New Britain herald., 1928-03-07
(HY BILLY ENtNS)


 Some 15 years ago. Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics boasted an intield made up Of "Suffy' Me Innis at first, Eddie Collins at second, Jack Barry at short and Frank "Homc- Run Baker at third.
 That famous quartet of players was known as the sloo,ooo infleld. That was q lot Of money in those days
 In reality, the infield didn't cost Connie Mack q cent. ''Stuffy" Nc lnnis was taken from high school team, Collins came from the Uni N"rsity of Columbia, Barry from Holy Cross, while Baker hailed from Trappe, Md. About all Mack did for these boys was send them ticket from their homo to Phillv.
 'nquestionahly they formed one of the greatest iniields of all time. All have now passed out Of the ranks of active players except Eddie Collins, and he is on the brink.
 Baseball runs in cycles and the values Of the ptaycrs shift with the times. When the baseball scribes referred to Mack's cost nothing in field as being worth s1ooo"o. it was rcca rded as the last word in con- plIments.
 Time usually changes everything and there is no question but that it has made q vast change in baseball values.
 As ] glance over tho jnfelders of the two major leagues in an effort to pick out the leading players at the various positions. the thought comes 10 me that this inficld would not be at all hard 10 take.
 At first base VIC would have Lar ruppine Lou' Gehrig of the Yam kees, Euth's only rival for home run honors. At second VIC would have Rogers Hornsby. who figured in the recent sensational deal be- tween the New York Giants and the Boston Braves. At shortstop would be Glenn Wright of Pittsburgh. and at third we would have Pie" Tray ''Si "i J lAlo'ii < ii' nfIt dI" SU1Itt folks who might prefer Frankie F'risch to Hornsby, or Sewcll to Wright However, that would make no difference with our story.
 While it would probably be bit of exaegcration, an infield selected from these players would be en- titled 10 be known as the million- dollar infeld.
 It would be conservative to place the value of Lou Gehrig at $25O,0O0. It is dollars to doughnuts that if you offered that amount to the New York club you would get nothing better in return than a negative answer or q laugh.
 Despite the mystery that shrouds the deal that sent Rogers Hornsby to the Boston Braves, ill a trans action that didn't seem to bring the Giants full return. Hornsby is still one of the greatest inficlders of all time. On the open market he would bring sooo.6o
 Glenn Wright didn't play up to form last season or in the world series. Being hit on the head by pitched ball served as a temporary handicap, which should wear off. With major league clubs paying $ co, ,nVo for lntried recruits from the minors. q sum of sl3o.ooo as NriGht's market va}ur would not be too great
 Al third base. Pie" Traynor, out standing in the ma iors at that position, should bring as much as Wright. which would moan another $ on noo
 This would mHI" he total salna~ G"hrig. lIorushy. Wright and Tray north" tidv sum Of $50. ooo at conservative prices. In all prob ability q cool million wouldn't buy the four.
 And now to show what q gamble baseball is, this galaxy of stars, the $o- called million-dollar infcld, didn't cost the majors more than slo, H60 to sign.
 llornshy was the cheapest Of the lot. St. Louis bought him for an even $500. Gnhrig probably got about s1.3@h to sign when he at tended Columbia About s1. 800 was the price Pittsburgh paid 10 he Nir- "inia league for Traynor. Perhaps s6,aao was close 10 the figure paid for Wright. II might have been a trife more.
 Thus we have s1o.0oo worth Of talent in the beginning developing into Inillion-d dollar valuation 1 within loss than 1h years. Truly. i baseball is 2 hlc gamble.