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Show ti ' - w i wi ! hi P"ii m pi inn in .'P" i i'-obw- - - ftp; 5-S 3, r v -, T T -, s '. m r iff ii . - "a V hi vk xm m u I (Qoe y i J U I ., I l rTltealtIiy fPeraffons f the Baseball Wiseacre, Who II (SJ?n WMGfs tf' Promising Players for the Major vO Leagues from Forty -Eight Minor Leagues and :' Cotmtless Amatfeur Clubs. i ' BY ALLEN SANGREE. (Copj-risbt. 1011, br the New York Hrnld Co. All debts rewsrved.) m TIE old story of Dfogencs snooping around I with a lantern hunting for an honest man has 1 a near parallel In the modern baseball scout M hunting for a star player. If you were a big 9' league scout and uncovered just one man for E your club the kidney of.Wagner, "Mathewson, Speaker K or Cobb, you wouldn't 'need worry about your liveli-jJL liveli-jJL hood for several years. The owner might even tender you a house and lot as a bonus, where you could rest M on your laurels. B When John Kling. of the Cubs, mutinied because B Charley Murphy refused him a rise In salary, the H Chicago magnate tramped -up and down his office In K an agony of despair. To his scouts and the universe In general he made the wide open offer: A M "Find me another Johnny Kling and there's $10,000 eft here waiting. There must be one somewhere. I've m got to have him." mj Hundreds of letters poured in telling of this and m that phenom, who, the writer, vowed, was an incipient M Kling, but the veteran scouts onlj grinned. "Murphy is kidding," said they. "Why, there isn't I a high school club from Portland to Portland that basn't been frisked by all of us Overlook a possible Kling? Holy bats! Tell it to Sweeney!" At the present time there are two major leagues B- ind' forty-eight minor leagues working under the na-H na-H donal agreement, and one might think It would be an W asy matter out of the population 'n the United States. m Canada, and we might include Cuba. South America and Japan, to cull enongh, experts to maintain baseball base-ball at its high degree of skill. Millions of boys and oung men are playing every day on town lots, village jreens and schoolyards, and they appear to he just as food as professionals. They can throw, catch, pitch. I run and hit They even organize team work, use hit- ! jnd-ran signals, play tJhe "squeeze" and the delayed 1 teal. Before them is the possibility of earning, two. im, Jhree. four thousand dollars a year. And yet Charles ff I Ebbets, after spending $20,000 in 1010 for thirty jjm xrw players, now finds his team far down in the j I econd division. 1 f This last is the only Teply necessary to prove the I B m tsefulncss of your modern baseball scout Ebbets I Kught from hearsay and upon his own imperfect jiT) Judgment thirty men. Detroit employed five shrewd h icouts. old ball players, nd Detroit did not buy a man. V Che Tiger management flguied that It was cheaper to R ' ay S15.000 for scouts and their expenses than to i'f pend $5,000 more for useless material. The Detroit lunters could not find a lad throughout this broad and that would strengthen the team, told the owners o, and the result Is what? Well, regard the stand- ng in the American League to-day. Hence it is that competition and rivalry among these ainters of the diamond is more bitter than tmu among be clubs for pennant honors. The scout must not ! Bting" his employer by purchasing a "lemon," he if lust not overlook a budding champion, and he must ,l oake as good bargains as possible. Generally he has wjk arte blanche to buy, draft or reject a candidate, bo he entire responsibility falls upon him. His job de-B de-B ends upon his judgment, resources and activity. It Is no hack work, and while the scout is little known W to the public, receives no plaudit from the multitude, M- fet his vocation is picturesque, interesting and re- pm iiunerative. I These nimrods of the diamond work silently, quickly $m oad fervently, beginning their peregrinations at the eason's opening, and before it is over they have cov- jjl .