Evening star., 1939-09-10
Football Opens 10th With Galaxy of College Stars
Large Sum
Reported as
Persuader
Sport Circles Have
Unusual Interest
In Conversion

Dutch Ruether, the old Washing
ton southpaw and a coast league
figure, attended the 1898 winter
meeting of the major leagues and
bore tidings that Freddie was really
a catcher.
Ten years ago such report would
have scared of all major league
clubs. But not these days Half
dozen Of the richer clubs-the
Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Tigers,
Giants-were hot on Hutchinson's
trail. The Tigers finally grabbed
him for five players and $4,000 In
cash, thus making him 100000
player.
The kid was the most written
about, talked-about ballplayer in the
country during spring training.
Nearly every time he pitched an
exhibition game he was belted free
ly. We talked to him one day in
Lakeland, Fla.
I'D really like to CATCH" he said.
81 caught in high school and like
1t. But it's too late now Either
I'm pitcher or I'm nothing"
The Tigers sadly shipped him back
to the minors shortly after the sea-
son started. Freddie went to the
American Association, where he was
no ball of fire. Not long ago, he
was recalled, but he still has to
establish himself as mai jor Lacquer.
But for the look-see, the Detroit
ball club paid the equivalent of
100000.
Baseball Is Different.
That gives you some sort Of idea
of the advantage of professional
football over baseball. In baseball
it costs staggering sums to obtain
players and keep the blood stream
running. The Yankees. for instance,
support two double-A clubs-Kansas
City and Newark-as we'll as flock
of smaller clubs. They have five
first-claSs scouts who draw big
salaries to search the country for
promising youngsters, for whom
they sometimes have to pay as
founding sums. The Boston Red
Sox have a similar system and so
have the Tigers, the St. Louis
Cardinals and most of the other
teams.
Even the Washington baseball
club, one of the poorer teams in the
majors, has been forced to pay real
money. Recently. Owner Clark Grif-
fifth paid $4,000 to buy a Min
neapolis shortstop named Jimmy
Pofahl. The fellow had been no
sensation. Until this year he hao
been very mediocre player, but
he got hot and the price went up.
Griffith, figuring he could trade at
least one of his present shortstops,
outbid men who could buy and sell
him several times over, including
William Wrigley. the chewing gum
king. and Tom Yawkey, the lumber
magnate.
Compare Griff's case with that Of
Mr. Marshall. owner of the Red
skins. For nothing at all. thanks
to the draft. Marshall falls heir to
stars like Halfback Dick Todd Of
Texas A. and NJ, Guard Steve Sill
vinski and Tackle Dick Farmar. all
of whom figured in All-America
consideration last winter. All Mar
shall has to do, once he acquires
claim to his draftees, is to offer
them enough salary to make it
worth while to turn professional.
The men who control professional
football outbluffed the baseball folk
last year and the year before, when
they insisted on rushing the season.
1t wasn't easy to do. In the first
place, pro football teams have no
stadia, they must hire the base
. ball parks. For instance, today be-
gins the National Football League
season, yet the baseball races still
are on. But the football magnates
are moving in-and taking over the
ball parks-and baseball people have
little to say. That 10 or IS per cent
of the receipts sounds good to the
owners of the ball parks, and they
fall for it, the only qualification
being a World Series shot.
In 1888, approximately 100000
persons paid to see the National
Football League games. This year.
no less than 100000 are expected
to pay to see the greatest one-year
|
game and capitalize on their rah-
5 rah regulations.
, Everybody who is football ll-minded
, will turn out to see OBrien. Is he
greater passer than Sammy
, Baugh? Or Benny Friedman? And
l how about Marshall Goldberg? Will
he develop into as great ball-car
l rier as Cliff Battles or Ernie Nevers
i, or Red Grange? What of Sid
skis helmet?
+ Questions Are Unanswered.
/ These and 100 other questions re-
7 main to be answered. And how does
pro football propose to answer
; them? Simply by throwing the
greatest pros and the finest col
E legians into action at the same time
l The pro grid folk have the right
!, idea. Give the weak fellow break
| Let the Eagles of Philadelphia have
/ first shot at the draft. The Eagles
! took Davey OBrien and, moreover
r they signed him. Overnight, the
lowly Eagles are pennant contend
v erS.
/ Give the equally lowly Chicago
i Cardinals the same kind of break,
= and they'll be tough. Well. the
}. Cards got it. They chose and signed
D Goldberg and XII Aldrich. And so
: on down the line.
! The same system, in baseball,
= would have found the st. Louis
Browns with Joe Di Maggie and
= the Philadelphia Phillies with Ted
4 Williams or Charley Keller. 1t
S would make a difference. The
e Yankees, for instance, might be bat
2 tling tooth and nail with several
: other American League clubs. And
S the Cincinnati Reds, favored to
e meet the Yanks in the series, might
: find things different had some OF
). their stars been claimed by lowlier
National League clubs.
As result pro football sta rfs