James Bell, better known as Cool Papa Bell, was working as a scout for the St. Louis Browns at the time. They were interested but owner Bill Veeck didn’t have the money to pay for Ernie Banks. It was Browns scouts Bell and Bill Norman that put Veeck’s eye on the shortstop. In turn, Veeck called up the Cubs when he realized he could not afford the asking price on Banks.
Bell turned his attention to the other team in St. Louis the Cardinals. Quincy Trouppe was a Cardinals scout and recommended Banks. Trouppe wrote in his autobiography of the Cardinals sending another scout to look at Banks. That report came back negative: “I don’t think he’s a major league prospect. He can’t hit, he can’t run, he has a pretty good arm, but it’s a scatter arm. I don’t like him.”
Richard Meyer was GM at the time for the Cards and Bell blamed him for not going after Banks.
Bell told Bob Broeg in 1977:
I was told by Buck O'Neil that Banks had the flu and a high temperature and still played thus the scouting report came back negative.
Scouting:
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Re: Scouting:
Unfortunate timing for the Cardinals, and maybe they should have just taken Trouppe's advice. Just think how much more success the Cards would have had in the late 50's and 60's with Banks on the team....... 