Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24
THE ORIGINAL coAcHER.
Ted Sullivan Tells Of the Debut Of
Arlie Latham.

In recording the epochs Of base ball his
tory the writer's have spoken Of the great
Mike Kelly as the most versatile of all
players: Radbourne. the greatest of all
pitchers; Doug Allison, the original
catcher to go up close behind the bat;
Seam" Studley, the first to slide into
bases. but no one has mentioned the orig
inal player to break into the sport with
the vigorous coaching now practiced.
The innovation was started in 1883. and
the first one to put 1t in practice was Arlie
Latham, a young player who had. that
season been obtained by Ted Sullivan
from Lynn. Mass. to play with the ST.
Louis Browns, for whom Sullivan was
then doing duty as bench manager. This
Is how Sullivan tells Of Latham's debut
as coacher. his revolution Of the old
stereotyped system:
Il remember well the first day Latham
coached" said Sullivan. TT was in Gin
cinnati in 1888. I must confess I never
had much use for a fresh player. and
soon after Latham reported was not
backward in telling him he was too d.
fresh, but later discovered that he was
a wonderful player, and that his fresh
ness was of a most harmless and hflari-
Gus nature. But after l gave him the
reprimand noticed he was little timid
about saying anything, but was still of
good cheer.
"One day in Cincinnati Will White had
the Browns on his staff with his little
stingy rise ball. Ny best men were on
the bases and there was no one on the
line. / asked the men on the bench, is
there no one here able to coach little? ?
Latham speaks up and says, will coach
If you want me- Certainly l. said, go
out and give them your BEST
We'll, " Gabriel had entered grave
yard and blown his trumpet, and the
tombstones had loosened their grip on the
sensation. Latham walked out to the
home plate and to the CONSERVATION of
umpire, players and myself delivered this
talk to Pitcher White:
my dear Mr.. White. we have been
very courteous to you during the game,
but as the Browns need a few runs we
will have to be rude to you for a while,
and then stalking off to third base went
through those gyrationE that afterward
made him famous all over America. White
was dumbstruck at the flow Of words that
afterward fell from Latham and he be-
came SO ratified that the Browns batted
him out OF the box and won the game.
Latham was the original funny man
in the coacher's box. and he stood in a
class entirely by himself He has had
reached the position that Latham occu-
pied, for he was a genius in the work and
never used language that would offend
the ears Of the most prudish.
Many years ago it used to be Latham's
great aim to get out on the coaching
line here in Washington in the games
that local pet-Win Mercer-was to do the
pitching. 1t will be recall ed that Mercer
was an extremely handsome fellow, and
often It fell to his lot to pitch on Ladies'
day. Latham took the greatest delight
in endeavoring to disconcert Mercer. the
large number of ladies being mad enough
to pull his hair, while at the same time
they were convulsed with laughter at
his sayings and antics. He and Mercer
were great ehums, and when Latham was
secured by the Wagners to travel with
the Washingtons for coaching purposes
alone the two were inseparable, thus
showing that though thorough minstrel
and actor, his chaff never broke into Bit
ter personalities or severed friendship.
I'VE have our Hughey Jennings and
others of today. but in the history Of
base ball there has only been one ideal
oacher from the line-Arlie Latham