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Show CLEVELAND INDIANS' i OFFER TURNED DOWN i fid of $12,500 for Pitcher Leon-! ard Is Refused. Wanaoer Miller Huojlni Turns Former - Boston Red Sox Hurler Over to Tigers for $2,500 Leas Than Jim Dunn Offered. Can you Imagine n ball club disposing dispos-ing of u pitcher for $2,500 less than tho highest bid? Well, such it thing probably wouldn't happen In any business busi-ness other thnn baseball, but such Is tho caso of "Dutch" Leouard. President Presi-dent Dunn of Clcvelnnd wanted tho services of "Dutch" Leonard for tho Indians. When It beenmo known that New York was willing to dispose of Leonard tho Cleveland mngnnte at onco started to angle for 'he services of tho tar southpaw. Dunn realizes that tho one and only weak spot on his hull club Is his pitching staff. It has been said that a pcnunnt-wlnning club must hnvo n crack southpaw. Working on that theory, Dunn ret out to do business with the New York club. Now, it so happens that Miller Hug-gins Hug-gins of tho New York Yankees Is hopeful of winning nn American league pennant for Gotham this year. Hugglns Is u wise old owl and full ! well realizes Hint Clcvelnnd and Chicago Chi-cago loom up as the strongest contenders, con-tenders, with tho lloston Hed Sox as still u possibility, despite the bad start of that club. .No one knew any better than Hugglns what the coming of Leonard would do for the Cleveland Cleve-land club. It would have Just about made Cleveland the one best bet In tho American league. Hugglns realised real-ised that be could not afford to so strengthen thu Cleveland club and thereby Jeopardize to a great extent the chances of his team. It Is a matter of record that Jim Dunn was willing to pay $12,500 for tho sen'Ices of Leonard. He knew that "Dutch" "irould get him back gigigii i gggGti " gsrgsP "Dutch" Leonard. i tiuvcral times that amount at tho gate If ho mado the Indians it stronger pennant pen-nant contender, If not u winner. Yet Frank Navln of tho Detroit club bought Leoanrd for $10,000, an even $200 less thnn Cleveland was willing to pay. Tho Detroit club at tho time tho deal was miide wus going poorly. Tho pitching stuff of the Tigers wus In far worse shape thnn that of tho Indians, In-dians, New York renllzed It could sell Leonard to Detroit, strengthening that team, yet In no way lessen tho chances of tho New York club to win. A mere matter of $2,500 in such a caso meant nothing to tho mllltonalro owners of tho Yankees. Such Is tho tulo of why Leonard was .lost to Jim Dunn, even though be was willing to rOo the unto of Prank Navln. ' |