Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-11-03


lean League originally was a Western
organization, it has looked to this sec
ton OF the country for teams Of the
junior league are supplied with pilots
for the campaign of 1910, six of the,
commanders being persons who, while
perhaps not born in the East neverthe-
less got their first real chance in this
region This seXtet consists of George
Stallinss of the Highlanders, Connie
Mack of the Athletics. Fred Lake of
the Boston Red SoX, Jim Mcclure of
the Clevelands, Hugh Jennings of the
Detroit Tigers and Hugh Duffy Of the
Chicago White Stockings.
OF these six men, four were born in
the East, one in the West and one in
the South. All. however, first became
known to fans on account of their per-
formances on Eastern diamonds.
though Mcclure started his big league
career with a Western ciub-Indian-
considered much of player until he
was with Philadelphia a year or so,
and reached the topnotch point of his
career while a member of the Wash
ington and Brooklyn clubs.
Now that Robert Lee Hedges has Sc
lected Jack O'Connor as Jim McAleer's
successor as manager of the st. Louis
Browns the American League teams
OF 1910 have as bosses seven men who
formerly wore the chest protector and
one individual who gained his reputa-
ton as an outfielder. Stallngs, Mack,
Lake, Mcclure, Jenning, OConnor and
Duffy are the pilots who formerly did
duty behind the bat. McAlcer the one
time suburbante.
Lajoie and Sullivan, retiring mana
gers, were also catchers at one time
during their baseball career.
Mcclure probably is the oldest of
the American League commanders.
Jennings undoubtedly the youngest. III
point of service in the junior organlza-
ton Connie Mack is the dean. Corne-
Illus the Crafty has been a JOhnsonlte
since 1897, when Pittsburg let HIM out.
Stallings then was in the American
League. but from 1903 to 1906 he was
in the Eastern, and in 1907 he acted
the part of a gentleman of leisure.
Each and every commander of an
American League team at one time or
another in his career has been in the
National League and. barring OCon-
nor and Mcclure, each boss has drawn
the tinware degree from teams in the
parent body Jack and Jim rubber
legged to the B. B. J. organization be-
fore they had outlived their usefulness
as players.
The Amt rican League leaders OF
1916 are. barring Jennings, men more
than 40 years old. The two Macs-Mc-
CURE and McAlcer-Were the first to
break into the national paStlme. This
they did at about the same time in
1888 Mcclure, during that season was
backstopping for Cleveland and In
dianapolis, while McAleer was cover
ing center field for the team at his ma
tive village-Youngstown, o. Jim of
Cleveland had attained his majority
then, while James of Washington had
lust graduated from the Youngstown
High school.
Hughey Duffy. Connie Mack and
Jack O'Connor were all doing back
stop duty in minor leagues in 1886.
This, probably. was their first year
out. Duffy was in the New England
League. Mack in the Eastern League
ana - NOflIlOI Ill Tie w tSltIlt ut.
The first of the trio to reach the Ma
tional League was the boss of the
White Elephants. Mack and his part
ner, Gilmore. who constituted the
shadow battery" were sold by Hart
ford to Washington. and Joined the
Senators in August, 1856.
Mack didnt participate in enough
championship battles that season to
get a record from Nick Young. but as
the unofficial figures showed Connie
to have hit at about .342 clip. the
Senatorial management was deluged
with offers of trades for their wonder
full SwatSmth. These offers We're re-
fused with scorn and the next season
Cornelius, the clouter. bingled about
1876 Mack's first managerial job was
in Pittsbllrg. his second in Milwaukee.
He failed to win flag in either city,
but in his second season in Quaker
dom he had the satisfaction of putting
the Athletics in first place and keep
ing them there.
George StalIings and Jack O'Connor
reached the big show at the same time
in 1887. The Big Chief got his
first major league job from the
Phillies, then managed by Harry
Wright. O'Connor that spring was sit
ting on the bench in Cincinnati, the
Queen City team, which then was
managed by Gus Schmelz, who used
to give the signals to the players by
pulling his whiskers. being in the
American Association. O'Connor was
a fixture with the Reds. but Stallings
didn't last with the Phillies, who sold
him to Toronto where he caught the
speedy curves of Ned Crane, later a
Giant.
Stallings was tried as catcher by
Brooklyn in 1889 and had charge of
the Phillies in 1897 and part of 1898
O'COnnOr has been back in the minor
leagues twice since he held his first
big league JOHN 1890 and last sea-
son. Expelled from the American
Association during the year Of the war
between the Players League and the
National League. in which the A. A.
was the innocent bystander. O'Con-
nor went to Denver. Last spring Jack
started out as manager OF the Little
Rock team. resigning that position to
scout for the Brownies.
McAleer and Duffy became big
leaguers in 1889. each man betting
employment in the parent OrganiZa