Show Rickey Facetious but More Or Less Truth in Demands FEW EW da days ago Branch Ricke Rickel t tie the le lefa A fa president of ot Ujo St. St Louis Cardinals was in a a. humorous mood moos and decided d to tell the world Just what he would take for tor his bright shin shin- jog star Rogers Hornsby To Chicago the tile magnanimous Rickey offered Hornsby for and Pitchers I Grover Alexander and Jim Vaughn To New York he consented to trade Hornsby for a cash consideration amount unknown an and I Players Fletcher Fetcher Kauff Burns and Of course these offers otters were iere not made in earnest It was Just Rickey's way of telling that Hornsby was not at any price priC which would be considered reasonable by anyone else But there was something to think about in the two otters offers and it dates back several years yearn in baseball Along about 1908 the New York Giants paid Indianapolis something like 1200 for tor Rube Marquard The baseball world sat up In astonish astonish- ment Marquard was the highest priced baseball player who had ever been bought or sold That was the beginning of ot the era of ot I buying ball players an era which continues continues con- con and Is costing coding men who would build up championship ball clubs thousands thousands thousands thou thou- sands of dollars every evory year Marty was the next pIg ig g sale ale Marty brought on the market Larry Chappelle was tho next to come from the minors at a fancy fany price Then Connie Mack MacIc decided ci to break up fl r his wonderful n r ball club I and l the climax came caine when he disposed of or Eddie Collins for This was the greatest deal in baseball until Charley came caine along this fall and bought Alexander and Killefer for a price estimated at from to although in the meantime Tris Speaker was sold by Boston to Cleveland for a price said to equal that paid for Collins Collin Is there a limit Probably not so 60 long a. a as men In base- base Tl br-Tl arc are willing to pay money for tor ball ballplayers ballplayers players layers who will give them a pennant winning team The only thing Improbable about Rickey's offer is that he should ask for tor valuable players in addition to a lot of coin The coin that coin that Is any any amount within reason reason probably probably would be forthcomIng forthcoming forthcoming forth forth- coming If the player was wanted badly enough but the man who Is after a I championship will not trade his good I players |