Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-31
Old Stars Find
Opening Today as
Tutors to Kids
Latham, Farrell, Robinson and Glea-
son Are Filling Such Places on
Big Diamonds.

Veteran ball players who have retired
from active work in the diamond and who
AVE proved their ability to handle promis-
ing recruits to the major league ranks,
are being signed each year by enterprising
managers OF the big league teams as spe-
clal coaches for the young players under
trial.
Last year Manager Murray. Of the Phil
lies, inadgurated the innovation Of appoint
ing ex-Captain Kid Gleason as assistant
manager or special coach for the Pbillies,
and so successful did the plan prove that
this season two other major league clubs
have signed veteran catchers TO coach
the young twirlers, and Manager McGraw
has gone a step farther by signing Arlie
Latham to coach the team during the
game.
This is not LRthRm's first job OF this
kind, however, as he held the same posi-
ton with Cincinnati while o T. Brush.
now president OF the New York club, was
the principal owner Of the Reds. Gleason.
Charles C'Duke') Farrell and Wilbert
Robinson are the three who hold positions
as special coaches for the players.
In selecting the promising material and
picking out the men who are worth carry
ing on the regular payroll It ls the wis
dom OF the veteran player that shows it,
self, and this is where veteran players like
Gleason. Farrell and Robinson come into
play. When the team goes south for its
spring practice the young players need to
be watched. Ambition to show up in good
shape before the manager with the hope
Of landing a permanent place on the team
often causes the young player to inJure
himself, so that he is OF little use to the
club for several weeks. and this means
heavy expenses to the club and probably
the loss OF a job TO the player. The re-
ports from the southern training camps
generally are filled with what the young
players are doing and how fast they are
working. But one seldom reads of the
veteran players killing themselves getting
into condition in a hurry. They have been
through the mill and know what 1t is to
take care Of themselves until the time
comes to let out their true form. With a
trained man In each camp to watch over
the ~over-anxious players the chance Of
having the hospital list full all the time
is greatly lessened, n this is one OF the
things figured out by Manager Murray
when he decided to hold KID Gleason to
watch the Phillies in their work. wilbert
Robinson, who was signed by Manager
McGraw TO help train the Giants' pitchers
during spring practice, was also q member
OF the famous Baltimore champions with
Gleason. Farrell has been signed by Man
ager Stalllngs of the New York Americans,
is one Of the Oldest men in the game, and
he and Robinson are rated as two Of the
brainiest catchers that ever donned a mask.
Robinson was a major league backstop
from 1886 to 1902, inclusive, while Farrell
started in the big organization in 1883 and
lasted until 1908. Robinson, since catching
for the Baltimore American league team
in 1902, often has donned base ball livery.
Every spring Robby has announced that he
would play ball, and religiously every sum-
mer he has caught for the Orioles. Last
year he was behind the bat for the Eastern
league champions in twenty-nine games
and led In his rivals in fielding. Farrell,
since leaving the Boston Americans, hasn't
often appeared on the diamond. In Boston
last year. however, the Duke was pre-
vailed on to 90 behind the bat in the game
in which old timers contested. and he
speedily showed that he had not lost his
former cunning. handling "Dupes" Shaw's
delivery just as we'll as he used to handle
the sizzling speed OF Amos Russie and
Jouett Meekin.