The Washington times., 1903-08-23
DARING NAN NEEDED
OhCOACHING LINE
Mack Airs His Views on
This Feature of Baseball.
MUST TAKE BIG CHANCES
"older Players Leave Too Much of the
Coaching to the Younger Men,"
Says Athletics Manager.

THE best kind of coacher to have On
the lines is the one who is daring-ths
one who is not afraid to take a chance
says Connie Mack. the manager OF the
Philadelphias, champions of the Amer
lean League. A bold risk. II successful.
becomes fine baserunning; II unsuceess-
ful II is condemned as foolish. But
Mack believes in taking the bold risks.
He wants no timid men upon the coach
Ing lines. but men who know the mo-
ment to take long and desperate
chance and seize it instantly.
The eoacher must, OF course. be tn
telligent," he said. There are times
In the game when it is eight to one
against the baserunner. 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. At such times want
the daring coacher up to direct the run
ner' but one who also has good judg-
ment
Public Likes Coaching.
i believe in lively coaching. and the
public likes IT. But / don't think the!
public cares anything for noise and bell
lowing and monkey-shines on the lines
that have for their sole object TO rattle
the other side. Lively. earnest coach
ing keys up your own side. and that is
what It should be used for-not to unset
the other team. For that matter. I
don't believe any kind of coaching has
much effect on any opposing player
the pitcher. for instance. at whom Il is
most often directed.
Legitimate coaching with a view to
helping your own side is the only kind
that ought TO be practiced. and you are
wasting your time when you go IN for
confusing your opponents. who pay 10
attention to your coaching They have
too much to think about without bother
ing with you. and by the same token
you have all you can do in helping your
own man without paying attention 10
the other side The team that devotes
its energies and lung power to playing
its own game and minding its own busi-
ness is the team that wins.
Are Better Adapted.
THE older players in the business
leave the coaching too much to the
younger ones. There ought to oe more
coaching by the regular players, too.
without men from the bench getting up
so 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 10 have timid man up. The
man who is afraid he will be blamed IL
the runner is put out is not the man 70
have coaching at third base in a pinch
The coacher should study who Is at the
he has been hitting or not
They say you can't tell. but 1 think you
can tell, when a mans been up twice.
whether he is going to hit or not
The man who is playing a good game
is the one TO have up when bold coach
ing is needed. You can't say much TO a
man like that II he makes a 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 il is a good idea TO
have this very player do some coaching.
for IL gets his mind on his troubles,
keeps him occupied and may brace him
up.
Kicking" Injurious
Take two teams that are evenly
and the team that doesn't
wrangle or spiutter at the other players
or the umpire will win the most games
According to the old Baltimore and
Cleveland style. you had TO kick up q
great fuss to 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 is a quiet one. yet always
in the game, and winning without max
ing any fuss about il.
Kicking at the umpire is played out
II is losing card a waste OF time /
know our team is not doing any OF IL.
having had only one man put out OF the
game this year. Baseball Is too fast and
all OF your time and watchful-
ness and ability too completely 10 per-
nit OF a useless expenditure Of time in
finding fault with the umpire or trying
to disconcert the other side. You can't
do these latter things and keep your
mind wholly your own game And
unless you watch your own play strictly