Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-11
WINNING TEAMS0.K.
Managers Refuse to Break Up
Outfits That Succeed.
STAND PAT THE SLOGAN
Nearly Every Base Ball Leader Is
Willing to Let Well
Enough Alone.
PAT THE SLOGAN

Few base ball managers will tribe with
a winning combination. Some are super
stitious; others are not. Yet nearly all
of them believe in the axiom, Let well
enough alone
After Frank Chance developed a win
ming outfit out of the Cubs he refused to
tinker with the combination. And this
Cub combination won four National
League championships competed in four
worlds series-losing two Of them and
winning two-and won $50 National
League championship games. a feat that
has never been duplicated in five years.
Radical changes may be made in the
team this season. Chance may consider
his winning combination shattered since
the worlds series rout, but he refused to
NEEDLE when the club was going good.
Connie Mack had hardly time to UNI
pack his baggage when some one pro-
pounded this question to him the other
day:
OF Baker and play McInness at third?''
elongated manager; Il have winning
infield combination and 1 wouldn't think
of tampering with it. 1t took me some
years to get this infield together. and I
breaking it up"
Which leaves it for granted that Davis
at first, Collins at second. Barry at short
and Baker at third are 1911 fixtures It
In the spring of 1908 Hughie Jennings
went on record as saying:
ut will be a difficult matter to find a
this year meaning 1909. Rossman,
Schaefer. Coughlin and OLeary are in
the prime Of life and ought to do as we'll
as they did last year. l feel confident
that l will not be forced to touch this
combination"
Jennings stuck to his winning combina-
ton until 1t became apparent that the
situation was alarming. Hughie deemed
It advisable to do some shifting. Had
the team been winning Jennings would
not have considered changes.
For two seasons-years in which Bos.
ton won pennants in succession, 1908 and
1904-the Red Sox boosted Of the greatest
winning combination in Candy Lachance
at first, Hobe Ferris at second, Freddie
Parent at short and Jimmy Collins at
third.
After Boston won the flag in 1903 Presi-
dent H. w. Kilnlea eulogized his play
ers, and added that he would consider no
changes for 1904. II have the best infieid
In the country he said.
This remark must have impressed John
I. Taylor, who bought the club in 1904.
President Taylor agreed with Manager
else was to remain intact. No one was
disturbed and the club galloped through
the league with a second gonfalon.
infield would prove successful again. He
refused to consider any changes at the
start OF the 1905 campaign. Before the
season was half over the Boston club
flew the flag Of distress. The team was
in bad shape for an inf1eld. Even the
peerless Collins was slipping.
President Taylor perceived that his
combination was no longer a winning
one. So he, started to repair. 1t was
not long before all four Of the infe!d-
who managed to stick in fast company.
He is an outflelder now with the Chicago
White Sox.
There was one manager who figured
that Jimmy Collins was still great third
baseman. It was Connie Mack. He paid
knight as q bargain.
Collins could not win pennant for
Mack, but he gave the team great pres
tige. = It did not take Mack long. how
ever. to find out that he was worsted in
But Mack can find consolation in the
fact that Boston overlooked q bet also.
Knight never did appeal to President
Taylor and was also passed up without
much Of a trial. Baltimore secured the
player. He starred there and New York
bought him. Today he is recognized as
one Of the American Leagues best all
around players. II knight had q reliable
arm the New York club could get a
fancy price for him.
There were other great infield COM
binations. Baltimore had q fast inheid
In Jack Doyle at first. Heine Rietx at
second. Hughie Jennings at short and
John J. McGraw at third. This indeld
was not a bit better than tho Boston in
fielders Of 1885, Fred Tenney was hold
ing down first base, Link Lowe played
second. Herman Long was the shortstop
and Jimmy Collins cavorted around
third.
And there were two seasons when the
Cubs combination. consisting OF First
Baseman Frank Chance. Second Baseman