Imperial Valley press., 1927-08-31
SPORT NEWS SECTION
INDIANS MEET
HARD LUCK IN
BUYING FIELD.
Cleveland Team Pays Out
Big Money But Gets
Few Star Players.
BY CHARLES E. AHRENS
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent

(Un1ted Press Staff CorrespcndeIlt)
PEORIA, H., Aug. 31.-The led.
gers of the Cleveland baseball club
reveal a story which might be cal,
led "What price ball players.
For the past few years, the manage
ment of the Cleveland club has been
under fire by Cleveland fandom.
Charges have been made that off.
cials of the club have passed up op.
portunities to buy good ball players.
Some have even accused the manage
mcnt of being penurious. -
Whenever Il Cleveland fan writ
a letter in protest he almost always
includes this line in the letter.
If Jim Dunn were living he
would 60 out and buy some players
and the Indians would be up there. y
f. S. Barnard, who is now operat.
ing the Cleveland club for Ms.
James Dunn, wife of the late mag
nate of the Indians, has spent more
than $4,000 for bah players during
the last five years, according to
records of the club $ business led
gers recently published.
In the five years that Dunn was
operating the club, from 1916 to
1921, $4,000 was spent for new
talent for the Indians. His star pur-
chase was iris Speaker for whom
Dunn paid $4,000.
The approximate 100000 that
Dunn spent for ball players was
productive of a team that won the
American league pcnnant in 1920.
Or the $500,oo0 spent for players
since his death, only small portion
has been prolific of material ablc
to hold its own in American league
company.
The ledgers Of the Cleveland club
indicate that the amount paid for
players isn't so important. A GER
tain element of luck plays a part
as does managerial ability and
the right amount of coaching in cdu-
eating recruits to big league stand,
ards.
Willis IIudlin, ace of the Indian
pitching staff, at present appears
t. be the outstanding star bought
since the death of Dunn. lludlin
was purchased for $4,000 cash aud
a PLAYER. Luke Sewell, first string
catcher also is rated as star in the
American league but his services
cost the Indians nothing, Sewell
having joined the Indians direct
from collegiate company.
Rube LutZke cost the Indians
$4,000; Glenn Myatt $4,000; Fou.
sea>. $4,000; liodapp, $50,00U, and
Grant $4,000.
Other players of minor importance
have been, bought and discarded,
Some of them failed to measure NJ
to the prices paid, but that is the
gamble big league club takes when
it casts around iar ball players.
Dunn s policy of hiring no scouts
is blamed in part by the present
management for the low position of
the team. Back in the years before
1920 it was possible to buy season
Cd players from other big League
clubs but since the war, good bali
PLAYERS have been at a premium
and not procurablc except at pro-
l,ibitive figures.
Since Dunn 5 death, a system ot
scouting has been developed, but
thus far no outstanding results have
been obtained. Ball players have
uscn brought up from the minor
leagues and faiied to answer the
d"munds OF the management. Club
officials are still hopcrul however,
and prydict the IndIans Will be n
nong the, leaders before many more
summers become history.
Summing up the story told by
the Cleveland, ledgcrs, 1t ism I
what you pay FOR bali player
YOU have to have the luck.