The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-03-13
Spring TRIPS ARE
HARD ON MANAGERS
Responsibility of Passing. on
Recruits Is Cause of
Much Worry.
PLAYERS CHANGE FORM
SHOW SPEED IN PRACTICE AND
THEN FALL DOWN.
PLAYERS CHANGE FORM
BY BILLY EVANS.

Washington, D. c., March 12.-The
trials and tribulations of the big league
managers are now on in earnest, the
woes of the minor league leaders will
commence shortly.
OF course, the average manager
bumps into more trouble during the
playing season than is usually allotted
mere men, but it is questionable if any
season Of the year brings forth more
perplexing questions that the spring
training trip.
During the summer the baseball
scouts are kept busy digging up pos
sible recruits for the majors and
minors. In the spring ii becomes the
duty of the manager to pass judgment
on the much-heralded phenoms discov-
cred by the baseball sleuths.
It's no easy job passing judgment on
these new recruits. Most any man
ager in any league will tell you that as
a rule he finds it a much easier job di-
recting the summers campaign in a
hard-fought race than that of tagging
the o. K. or n. G.. sign on the new
players.
Managers are often severely criti-
cised for their expression of judgment
on certain players, when under the ex
listing conditions no other verdict could
have been reached. Surroundings and
environment often play a prominent
part in the success or failure of some
ambitious youngster. A certain player
in his try-out with a certain team
might look like an excellent man for
the place in the foundry, while in some
other team he might instantly show TO
advantage.
Players Dispositions.
Every player has a different DISPOSE
ton, some do their best under fire, but
a majority are able to perform up to
their ability when conditions are favor
able. If a recruit goes south with a
club that has four infieldeEs regarded
as the best in their class, and couple
of utility players of great ability, nat
urally the prospects of winning a reg
ular berth are none too alluring. Real
ling these things, his ambition to
shine is often dimmed right off the reel,
his heart is not in his work, conse-
quently he invariably fails TO show his
real ability. On the other hand, let a
recruit go south with a team that has
few real stars, and many places to be
filled by youngsters, naturally the new
player realizes that a great opportuni-
ty is open to him. Knowing the possi-
bilities, he puts forth every effort to
show his true worth. Under such con-
ditions the manager is usually able to
get a much better line on his new men.
It's very often the case that the men
who show the best right off the reel
fail to shine as brightly as recruits
who on their first appearance in select
company look like promising farm
L, l. IL. q
swearing by some recruit because of
his great work on the spring training
trip, only to find later in the season
that his preliminary work was merely
flash in the pan. On the other hand,
another player is early turned loose to
the minors. In the course Of three or
four years this same player may be
back in the big league a star, while the
other chap who looked so good at the
start may be working hard for a liv-
ing.