The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-05-06
BRAINS IN BASEBALL,
Shift of Heady Players May Make
Teams Pennant Factors.
THE CUBS WILL MISS Killing.

Loss Of Peerless Catcher May Hurt
Chieaso's Chances For Fourth Flag.
Criser of ST. Louis, Griffith of cinein-
natl and Bresnahan of St. Louis.
Some men are referred to as the
Drains" Of ball club. Sometimes it
Is the manager who acquires this title.
sometimes it is player and more
rarely an extra hireling-a scout or
what is popularity known as an "old
head"
Sometimes player is foisted on the
fans as the brainy one by an overdili-
gent, ronancing writer, and sometimes
the player earns his distinction. But
suffice it to say that there are some
players in the game who are pointed
out as being particularly long on gray
matter who couldn't make good in the
lone lamp league II left on their men
tai resources, while other players who
are crowded to the background are
brilliant to the extreme. This season,
however, the brains Of several ball
teams have shifted, and the envied
title is waiting to fall on the most de-
serving man in many clubs.
In the ST. Louis camp Jack O'Con-
nor, who in his day was called "king'
| and who for the past two years has
been pointed out as the brains, sew
cred his connections and signed to
| manage Little Rock. Already Jack is
turning few of his "heady" plays.
O'Connor has made a deep study of
baseball, and few men in the game
have u superior knowledge of the
sport.
~rir, 49, Lr> fy r to
Americans is to fill to certain extent
IO'Connor's shoes. Lou seems to be all
brains. Ball players regard him as
the greatest student Of the game play
Ing today. He is an encyclopedia on
baseball. lie knows the batters, the
fielders and the pitchers. He's rare
gem and n valuable asset to the st.
Louis American league entry. Last
year Criger allowed Cobb to steal but
one base, and then McConnells error
was partly responsible for that pilfer.
Lou can outguess Tyrus and calls the
| latter n "bonehead." Others call him
a "wise guy"
| When Clark Griffith quit the Yankees
and later signed up with the Cincinnati
club, to command the deStinies Of the
Reds, many people said that one of the
} "brainiest" little managers in m the
| American league was making his exit.
Griffith was the first manager to make
a success Of changing pitchers. He
yanked out the firing twirlers so fast
| 1t made their heads swim and put his
club up in the race long before any Of
the other managers took up the prac-
tice. He went in himself in pinches
and was reputed to have nothing but
his "head'-no speed or no curves-but
still he was fairly successful on the
slab. Success in his new berth means
that he will continue to wear the title,
"BrainS"
Stanley Robinson probably paid the
fancicSt price ever paid for player
for Roger Bresnahan, just to get a
good catcher and some "brains' for
his young ball club. Whether he was
successful remains to be seen, but long
ago Roger was recognized for his wis.,
dom in running q ball club and recog-
nlzed by that peerless manager, John
ny McGraw. Roger is booked to re-
cefve the title of brains" In the St.
Louis National league club.
The baseball world looked upon the
retirement of Fielder Jones as the
passing of the greatest exponent Of
inside baseball that ever played. His
wonderful brain work earned for the
| White SoS the title of "hitless Won
ders' Under his regime the team won
games without hits-won them merely
on superior headworll
Cleveland signed Jim Mcclure to add
that one essential which has hereto
Tore been lacking in Napland-brains
| Mcclure was a success with the Bos-
ton club. He goes to Cleveland to
make team that is physically forti-
he'd to Win the American lea que pen
nant strong in the department which
has been the cause of its repeated fail
ures. He is assuming q colossal task.
but has in the past proved himself
capable.
| Wise fans are predicting that the
Chicago Nationals will run second or
worse since Johnny Killing. the great
est catcher in the league, has refused
to return. king was without doubt
a receiver of extraordinary ability He
ran the team with such precision that
1t Won three championships. He de-
velops young pitchers and was one Of
the most valuable assets in baseball.
But king has announced that he is
| through with the game, although his
| friends hope to win him over before
the season is far advanced
There's a question mark lowering
over Catcher Frank Bowerman, who