The Washington times., 1904-01-27
BASEBALL PROBLEM
FOR FANS TO SOLVE
Player-Manager VS.. Man on
the Bench.
TEAM WORK TELLS STORY
Frank Selee and Hanlon Shape Up as
Good as Collins and
Clarke.

one subject which is always good for /
long-continued discussion in any baseball
gathering is the old problem-which is
the better manager. an active player or
a bench director? Magnates talk this
puzzle over and finish the discussion
unsatished. Players buzz it over thor
oughly, and give it up as an insohble
equation. The fans have wrangled about
: this point ever since 1856. and do not
yet know where they are 1t is in
short. one Of the most perplexing and
yet most fascinating Of all baseball puz-
zles
The fans who hold that an active
player makes the t>nanager say that
he has the actual experience, and thus
knows just what should be done at any
given period of game; that he can
best Judge of players real merits;
that he would be the better posted as
to the style Of play and inside tricks
of each hostile team, and that. being
actually in the game. he could act
quicker and with more direct results
than any man upon the bench.
The Bench Manager.
The bench manager. 50 his friends fig
ure has more time in which 10 think
up styles of play and winning methods.
Ills time is not taken up by the actual
physical duties of a player. He does
not have to bat. field. or run bases.
and hence can devote his energies to
the work OF picking players and max
ing those players put up winning ball
Not being a player. he is not sunk in
any groove or infatuated with any spe-
cial way of working. and can receive
new and advanced ideas more intelli-
gently and willingly than an actual field
leader. Both arguments seem powerful.
and the man who goes into the discus
sion prejudiced one way or the other :
sure to come out of the conversation
more firmly biased than ever.
When a playing leader is considered,
the mind instantly goes back TO the
giories Of two men-Adrian c. Arson
and Charles Comtslxey. These men, both
first base guardians. won flags ad libi-
tum in the long ago. Arson 5 success
when he had "A great team behind him.
with the stonewaT infield and batteries
never surpassed. has made thousands of
fans swear by the playing manager for
more than twenty years The old man
made a grand record-and yet, in all
fairness. could not Frank Selee have
taken that mighty team and done as
well?
Comiskey was winning pennants in,the
American Association just the way An
son won them in the National League
Comiskey was trickier than Arson.
taught more inside deviltries and more
rapid-fre methods, and thus equalized
any failings in a team which had no
stonewan basemen and no Garrison,
Flint or Kelly.
The crack playing managers Of today
are Fred Clarke and Jimmy Collins
each a pennant winner and each lead
ing a great team in mastery fashion.
IL may in all honesty be asked. how
ever. could not be an able. brainy bench
manager take the Pittsburgs or the
Bostons and do as well?
Ned Hanion. with the red-pepper Bal
timores. won flags. and won more flags
at Brooklyn. Hanlon was a bench man
ager always. but infused his men witt
a spirit equal TO that Arson and Comis
key gave. II may be argued that Ned >
an old player. and hence better verscC
fl the game than il he had always sat
on the bench. but where or when die
Hanlon, as an active player, ever show
any of the cleverness he displayed aftol
the physical worries of the game were
of his mind and body2
Frank Selee's Bunting.
Frank Selee. non-playine manager
pure and simple. has a fine collection
OF buntings Selee makes his team moy
fast and play consistent bail, and no &C
tive field captain can show better re
suits than ne has achieved But, will
all justice 70 Hanlon and Selee, coul,
net the Arson OF 1885. or the ComisSe,
OF 1856. have taken any OF the Selee o.
Hanlon teams ana done deeds as won
derful2
After all. It's not the question Of play
Ing or non-playing managerial is IN
team. Judgment in selecting the player
Is what counts. and it matters no
whether man play actively or warn
the bench when he knows "A ball playe
on first sight. Where would Arson hav
been without the stonewall inheid an
with scrubby gang2 Where would CO
nniskey have finished without Latham
TIP O-Neill Caruthers and the rest {
those old Browns What would Hanlo
have done without Keeler. McGraw an
Jennings And how would Selee hav
cut any ice at Boston without Nichols
Lowe and Long, Managers are "a
right-but. all IN al, when all Is said
e Is the team that wins the fiag