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Show I YOUNG PLAYERS ARE INJEMAND Thomas J. Hickey Plans to Have Each Club Carry Four Youngsters for Speedy Development. PLAYERS ARE REFUSED New President of American Association Was First President Presi-dent and One of Organizers. I Chicago, Jan. 8. "Beat the bushes" for new players, youngsters who have never had major league experience, is on of the reforms started by Thomas J. Hickey, ihe new persidem- of the American association. It's President Rickey's plan to have each of the eight clubs carry four young players for speedy development. Supporters of the game, he helieves, want i o see the youngsters perform. They are becoming weary, he thinks, of the old faces players who have been dropped by the major league clubs. "When a player is sent to us from the majors," President Hickey explained, ex-plained, "there is usually something wrong with him. Either he is 'slipping' 'slip-ping' or hasn't arrived. Wo should encourage tne development of our own players, (10( those belonging to some, other organization." President Hickey also considers the plan advantageous from a financial point of view If a new star Is developed devel-oped in the American association, ma-' Jor league clubs will be eager to pur-1 chase him, perhaps at a fancy price, thus making a double profit for the, club owner, President Hickey thinks. The American association magnates would have the drawing power and services of the new star and perhaps receive big mone.v for his release. ' Mr. Hickey. the first president and one of the organizers of the association, associa-tion, has taken up the work of u, rooting root-ing the organization after a lapse of thirteen years. He officially succeeds Thomas M. Chivington as president on January 8. the date on which -n Chivington took office seven years ago. Mr. Hickey was born in Chicago, and was a tan in St. Louis during tin-days tin-days of the Drowns' glory under Chris von der Ahe and Charles A. Comiske-. From St. Louis Mr. hickey moved to Lincoln. N'eb., and it was there he organized the Western asso-elation asso-elation in 1893. He was elected president pres-ident of the league in 1S95 and held that office until the association dis-1 banded in 1898- In 1899 he reorganiz-ed reorganiz-ed the circuit as the Western league Two years later Hickey became con-vinced con-vinced that such cities as St. Paul and Kansas City were in a class above Des Moines and St. Joseph as baseball base-ball centers. So, in 1900, he canvassed canvass-ed the circuit with a view to organ-' izing the American association. West- ,1 ern league club owners consented to release St. Paul and Kansas City and Mr. Hickey then lined up Columbus, Toledo, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Louisville for franchises. At that time Minneapolis was in 1 man i mmm u 1 1 tor, became president of the associa-I associa-I tlon in 1909. succeeding Joseph ' O'Brien. He had worked on newspa-I newspa-I pers in Milwaukee and Louisville for I several years. Previously he was en-. en-. gaged In the railroad business. He ' also was a detective at one lime. Thai was when I was connecteu With the coroner's office in Denver. It was the custom for the coroner to hire his own sleuths to solve murders and other cases. "If I do say it, I was conslderahle detective." |
