And that's just why fans in gen.
eral are rather skeptical concerning
Kamm, O'Connell, Hale and Bentley.
They cost record sums. Heaps will
be expected OF them. If they make
the grade, all well and good. If
they don't live up to their "reps"-
well, it will doubtless mean-adois!
In other words, they really have
nothing to gain, and everything to
lose.
Hence, living down a bad reputa-
ton is n thing, and living up to a
good one is another.