Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-07

If John j. McGraw had cut three Giants
adrift in the order of their initial failures,
as other managers have done with other
later-developed stars, the bulk of public
opinion would have backed him up as
keen-eyed mogul who didn't care to carry
any dead weight or surplus bone around,
says Grantland Rice.
But at one and the same time the Gil
ant caravan today would not be topping
the front of the procession in this breezy
year of 1911.
So while a good many thousands clam
ored madly for this trio's dismissal-or
at least two of this trio-McGraw decided
that he would rather have shot at the
flag some day than pick up the huzzas
of the masses.
Simple Situation.
The triumvirate in question comprises
no others than Marquard, Merkle and
Snodgrass-the national gold brick of
1909, the national goat of 1908 and the
national unknown of the same Merkellian
year.
In deciding to ride above popular clam
or in the retention of these three 1911
stars McGraw marked himself as mogul
of unusual judgment, for which every
one comedies him the credit except Nc
GraW himself.
The Giant chieftain alone figues the
situation simple one ITO begin with,
reminiSced McGraW, we Will take up
Merkle's case.
THAT 1903 affair with Chicago looked
then as if it had doomed him for good
and all. Few. I know, expected me to
hold him with the club But there was
another angle which most people over
looked.
mo one figured Merkle a poor ball
PLAYER mechanically. The judgment in
general was that he was bonehead. But
1 happened to know that whatever
MerkIe's fault or faults might be, that he
was anything but marble dome
Always Looked Good.
Il knew him for a pretty wise young
fellow, inexperienced, and, perhaps. a
a good, steady brain, What reason was
there. then, for my dropping good man
because of one mistake?
1T was easy enough to see that MerkIe
had bright future before this 1908 at
fair, and l figured then that if he had
enough to him to stand up against all the
abuse he had received that he was bound
to make good
And at the time | sized him up as a
man who was not only there physically
and mentally, but as one who had cour-
age enough to come back into the face of
all this fire and fight harder than ever.
1T is my belief now that Merkle is a
better ball player today than he would
have been if the Chicago affair had never
happened. For he not only stood UP
under it all, but. went out to make good
with much more determination than he
would otherwise have shown.
It's simple enough when You think 1t
over + don't believe there's man
the club who uses his brain or thinks
quicker than Merkle does today
This has been IA hard, rough campaign,
but how many bone-headed plays do you
remember that Merkle has made? He
has made his errors, but they were errors
of hand or eye and not of brain.
Never in Doubt.
Coming to Alarauard, the case is en-
tirely different. 1t was only necessary
to see this fellow pitch half dozen
balls to tell that he had but few equals
in the game. He had speed, curves and
the build to stand up and keep going
through hard fight.
But he was young and Inexperienced
he had never been seasoned through even
one full campaign in the minors-or al
most only one-and all this Sill 900 bust
ness had simply gotten his goat. He
was overanXiOus to make good.
If he had been indifferent l wouldn' t
have held him for week. But why hold
1t against man whom you know is good
simply because he is too anxious to
please?
"Conceding that Marquard was a great
natural pitcher, the only proposition left
was to keep working with him until he
finally got started-until he had gained
his balance and was settled
Il made no attempt to hurry him along,
for when he finally got right / wanted
the foundation to be there strong enough
to hold him up for good. ] figured this
spring that he would probably get going
some time in the FACE and 50 began tu