Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-21
SPRING PROBLEMS
FOR THE MANAGERS
Selecting the Best Youngsters
From New Recruits Very
Much of a Lottery.

Base ball managers who have
too many players to try out in the
spring are almost as much to be pitied
as those who haven't enough 1t is
big problem for manager to pick tie
best from among thirty, forty and as
high as fifty men-and some clubs
have that many candidates-for regu-
lar berths on their teams. Manager
Mack of the Athletics is one of he
managers who will have that task to
perform this spring, for he has. or at
least had until recently, about forty
players on his payroll
Undeniably there is a lot of good ma
terial in a small army of from thirty
to fifty players. but how to pick out
the best eighteen or twenty from that
number is a more difficult task than
the average fan can possibly realize.
1t is next to impossible for any man
ager to get a correct line on every man
in his squad, if there are from thirty to
fifty in It, in the few weeks of a train
ing season down south.
How Managers Are Handicapped.
Even if he allows the veterans to
take care Of themselves and they re-
turn to their form of the previous sea-
son and gives his entire attention to
the youngsters in his charge he can
not find out anything like a nearly cor
rect estimate of the value of each of
his new men. One reason why he can't
is because the new men do not have
time enough to get into shape to let
their managers see them at their best
All managers, of course. dread max
Ing mistakes in the spring by letting
good youngsters go and holding on to
inferior material. None wants any
good thing to get past him. 1t costs
money to try to prevent anything get
ting away. The manager leaves him
self open to criticism every time he
allows a player to go. Every player
has his friends and followers who be-
lieve in his worth.
The manager lets a youngster go. He
returns to the minors, shows good form
and is picked up by rival club. lie
turns out to be a good player. and
every time his name is mentioned in
the newspapers which praise his work
they add: The player whom Manager
-- let go last spring without giving
him thorough trying out" And that
feels like singing rebuke to the err
ing manager, who considers himself
more unfortunate than stupid because
he didn't have a chance in the short
time on the spring training trip to OBJ
tain correct line on the player III
question.
Mistakes Are Unavoidable.
1oOu men nave Decn sent out OF the
big leagues every year and poorer ones
retained And they will continue being
dropped SO long as base bail is played
because of the reasons stated. 1t Is "a
matter which the future cannot remedy
because of the lack of time in thu,
short spring training season and the
expense incurred of holding on to the
youngsters after salaries go into effec,,
beginning on the date when the first
championship game is played.
And even before the manager gets
hold, OF the new material will good men
get by him because the scouts employed
by the big league clubs miss the nest
week after week. base ball scout
usually remains from two to three day
In minor league town and sees as
many games played.
Scouts Are Often Fooled.
Players who look good to him are re-
ported to his club One player of the |
two contrasting teams may at that par
ticular time show some brilliant flash
of speed or have batting streak on !
He is a mediocre minor, but just ha,,-
pens to play beyond his usual spec
at that time. He is picked up and !
dropped the next spring. but the /
chances are to 1 that he will git |
something better than he had the year /
before because he has been up lin fas: !
company
Al the anne time the club from which !
this mediocre player came NAV have |
two or three other players of murn |
greater ability. Base ball has never
known a player who played in the same |
brilliant form every day OF the season.
The star of the team may have n slump
when the scout comes around to look
him over. He shows up poorly aud
looks bad when compared with the me-
diocre player whom the scout chooses
and few years later that agent will |
1ltar hat h.n
good thing" to get away from him. 1t
has always been thus and always will
be.
The nearest I ever came to a big
league trial, says young pitcher who
is drafted for this season, and was also
drafted but fired few years ago. was
this way: i was with the New York