The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-17
DARING COACHING IN BASEBALZ>
it Wins, Says Connie Macl<. % Docv Attend
Ing To Ones Own Game.

THE best kind Of coacher TO have on tho
lines la the ono who is daring one who
IL not afraid to take a chance. says Connie
Mack, the manager OF the Philadelphia.
champions Of the American League n
bold risk. N successful. becomes fine base
running: N unsuccessful, 10 lie condemned a.
foolish. But Mack believes in taking the
bold risks He wants no timid men upon the
coaching lines. but men who know the mo-
ment to take long and desperate chance
and seize it instantly
The coacher must. Of course. be intelii-
gent" he said There are times In tho
game when it is eight to one against the
base runner, and yet the proper thing for
him TO do Is to move along and try to win
out on the slim chance. These situations
depend ON various things-who is at bat.
the score. and other things. Az such times
want the daring coacher up TO direct tho
runner, but one who also has good judgment
Il believe in lively coaching. and the public
likes It, But don't think the public cares
anything for noise and believing and monkey
shines on the lines that have for their solo
object TO rattle the other side. Lively, earn
est Coahcing KEYS up your own side and that
is what 1t should be used for-not to upset
the other team. For that matter j don't
believe any kind OF coaching has much effect
on any opposing player--the pitcher. for in-
stance, at whom il Ia most often directed.
Legitimate coaching with view to help
ing your own side ia the only kind that ouGhS
TO be practised. and you are wasting your
time when you 80 in for confusing your OPP
ponents who pay no attention to your coach
ing. They have too much to think about
without bothering with you. and by tho same
token YOU have all YOU can do In helping
your own men without paying attention to
the other side. The team that devotes its
energies and lung power to playing its own
game and minding it's own business Is tho
team that wins
The older players in the business leave
the coaching TOO much to the younger ones.
There ought to be more coaching by the
regular players too. without men from tho
bench getting up 80 often. Everybody IN
the game ought to have enough interest
in his team to be willing to take turn on the
lines. Yet, as said. there are times when IL
wouldn't do to have a timtd man up. The
man who s afraid he will be blamed II the
runner is put out ia not the man to have coach
should study who Is at the whether he
tell, but / think you can tell. when a mans
been UP twice. whether be is going to Ait or
not
one 10 have up when bold coaching is needed.
You cant say much to a man like that II he
makes II mistake, and he Is not in dread Of
being reproved. The man who Is not doing well
himself lacks confidence on the coaching lines.
] wouldn't want such man coaching at third
base. but still it is a good idea to have this
very, player do some coaching. for IL gets his
mind OF his troubles, keeps him occupied
and may brace him up.
Take two teams that are evenly matched,
and the team that doesn't wrangle or spiutter
at the other players or the umpire will win
the most games. According 10 the old Balt-
more and Cleveland style, you had TO kick up
great fuss 10 win. But those teams. with their
strength, would have won twice as many
games had they sat still on the bench. The
Boston American League team 10 q quiet ono.
yet always In the game, and winning without
making any fuss about IL.
Kicking at the umpire is played out. 10
is losing card a waste of time. know
our team Is not doing any Of 1t, hayine had
Baseball is too fast and occupies all OF your
time and watchfnlness and ability too com
petely to permit Of n useless expenditure
of time in finding fault with the umpire or
trying to disconcert tho other side You
can't do these latter things and keep your
mind wholly on your own game; And unless
you watch your own play strictly all the time
you won't win