Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-21

does not hesitate to do so when the occa-
sion arises; who is capable of instructing
recruit in the art of handling the bat at the
plate; who is not nervous about taking out
his star pitchers when they begin TO show
signs of distress and who plays right along
himself-that manager has a decided ad-
vantage over rival not so equipped for
the encouragement of team aggreSsiVenesS.
Such a manager was Buck Ewing, who
was equally at home behind the bat. in the
pitchers box, and in in and outfieid. such
a manager is McGraw of the champion
Giants. McCiraw has won hundreds of
games because he does not hesitate sec
ond to change pitchers whenever he detects
one showing the fafntest symptoms of dis
tress; and game won is the best KIND OF
incentive for a team to go out and win
another.
Other present-day managers who disdain
to direct their teams from the bench are
Clark Griffith of the New York Americans,
who is well acquainted with the pitchers
box; joe Kelly of the Reds who holds
down first base: Fielder Jones of the Chi
cago Americans; First Baseman Fred Ten
ney of the Boston Nationals; Collins of the
Boston Americans and Charlie Nichols of
the ST. Louis Nationals Tenney. besides
being star first baseman, is good bats
man and base runner of no mean ability.
Quite number of other managers are also
noted for their ability in divers positions.
Details in Running a Team.
But besides knowing which man to jolly
the best possible team work-in other words
in addition to being an expert in human
nature in all it's numerous moods and
phases-the manager must be proficient in
many another direction
1t is incumbent on him to keep in close
touch with the business end of the organiza-
ton. He must know how to handle his
club president. who is at his heels contin-
ually. He is supposed to be an adept al ar
ranging for hotel accommoda tons which
will be perfectly satisfactory to all hands
At the table it falls to his lot to see that
those members of his team who are exceed
ingly fond of good food do not eat too much
for their own welfare, and that of the
game. In his hands is placed the power,
absolutely, of enforcing team discipline. and
he alone decides what infraction of the
rules to overlook and what punishment TO
mete out to offender.
He coaches the youngsters and puts them
with the stars for months that they may
unconsciously absorb base ball knowledge.
He releases and secures new players and
is alone responsible for the teams organfza-
ton. He arranges the southern trip, and
he gets the men together. He sees that
the team has an ample supply of spheres;
| he furnishes the players their bats; he
keeps posted on the needs of his men; he
decides what players shall be taken on
trip and those to be left behind
He selects the groundkeepers. He gives
| instructions where the base line path is to
be built up and how the pitching box IS TO
be altered. He makes it point to pro-
vide a solid background for the batsman
He raises a mighty howl about cigar and
whisky and other advertisements in the
grounds, which are so placed that their
glazing colors confuse the eyes OF the play
ers as they are chasing the ball or trying
to swat it for a home run. And he is not
an AL manager unless he is an adept at
taking advantage instantly of his oppo-
nent's weaknesses.
Have Superstitions of Their Own.
All the while that he is doing all these
| things and humoring the oddities of the
men he is giving heed to a pet superstition
| or two of his own. Perhaps he believes,
! did Buck Ewing. that, if his team is to
| do it's best he must keep walking all the
| time that the game is in progress. Or he
| feels certain that all chances of winning a
game would disappear if once he removed
| his cap from his head after leaving the
| club house. Or feels squeamish every
time he spies white horse driven by a
mulatto while his way to the grounds.
His superstitions are many, and that man.
ager who has not one or more is a very
rare manager indeed.
Then, too, like the rest of mankind a
! manager is apt to have his prejudices and,
| in the slang of the day, it is decidedly up
, to him if he lets his pet aversions clash
with the best interests of his team.
Pop" Arson, one of the greatest mana
gers in the history of base ball. had a set
prejudice against players of small stature.
He let Hugh Duffy go because he was
what is sometimes dubbed runt. Bos-
ton got him, and for a long time Duffy led
| the league in batting. averaging over 400
per cent. Home Run as Duffy has been
known for years. is now manager of the
Philadelphia Nationals.
What with managing team of some fif-
teen or eighteen more or less cantankerous
players, and a nagging president and HIM
self, the base ball manager surely has no
honestly
that he does not earn every cent of the
money which he gets at stated intervals in
his pay envelope.