-red a good part of the United States and Canada ' Picture to yourself the life of Arthur Irwin, famous 5 t old days as a shortstop, manager and master of M ascball tactics, now recognized as the king of base- ,"il all scouts. One afternoon he may be looking over il che game from the grand stand In New Yotk; that ,K light he has departed, unknown to any one except his jji imployer, Frank Farrcll, for Medicine Hat, In the jji RTest Canada league; Paris, in the Blue Grass, or yfr Terre Haute, in the Three I. W With the lightest of travelling impedimenta, you M rvould recognize him by his stodgy, though active tig- gff ire, bis gray mustaghe and shrewd, twinkling Irish rM "Jycs- Alighting from the train unostentatiously, he jjjK t0 a secluded hotel, and, if essential, he registers o3 Wider an assumed name. There Ik a man In Blllville ji rl30 Vz like a comer and perhaps ten or twelve ?Ji ber ECOUts are after him. All ' Sources of "Tips." jjll It might bo explained 'here that these big game ftli hunters get their information frequently from touts jUji and again from the weekly record published in the ii I i Sporting News. Touting is done by travelling sales- iti 2j ; men, for your American drummer Is generally an ar- m dent fan; actors, old ball players and personal friends jj5; of the candidate. As a rule they are not to be relied Stl upon, but, on the other hand, the tip may result in Hff 'digging up a live one. For that 'matter, the records Hi , are no certain guides either. And yet if John Jones H jsteals an average of a base a day and hits .350 in the Spectators are with him and howl their heads off for Joe to "clean up." When he does crack out n two bagger they leer at the lamous scout as though to sav: "If New York doesn't take Joe now this Irwin ' must be a bonehcad " v JYTheowner 'waxes more and more 'enthusiastic as, he, talks prices and Irwin ibaggles with him. debatlng seriously whether $3,000 is not exorbitant. Looks as though he was deeply impressed, but as a matter of fact he has passed up Joe Sraither in the fourth inning, after seeing him make the following play: The score was 4 to 2 In favor of Blllville. one man out. a very fast and daring runner on second, a slow man at bat. A long hit was made in right centre, good for two bags to a speedy primer Smithers, In right field, got his hands on it and, thinking only of making a grand stand play, whipped the horsehide home, although al-though the fast man was then within twenty feet of the plate There was not one chance In a thousand N of getting him. but it would have been easy to nail the slow man lumbering toward spcomP' and thus have two out. The result'was thattlhe ball bounded past That night Irwin strolled around town with the . owner, still discussing a price for Smithers. "I'd have to talk with Mr. Farrell," he said, "be-.fore "be-.fore giving an answer. We're pretty well btocked with outfielders. By the way, d'you want to Bell that first 'baseman?" "Why, sure, I'd let him go. But, heavens, man, he has a weak arm and only hits .250. Smithers led the league two years." "Well. I'll take a flyer on the other fellow; we're shy of lnfielders." The owner named a moderate price, and In five minutes the Yanks had procured Earl Gardner, second sec-ond baseman extraordinary, who is so quick of thought that even the eccentric and brilliant Chase seldom catches him napping in an unexpected play. Smithers. Smith-ers. whose right name it would be unkind to mention, got in fast company and fell by the wayside after one season. McGraw's Quick Judgment. Negative illustrations tell the story of selecting players. A shortstop on a Pennsylvania minor league t , baseman's hands and they made a double play o HH you." ImII "Hully cheel" snorted the busher. "If I could d 1 1H that I'd have been in the big leagues long ago. N if 1H sir: I'm a natural right field hitter an' nothing else." If1 H "Good night for you," said Irwin to himself. . I fll When he put the same proposition to Daniels tt ( collegian expressed eagerness for instruction. Nex ! H morning the scout took him and a pitcher on the fie! i'l before morning practice, and iu one hour Daniels ha 'f :H shifted his batting position, had learned the ti1cka lil bunting and pulling the ball, in which features of th '' game he Is constantly Improving The other lad mad I B good in fast company, too. but only for a month. Bj Rfl that time cjjery opponent spotted his weakness an III he gradually drifted from the "big show." 111 Lest he overlook a good man the zealous scout wl' fill run down rips that frequently are joks Billy GU Hl bert, when 'hunting for St. Louis, received abou EH twenty letters boosting a wonder in Northern low Kl Arriving there after a game was on. he asked th 11 owner which .man It was. Owner pointed wit ARTHUR IRWIN t- , THE MASTER SCOUT ' ';' Photo by Spooncr & We IKaj J Texas League he is worth looking up. The scout wants to discover if the lad is brainy and capable of learning. Irwin