Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-14
CHANCE TO QUIT
Cubs Manager Will Leave First
Base and Become Bench
Manager.
LUDERUS MAY SUCCEED
Latter Considered the Most Promis-
ing Initial Stacker in the Bus
mess Today.

Frank Chance. manager and first
baseman of the Chicago Nationals, Is
seriously thinking of retiring from ac-
tive service from his baseball team.
The constant worry of directing the
club In pennant races. added to the
strain of being forced to cover the
initial sack. is the cause of his pro-
posed stand. Whether he will permit
the idea of becoming a bench manager
10 materialize depends wholly on one
thing and one pIayer-if the ardent
Chicago fans will stand for losing
man of his abilities and If Fred Lu-
derus can make good in covering first
base.
1t does seem queer for Chance TO en-
terrain the thought of joining the
ranks of Clarke Griffith. Hugh Duffy,
Hugh Jennings and McGraw as a
leader directing his men from the
bench. He is going better this season
than at the start Of any league race
for years. His managerial troubles
have not in any way interfered with
his becoming the best first baseman
in the league. AS fielder he always
IdnhSu Will lnC DCSl VI lHGD1 anu III
hitting outclassed many. He finished
the 1900 season with good average,
and if he continues his present work
he will surpass it.
With work like that it is doubtful
If the fans of Chicago will stand for
his retiring to the bench. He is too
popular II player. and the magnetic
force he has in drawing the people to
the games and getting the work out
of his men is wonderful. There is
something in his aggressive manner
that puts an entirely different aspect
on a game when he is on first base
He is always lighting and never quits
until the crowd flows on the field aft
er the battle is over. When he is in
there making the opponents worry
about what is coming off his men
have the same spirit.
Days of Playing Manager over.
CIiinc thinks raat the days OF the
playing manager are over 1t seems
as If he IS right. Years ago nearly
every manager in the clubs in both
leagues engaged in the game. Now
there is not one manager in the Amer
lean leagup who completes and only
four in the National.
Just let me give you little tip.
The days of the playing manager are
over" said Chance. of course that is
not saying or even intimating that !
am through. X is not the same now
as 1t was years ago to play position
and conduct the affairs of team The
crowds were not so large and the fans
and owners of clubs did not demand as
much from manager as they do now.
Now all Il leader has TO think of is
producing Il champion team. To do
that and cover position equally as
we'll as the star men on your team are
becoming Representatives,. and it has
been proved by the manner in which
the playing managers have retired
from the bench in favor of other men.
81 have thought about giving my pO-
sition to some one else. but ! can
hardly do ii. as there will be Il howl
from all angles. Besides. getting
man to take The job and Oil it the way
it should be is another question hard
to settle. In Fred LudPrus | think
have found the best first sacker in the
league When | make up my mind TO
give a definite decision on retiring
from active work be viii be on the
job. He has shown me sufficient TO
make him better than n logical candi-
date for the position He is a terrific
hitter and has improved enormously
In his fielding. The way he gets ground
balls is remarkable"