Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-17

ment. Yet Lajole has secured
new material since last fan and
believes that he will make a far better
showing this season. Lajole Is a natural
ball player When he was member Of
the Fan River team Of the New England
league IN 1895 the New York club had
chance to buy his release for a mere trihe.
But Philadelphia stepped I'm quickly and
got the big French-Canadian. who made
good from the outset He was first base
nan I'm those days. but his ability to play
any position soon lanGed him at the second
bag. whore ne has been a star ever since.
Lajoie is a tremendous hitter and a quiet
unassuming player on the field. He will
receive the largest salary, It is said, that
will be paid to player-manager this year,
the amount being more than $4,000.
Jimmy McAIeer's Foster.
James McAleer, the manager Of the ST.
Louis Americans, will be remembered as
the crack center fielder Of the C1evelands
of ten years ago, when Pat Tebeau held the
reins Never a great batsman, MCAleer
was always a superb Judge of fly balls, a
long, accurate thrower and fast man be-
| tween the bases. AS manager he has
made himself solid with St. Louis fans,
| even II he has not as yet landed the flag.
But It is believed that he will have a team
! this year that will prove a factor in the
race, as he has been gradually building it
up, until last fall it looked particularly
good.
Charley stahl, veteran player win
handle the Boston Americans, succeeding
Jimmy Collins. the brilliant third baseman,
| in this capacity. stahl was developed by
Frank Seele and has been playing in Boston
! for years He has always been an out
| fielder and good one as well a clean,
/ snappy hitter and a fair haseman. But as
team leader he has never had experience,
! and that means that his work this year
| with the Hub players will be watched with
much interest stahl is intelligent, earnest,
! capable and willing-attributes which go
| to make successful manager-and as he
is we'll liked by the players who will receive
orders from him. it is believed that he
| will help the Boston team to crawl at least
out Of the tail end position.
Two New Ones.
Hugh Jennings makes his first bow as
! major league manager with the Detroit
! Americans. He is we'll known as the
former star shortstop of the old Baltimore
! champions and later as the crack first
baseman Of the Brooklyns when they won
the pennant two years in succession under
! Hanlons management. When Jennings got
through with Brooklyn he drifted back to
Baltimore, where he managed the Eastern
league team of that city last year with
much skill. He attracted so much atten-
ton then that several of the big clubs
were after his services, but Detroit, It
turned out, had drafted him for $1,000
Jennings is a graduate Of the Cornell law
school and has been. admitted to the bar
but as there is good money to be made
IL
to retire yet. As a manager Jennings ought
to succeed. He knows base ball from Alpha
to Omega. He learned the intricacies Of
the game under Hanlon and knows how to
impart his knowledge TO others. He is a
stickler for discipline, something that De-
troit needs and is an aggressive hustler,
though not an advocate of rowdy ball.
Joseph Cantillion of the Washington club
completes the list Of American league
managers. Like Jennings, he comes from
a minor league, as he managed the Mil
waukee team last year with great success.
Cantllion, a little man, was once a player
and afterward an umpire He is hot
headed, hard loser, yet is said to possess
the faculty for preserving harmony in his
team If he does well in his new berth
as in the clubs he has recently handled
it is believed that Washington will prosper
both from a playing and business stand
point
MuEgsy's Rise to Fame.
There are some first-class managers in
the National league, too. BY some John
McGraw Of the New Yorks is considered
the best. AS far as results go, McGraw
can point with pride to two pennants and
a worlds championship won by team of
players that on paper barring the famous
Mathewson, did not look formidable when
Muggsy first took hold of them. Because
of the fact that the Baltimore team under
McGraw's management was a failure in
the American league, partisans of that
organization have always insisted that Nc
Graw's New York team won two cham
pionships from a lot of inferior teams in
the National league, while the defeat Of the
Athletics for the worlds championship was
almost wholly due to the wonderful pitch
ing of Mathewson.
1t has been often pointed out that Donlin,
McGraw, Gilbert, Seymour, Bresnahan and
McGinnity, all members Of the New York
Nationals last year, were playing on the
Baltimore Americans under McGraw when
that team trailed home near the tail end of
the race. But whether there is anything
in this argument or not, thousands of
metropolitan rams SUN nave Implicit con-
fdence in McGraw, and still believe that
with Mathewson, Donlln and the other
men who were incapactated last year in
proper trim this time he will bring more
honors to the Polo grounds.
Frank Chance the Boss.
Frank Chance, who managed last years
National league champions, the Chicago
, Cubs, is hailed as the boss IN the Windy
! City. Chance is a fine player, one of the
best headed leaders. But beyond capable
handling of the Cubs on the field the reaI
credit for getting together the nucleus for
a champion team does not belong to him.
Frank Selee was the man who built up the
, National league club in Chicago, for Selet
, picked up Killing, Reulbach, Lundgren
Evers, Tinker, Slagle and Schultz, all great
, players, who did much to take the pennant
, west last season. Chance was a member OF
the team when Selee left Boston to take
, hold Of it. He was signed as catcher by
e. Captain Arson and was always a high class
man. 1t was Chance who made the deals
for Sheckard, steinfeldt. Overall, Taylor
and Moran, men who added just enough
strength TO the Cubs 20 make them in.
5 vincible, but Selee laid the foundation,
Ned Hanlon the man who will try tc
build up a winner I'm Cincinnati this year