denies that ho ever disguises himself with whiskers and blue goggles, but he certainly arrjves with no brass band. Being so well known, It is difficult dif-ficult for him to escape recognition, so word quickly passes over the Blllville grand stand: "There's n scout from New York here Arthur Irwin Bet he's after Joe Smitheis." The club owner quickly beais of It and almosv fnwnlngly approaches the celebrity, for minor league magnates figure on making n considerable quota of their profit on thee sale Occasionally an owner is in such prime luck as to dispone of his whole team and you may be bure th.it all do not make good in the "big show " Some bcouts have been overreached in ibeir eagerness to secure talent "Well," says the Blllville magnate, "you came Just in time. Mr Irwin. We had Bobby Lowe, from Dp tioit. here last week looking at Smilhers. and Billv Murray, of Pittsburg, is on the way. but I'd i.ither see him go to New York. He's a marvel, Arthur, a second Ty Cobb " Meantime news has reached the players' bench and Smfther has islons of smashing a home run and winning the pennant for the greatest city In Ainericu. PEMAQUID. Note. The Improvement Association of Pem.v quid. Maine, is moving to the piesemition and memorJ alizatlon of the historic rock on which it Is practically fouuded " ABOVE the Rock of Pemaquid " ; There stands Fort Willi im Henry. Once San Juan d'Ulloa of the Noith; , Now very largely mem'ry. .- , This rhj me is rotten, but, of course., .A A poet may be shriven 'i rW '' ' For many sins, and have a Pern- , ' ' ' -4 , A quiddity forgiven. ', ,'' But to resume about the Rock -r . ' That tells to us the story ' Of British, French and savages ' Who made It red and gory . - There Captain Smith and d' Iberville And redskin nameless killers ' ' ' ' Did all they could in furnishing The pioneer grave fillers. '', Upon the Rock of PemaqulJ. ' fc Cleaned by the sea's ablutions, ' ,' Were founded, so the neighbors say, Our noblest Institutions ; That stand for freedom and the things ""'" """ Which moke our growing nation, Beyond the shadow of a doubt, The greatest in creation To-doy'thc souf of Pemaquid Is stirred to brave endeavor To make the Rock of Pemaquid ' , t, . A-monumeut forever, r - vi And North and South and East and 'West f ' "Hand' out (Jicir approbation'' " T . "' -v (TH Of patriotic Ppmaquid' " , ,"1- , Improvement Association. W. J. LAAtPTON. , o5EtBit TiJL.ciCrs. i . .the catcher and (he slow man also tallied, tlelng the Score. Then and there Irwin decided that Smithers had everything but brains, the one great essential In fast company team work. In the first half of the ninth the skinny but graceful grace-ful infielder, who happened to be playing first that day, pulled a defensive' stunt that saved the game for Blllville. The same fast man was on first base when a nasiy grounder was hit just out of the pitcher's leach. There was nobody out and the score was still t tied. And now for a brainy play that proem ed for New Yoik nn infield star. By the time the skinny follow got the ball the fast runner was near second and a double play impossible, so. to nil appearances, he Intended In-tended making It at first, yelling to the pitcher to "cover." Irwin, however, watching for anj inside stuff. no" ticed that he loafed and kept watching the fast "ii who fefll neatly Inlo.Jhe trap As tlie first ba.seman drew back his arm to throw to the pitcher, now coveting covet-ing the bag, Mr Speed Mcicbnnt hiked for thiid. But It was only a feint on the other's part. Shifting suddenly sud-denly he ran across the diamond and, unaided, ran down the fast runner, a bit of strategy tlr.it escap'ed the fans and the owner, who w.i htill chattering about Smithers' wouderfnl throw ur the plate when t Iw allowed uu u.ir.'i run to iccr'i HI III '--&- - "I tn One Hour Daniels Had Shifted His Batting Position - - I club was touted so highly that McGraw sent a scout, and when he ieported favorably the 'Giants' manager himself travelled out to see the phenom. One look was enough the lad kept his heels together in making mak-ing a pick up, his tues foinilng an angle. "That'll be all for him." snapped McGraw, and jumped the next train back to Gotham. Wlnni Arthur Irwin was Investigating Bert Daniels, now a crack gat doner on the Yankees, he was tipped to another man in the same league, who, according to records, was the equal of Daniels. We shall call him Jones Irwin noticed that In a critical part of the game when thl fellow en mo to