San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-29
RISE
To BASEBALL
FAME RAPID
Giants New Pitching Star
Was Chunking in Flor
ida in 1922.
SOLD BY LOUISVILLE
Fifty Thousand Giants
Gave for Him Practical
ly All "Velvet."
BY JOHN B. FOSTER.

Copyright by The San Antonio Light
New York. April 28.-When the
New York Giants bought Wayland
Dean from Louisville they felt pretty
sure they had landed a good pitcher.
despite the fact that some scouts had
reported adversely on him to other
teams. Before the season is over, and
before Dean is through as a pitcher,
there are likely to be several owners
wishing they had gone into the bid
ding for him. Even the Yankees could
nave used him, despite their strons
staff.
In his first two starts Cor the
Giants-against Brooklyn-Dean al
lowed thirteen hits in eighteen in
nings. That's good pitching as such
things go, but the figures are not as
impressive as Deans performance
looked from the stands. To date his
work is an artistic success in the most
polished of any young pitcher in base
ball.
This Dean is the same youngster
who was first tried out by Louisville
and then sent TO Daytona, Fla. in
1922. While in Florida he pitched n
no-run, no-hit game against Orlando.
That inspired the Louisville manage
ment to call him home to try to pitch
the Colonies into the lead. He did his
share and then the scouts began to
look him over.
Got $4,000 for Him.
Louisville wanted $4,000 for him
at Chicago last December. Then the
American Association accepted the
modified draft plan and the price of
Dean went down. Louisville's owner
figured the draft peeled about So. 600
off the price and when it was reported
that the Giants had taken him a $50.
600 il was generally accepted that
Louisville had gotten a good price
under the circumstances and that New
York had acquired good pitcher.
When you consider that in 1922
Dean was pitching in the Florida
State league and in 1924 is pitching
for the National League champions
regularly. il may still be asserted that
"A good ball PLAYER can go to the top
no matter in what league he begins.
1t may also be asserted that any
minor club can still make money by
developing good players. Fifty thou
sand for player that il cost only the
price of bottle of ink and n sheet
of paper TO sign is pretty fair profit.
There has been much curiosity to
see how Paul Strand. the Salt Lake
City star. would make out in the big
league as an outfielder for the Phila-
delphia Atehltics Strand led the Paci-
fic Coast in hitting last season. He
had nice fence at Salt Lake over
which to belt the ball 1t wasn't ex-
pected he would make long distance
record in the majors because ground
conditions are different.
There were doubling Thomascs who
contended that no matter who was not
naturally a 800 man could shift from
minor to major league pitching and
hold his own. That is sound logic and
it has worked out so far in Strands
case. He did not hit very hard during
spring training. Since the regular sea-
son started he has hit well-in spots.
But he has not hit as well Mt any time
as he did with Salt Lake City. He is
about 80 points away from his Pacific
coast record. And rest assured that by
now the pitchers grapevine has passed
the word ms to what he hits least.