The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-27
BASEBALL LEADERS
EARN THEIR COIN
At Head Of Big Machine That-I
Expected to Return Big
Dividends.

The time is almost a. hand FOR the base.
ball spring training trips Soon baseball
players In the North will oegin to migrate
TO tho sunny Southland to report to their
managers. They are eager for that time to
come. and 80 are the managers. but did
you ever stop TO think what a gigantic
task those managers have? They ara at the
head of the machine that is TO make or lose
money for the stock holders.
They have been trying TO make parts OF
that machine strong during tho winter
months. Some part OF the great force that
is calculated TO be attractive enough TO
draw thousands TO gee II may have been
found to have been weak the season before.
and perhaps many deals were put through
during the winter for a man to strengthen
that weak point in the makeup OF the base
bail machine. Several players may have
weak place And they Will Try hard. try
harder than they Will later perhaps, little
| detail that the manager must bear in mind
all the time.
Don't Like Restrictions.
When the players are all together and
the training has begun the managers
troubles multiply. Some of tho players do
| not like the restraint that the watchful eye
o: the manager means 10 them. They are
| just through a winter OF joyous idleness, the
| !deols OF many adniring friends. They do
| mt like 10 cut out the cigarettes that taste
| all the better now that they arc Ike stolen
1 fruit. They do not like 10 give up the beer
| or perhaps the cocktail that they have had
| when they wanted it during r:.e winter.
| but these things 40 not so with baseball.
and the manager knowing it, taboos IT. and
| some OF the players try 10 hide away Gig
arctic as he approaches or snea.. away from
| the bGr-roou door The manager does not
| like to be detective he wants all his men
to do as he wishes. and tells them that tho
| little rues are for their own good. that they
Will play all tho better ball for II and be
worth more to the club.
Tho new comers the fellows who arc try
/ ing to break into big company, do as he
! says without question. out some OF tho
stars, men who have been with the team
i for years and feel secure in their positions.
to have get into tip-top condition. thsso are
the men that are apt to cause nm the most
trouble. But he will not be detective.
Difficulty In Choosing.
A star may be> called to the mana gers
room some day. told to cut out the stun
| that he knows is bad for him or he can so
+, to the bushes. There is an air OF hnality
about II when the manager talks that way
and the player is more near the
bar or with suspicious wreath of smoke
curling up from his fingers.
! But these are trifles compared to the DIFF,
/ iiculty in choosing the men that are to fl
that one weak spot. The manager gets OUT
and works with the men. He talks little
and sees much He thinks much He sit,
up In his room long after nearly everybody
! else with the exception OF the night owls
are in their beds. still thinking. He thinks
up new stunts to put those recruits through
and all the time he cannot make up hi
mind which OF two men to keep for Ia,
i position.
l 1t Is Not All Play.
4 The team may not be stngins the ball
| He knows that the year before they hit TIL
/ pill in the nose 30 often that they were TIN
/ terrors of all the star pitchers in the league
What is the matter: VIII they got to goini
J the way they ought to before the season
opens? More to think about. The manage
/, cannot afford to worry. He Is paid to sc
out winning team the team that Is goini
4 to make tho sheckics flow into the Golfer
/ OF the men who have chosen him for tn
i very reason that they think that he is tn
man who can cause the stream of silvc
/ to flow tho right way. II he worries h
might become i'll. and then he would be o
no use He sigha and goes 10 bed and prob
ably prays for his team before he goes i
!! sleep.
\ lisa hard job, and one that there are fey
i men in the country that are capable of MI
! ing If some OF these baseball manager