bat the enemy's infield in-field and outfield moed far toward right, leaving a big gap between short and third. "Why didn't you pull the ball over In left?" asked Irwin that evening "You hit right into the second SUPPOSING. LIST me suppose, dear Phyllis, I am much in love with you; There surely Isn't harm In just supposing it! And that my love for ages has been constant, firm and true. Though diffidence has kept me from disclosing it; Suppose this love that I suppose quite filled me with alarm, ' Suppose it burned thtough years In fiery fashion: Suppose woids can't express Its might; suppose home subtle charm Drew from your heart a twin -to its own passion; I don't suppose you could biipposc your dignity would yield To make confession iu a bashful stupid; Suppose that we suppose the lips of yourhcart were unsealed: Would they bespeak the piesence of Rogue Cupid? And now suppose that we suppose we don't suppose this time; Suppose we live the real, wl-thout supposing: Suppose you let me hold your hand why, girl, is that a crime? And let me tell of Cupid unreposing; Suppose I ask if I may kiss your peach and cieamy cheek, Or. growing bolder, seek your lips' sweet pressure, I wonder if you'd understand or If I'd better speak In oommou prose or bud poetic measure? Suppose, now that I've had my kiss, you tell me what you think; Am I to go my way still unrejoictng? . Ah, Phyllis, dear, if I'm not blind X saw your ej-elld wink ' " - And 1 suppose thut means responsive voicing. - JLESflSBl O. at-AJtll. pride to the pitcher, who was seven feet tall and so 'H cross eyed that, as Gilbert said, "If he cried the tears riJM would run down the back of his neck." His only virtue was that you couldn't tell whether he was go- ( ing to throw to first or to the plate. He bad batters ill swinging when the ball was in the first baseman's , ) hands. But. he hadn't enough speed to break a pane jfl of glass. Gilbert nearly fell off the grand stand 'IM laughing and then became peeved at having taken such a long trip for nothing. p II "Why, he'll make a hit in St. Louis," protested the MH magnate. fiifl "He sure will," called Gilbert, as he jumped for the j IH station. "When Bresuahan-throws him out, of the -jM park you can hear him fall down there on Main street." JH A scout is supposed not only to judge talent, but to ! save the dub money. Witness this. Several yours B ago Cleveland gave $12,500 for Cy Young, and iu ad- H dltion two players, Chech and Ryan, valued nt $3,000 - U each, making a total $1S,500. Irwin, on the other j M hand, bought throe star pitchers, Quinn, Ford and ' jl Vaughn, for n total of Sl.ToO. Then he sold Conroy. M Moriarty and Elberfeld for about $lo,000 in all and JM bought Bert Daniels for how much do you suppose? IM Why, a measly $250. Wilson, a pitcher, turned back, ! and Gardner, present second baseman for Frank H Farrell's dub, stood the magnate only $700. Irwin is noShylock and will bid high it he thinks FH the man is worth it and there is competition. Ray jH Fisher, the Vermont College boy, won twenty-seven 'H games out of thirty-two for Hartford and Irwin got 1H after him hot foot. Hooked up with Wanner the H phenom cost S4.000. Hay after the agreement was , S made John I. Taylor offered $15,000 for Fisher alone H and the owner tried his best to wiggle out. offering i H Farrell $2,000 cash to let go of FMicr. all in vain. ! Ball players being in such demand, minor league il magnates naturally use e ery strategy to fool the M scout. A marked Instance of this was the sale of ' " jM "Rube" Benton, left hand pitcher, of Macon, who was M so widely touted that on the day for bidding ten scouts H appeared. Benton so impressed Garry Herrmann, of, , jH Clnclnnntl, thut he authorized his Nlmrod. "Bid" Mc- $H Phee. to pay ?r0O more than any other slub. no mat- ,. ! H ter what the offer. When the price got up to $3,000 , iH Irwin dropped out, ond gradually the otm'rs succumbed ( JH until the mark stood at $,300. At this point a man ' H rushed in, dishevelled as though from a long Journey. I. IH "I represent a National League club." he exclaimed, IH "and I bid $7,000 " He evaded the question as to B what club, but in some way it was understood that ( H Barney Dreyfus had sent him. HcIhje vwent him $500 I ,H better and got the man. Afterw'aVd.itanspIred that,. H the stranger was a banker, of Savannah. and;the J H notion prevailed that he was employed ns a eapper.tf ( H Benton was unfortunate in falling ill and never uuidejj . H |