Evening star., 1898-03-12
Errors of Judgment Have Killed Many
Clubs Prospects.
FOM BROWNS DIFFICULT TASK
Everything Looks Bright, but Luck
is Big Factor.
GOSSIP OF THE PLAYERS

Thursday that Tom Brown would manage
and captain the Washington club the COM
| Ing season created the greatest satisfaction
| among the local base ball patrons This
will! be Browns eleventh year in the pro-
fessional ranks, and it promises to be his
| most successful one. Taking a club from
| the tail-end bunch, as Brown did last year
after Gus Schmelz had given up the reins
| of control, and landing it within d fraction
| of one per cent of sixth place is quite a
| feat. The playing of the men under him
conclusively demonstrated that he was
liked and that he knew the points of the
game. Theories had been given to the play
ers for breakfast, dinner and supper for
two seasons, and the change Of diet to
plain fact Was appreciated. Brown knows
how to work the men that runs come
ever the plate and talies win games-the
essential point of all the contests and ulti-
mate success.
Thomas Brown made his debut into the
professional ranks with the PlttSburg club
in 1887, the first year that organization
played under the banner of the major asso-
citation. His work was of the best that
season and brought about his sale to the
BoStonS for large sum- The four follow
ing years-1SSS, SO, 30 and '91-he guard
ed the right field position for the Beaneat-
ers. When the consolidation of the league
and American Association took place in
the best players to the weaker clubs, there
by making all the clubs as nearly equal in
playing strength as possible. The Louis
Vile club was the weak club then, as now,
and President Young banished Brown to
that city. The following years-'92, '93 and
'94-Tom played first-class ball for the falls
city team, but the team was shy on heavy
hitters, and, of course Brown failed to
help them out IN this respect, although he
was as good as any man or the team with
the bat. In 20 Brown figured in the Shu-
CART deal and went to ST. Louis, tut being
high-priced player, his stay in the mound
city was very brief In the latter part of
that son Earl Wagner. with his usual
shrewdness gobbled up Brown, and he has
been a regular player on the team ever
since, and it is foregone conclusion that
he will be a Senator for many seasons to
come AS a base runner Brown can be
cassed with the best; he is in the same
class as a fielder, and although not classed
as slugger. he has always been lowering
around the 300 mark. AS a heady player
he need rot take the dust of any man
wearing e National League uniform.
A significant remark made by Mr.. Wag-
ner when asked recently If he wouldn't
place Jack Doyle in charge of the team
when once that player signed a contract
was that he owned a franchise rated as be-
ing worth 100000. He needed man to
look after the players and captain the club
He knew Brown personally, all his qualif-
cations and defects, and considered him
valuable to the club. Jack Doyle he knew
only as a brilliant player, and it would be
the height of foolishness for him to jeopar-
dize the value of his franchise by throw
ing out man he knew well and trusted
for another who is almost stranger.
Speaking of managers the patrons of the
game should remember that they are but
human and liable to err like other ordinary
people There is good reason for discussing
the managers now, as the bell Will soon be
sounded on the first game of the coming
Sfrl Eve q In m NJ
try is getting his house in order for another
shy at the great American public. This
new player and that mas been secured to
add strength for the coming season. Some
of these acquisitions are bona fide, and
some are mere bluffs. The intentions are
genuine in many instances and only brown
papers in others. And right into the mid
die OF the case, up to the neck, wade the
mistakes of managers. Supposing now that
the managers might have the pick and
choice of base ball talent for the next year,
and supposing that these selections did not
conflict, would there not be procession at
the end of the coming season? In a great
measure are not the teams made
up the choice of owners and managers? 1t
may not be true that every individual play
er is deliberate choice. but as whole
the different clubs represent the choice sof
those in control. The real question is-do
managers know talent which has not been
developed? Some do. Many do not. The
manager who cannot pick out coming
player is handicapped. He may mean well
enough, but somehow he does not have his
man sized up until some one else recog-
niZes the talent in the rough, and hustles
him off to the field for polishing. There is
no trouble about classifying a Keeler "A
Lange. Delehanty, a Clarke, a Mercer
Jennings, and others of that inner circle
now. Anybody can do that But how
many would have put them into their pres
ent class a few years ago? Pittsburg was
said to be too fast for GeEe DeMontreville
some years back, but today Baltimore
III W in thn 10
Frenchman. Bobby Wallace was another
boy not good enough for the smoky city
club, out good enough for Cleveland as
pitcher and third paseman, who hits the
ball viciously. Chicago goes through sea-
son after season picking up a lot of un-
tanned pitchers, while Johnny Powell stood
around waiting for JOB. Boston saw
nothing OF particular value in Tenney and
Stahl and offered both to Washington Mr.
Wagner. who prides himself on his uner-
ring judgment of players, declined the offer
with thanks. He was in no need Of gold
bricks, although Manager Schmelz kept him
from taking chance. The late President
Byrne was supposed to know as much
about base ball and players as any one in
the business, yet he allowed little Keeler
to slip through his hands. Now notice the
change. Cases of this sort turn up every
season. There are few of the highest class
stars of the big league who have not been
turned down nat in their time-not Shuffied
and traded, but absolutely turned down an
labeled no good How many days is 1t
since Tebeau said Joe Corbett was false
alarm and Buck" Ewing selected Wiley
Davis instead of Still BilP' Hill for whom
he recently traded three good players
The more one goes over this question of
managerial judgment the more one loses
faith. 1t may be asking too much of man
ayers to make no mistakes but one may
be pardoned for thinking that men who
are trained professionals should be able
to select serv1ceable material a little bet
ter than s9me of them have DONE Wash
ington made no mistake in finding room
for the new men on the list Gettman
McHale, Doyle, Reitz, Amole, Dinneen
and Snyder. If the signs are worth any,
thing, Gettman, McHale, Amole, Dinneen
and Snyder are going to be up among the
league leaders the coming season. Reitz
and Doyle sweI know all about. There are
many whoIwili bank on their opinion that
Gettman is already there but with a bet
ter knowledge of league methods and the
advantagesof the short season last year,
he should sbe "a highly valuable man the
coming season. All the men are fast on
their feet, above the average as to hitters,
and play With their heads as well as their
feet and hands These are the kind Wash
ington wants and has been wanting for
years. Tom Browns ambition will be to
land the club higher up in the race than
last year. He will have the players with
him to g. man and all his admirers are hop
ing that mistakes will not come his way