The times., 1898-10-10

In 1879 Frank Bancroft was manager OF
the Worcester, Mass. team, an organiza-
ton that went through the first part OF
the season seriously handicapped for want
Of competent playing talent; game after
game was lost, and the magnet or draw
ing powers of the team, if il had anything
OF the sort. was almost destroyed. Some
thing had TO be done, and quickly, TO save
the franchise from utter and irretrievable
annihilstio A directors meeting was
called and Banny summoned TO their au-
gust presence to explain the cause of the
teams unsatisfactory showing. Banny
made his little talk, stating in substance
that his inability to obtain competent
players was the sole cause for their disap-
pointment 1t was then decided TO give
him ten days in which 70 strengthen the
team, and in case OF his failure TO do so
within that time he was TO be deposed
and a new manager employed. Banny at
once got down 10 business. Shortstop was
his fatally weak point, which required his
first attention. He looked over the field
and summoned all the talent that was
available. among the number being Jim
Mutrie afterwards manager of the New
York club. and Arthur Irwin. After try
selected Irwin, who proved TO be a valua-
BILE find and played the position with
faultless skill and judgment One or two
other men were secured and the team
took a sudden brace and played winning
ball TO the end of the season. winning out
in good style. This" said Bancroft
was the closest call in a professional
way / ever had, and probably fixed the
destiny of both Irwin and myself as it
kept me in it. Had | failed l might have
abandoned the business and become a pol
itician something worse, and heaven
knows what evils might have been in
ficted upon the country and society"
Ed Hanlon very pertinently and with
good reasoning argues that the financial
slumps in the baseball business is not
altogether attributable to the war. The
bad showing of the New York and
Brooklyn clubs had much to do with the
shrinkage of the baseball exchequer With
strong clubs in these cities, managed and
controlled by competent and prudent bust
ness men, and with a constituency of over
a million and half people to draw from,
their parks would not be large enough TO
accommodate the people who would daily
attend
Under the control of Freedman nothing
better could be expected of the Giants.
His absolute lack of knowledge of the
game, his dogmatic temperament and his
overbearing manners with all persons so
unfortunate as TO have any business rela-
tions with him have utterly ruined the
business in New York, as is plainly evil
denced by the small attendance at the
Polo Grounds. If he had possessed ordi-
nary good sense and given either John
Ward or Arthur Irwin full control of his
club when they were with him, and kept
himself in Europe or Jerusalem, he would
ere this have won a pennant and New
York would today be one of the greatest
ball cities in the United States. No man.
ager on earth. handicapped by Freedman.
could successfully handle the New York
club, and it is doubtful If any competent
man who has any regard for his reputa-
tion would attempt it.
Brooklyn has also been victim of bad
management. Mr.. Ebbitts is a clever busi-
ness man, but wholly inexperienced and
incompetent as director of baseball af-
fairs He is making the same mistake
that Freedman has and is attempting to
manage the team. What is the result d?
His club has been failure and the own
ers continue TO lose money. The Brook
lyn team today. If it had been properly
handled, would be in the first division.
Strengthened at one or two weak places