Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-05
IN HESE managers have pretty
- soft tina Of IL All thew have

flT HESE managers have a pretty I
soft time of it. All they have
t. do is sit there on the bench
and watch the ball games, and pull
down about $4,000 for doing it, / once
heard fan remark, as he was pass
ing out of the bali field Little did he
know how far from the mark his words
We're. If there's one job above another
in baseball that requires an unlimited
amount of real hard work, that OF
manager is the one. The players have
to work hard during the season, but
with the close of the championship
games their labors end, and they don't
have to worry again for some four or
five months. But the poor, manager,
alas, never can stop worrying. His la
bors commence on the first day of jan
uary, and end on the last day of De-
cember. It's a case of go, go, go, all
the time with him.
During the playing season, though
the Lord knows he has enough on his
mind, he really has the easiest time.
Once team gets going, he is sure of
his players, at least. OF course they
do not always come up to the mark,
and it is up to him. to wake up and
get mold of some more, but when the
season is on, this is generally no very
difficult thing to do. TO be sure, he
can't land champions during this time,
but this fact is generally accepted as
some thing that cannot be helped, and
he is not knocked because Of it.
In the winter, though, it's up to him
to get busy, and sign up some real AL
performers. He has to go running
around the country, investigating the
| record of this or that budding world
beater," and if he thinks the youngster
can come to time, he must secure him
for his club, despite the fact that six
or seven other fellows are after him,
or be voted dead one If he is lucky
enough to get hold of some minor
league star, and the fellow happens to
lose his nerve, and prove useless, then
| the unfortunate managers judgment
| is called into question: Thus, you see,
he is always on the horns of a dilem-
| ma. If he doesn't sign the player he's
after, he gets knocked, and if he does
land him, and he is not up to the mark,
which is the case 80 times out of 100,
| he is in for some more knocks.
In the off season, too, the old play
ers have to be swung into line If the
previous season has been a good one,
here's another bunch of trouble. Every
member of the team will be firmly of
the opinion that it was his own par
ticular playing that was accountable
| for most of the victories of the past,
and consequently, he will inform the
| boss that, if his services are desired
again, he must be given an appreciable
too ,,, low f11ot 1a iC
already getting fully as much as he is
worth seems to have no bearing at all
on the matter Then the manager has
to get busy and talk the recalcitrant
one into seeing things in a little differ
ent light. 1t will take perhaps a month
or SO to do this, and you can imagine
that the situation is not very likely to
make the poor diplomat sleep the more
| soundly.
Time was when the manager had all
the work Of getting railroad tickets,
fixing things up with hotel managers,
and all sorts of little knick knacks.
But in major league ball, this at least
is taken off his shoulders, though the
bosses in the bush leagues still have to
| do it in many cases. Speaking of MI
nor leagues calls to mind the fact that
here is where the managers have a
whole lot of real trouble. The players,
| who are really only try-outs, have the
| idea that they are all sorts of wonders,
and their services worth a small for
| tune. They resort to every kind of a
| scheme to do the management They
see to it when at home that they are
paid every day for three first-class
| meals, sleep during the morning so
that they will not have to have break
| fast, and then go off to some cheap
place where they satisfy themselves
for Is or 20 cents. When the club pays
| for the hotel bills, though, there is a
| remarkable change. They get their
| three meals every day, and put away
SO much food that the hotel owners are
| unwilling to cater to their trade.
The care of the young fellows is an
other of the burdens of the leader. He
has to see to it that they do not lose
heart, because, perhaps, they may slip
up on their first appearance. When
they do make good, they have to be re-
strained lest they become imbued with
the idea that the league could not get
along without them. Them again, they
are liable to incur the anger and jeal-
Ousy of some of the older members of
the team. 1t Is but natural that a vet
eran should feel a little sore when he
sees himself being shut out by some
new conner. Perhaps several of his com
paniOnS will feel the same way, and
then if the crowd is not handled with
kid gloves, disSenSion will spring up
and the teams prospects be ruined. In
variably when there is feeling" to use
the popular phrase, between the play
ers on a team, the manager is called
to account for it, and is handed his
blue envelope. And it's no easy mat
ter to talk to couple of disgruntled
ball players, and try to make them
look on the bright side of things
Then, there's all the difference in the