Evening star., 1911-01-26
BYJ. ED GRILLo.

The appointment of Fred Lake to scout
for the St. Louis Browns places the for
mer Boston manager in a position in
which he has proven an unqualified sue
cess. That the Boston Americans owe
their present strength to Lakes Judg-
ment in selecting players must be con-
ceded. Lake proved q better scout than
a manager, and il the same success at
tends his connection with the st. Louis
club that marked his regime in Boston
Bob Hedges may in a few years have
something better than a tailender.
The fact that man knows good ball
player when he sees one does not neces-
sarily mean that he has the qualifications
for a successful manager. 1t requires
more than the mere ability to pick ball
players to manage team. Handling the
players is perhaps more difficult than Sc
lecting them, and it is only on rare occa-
si,ns that a manager has both qualifica-
tions. But the manager who can keep his
team on edge, whether in slump or on
a winning streak, is the one who will be
most successful. Ball players, like most
humans. are apt to quit when conditions
are discouraging, and it is the manager
who can show them light ahead that
usually gets his team out of these slumps
| before any serious damage has been
done.
Last season it was generally conceded
that the two most valuable men on the
Washington team were Walter Johnson
and Clyde Milan. Though Milan did not
show his best form the year before, he
played brilliantly last season, and that Is
undoubtedly why he has notified Manager
McAleer that he expects a stars pay the
coming season.
Neither Milan nor Johnson is holdout.
They are merely negotiating with the
club for more than has been offered.
This Is every players privilege, and the
managers duty is to see that he does not
get his salary list too high. In both in
stances there is sure to be an amicable
adjustment of the existing difference, for
neither side can do without the other.
and under such conditions It is usually
not q very difficult matter to come to an
understanding.
Carl Morris, the Sapulpa, Okla, white
hope" is proving himself a pretty wise
Individual. Though he has had all sorts
Of catchy offers from eastern fight pro-
moters to leave his native town and show
himself in the big show, he remains at
Sapulpa, figuring that it Is better to be
the white mans hope in Sapulpa tban a
blasted hope in some city In the east.
Morris wants to go along slowly at his
home town and meet such heavyweights
as he thinks he is entitled to beat. This
program he proposes to continue for some
enough of the game to warrant hin
tackling some Of the topnotchers.
There is not q club in either major
league which Is harboring as many vet
Grams as the --ittsburg club Of the Ma
| tional League. Fred Clarke himself is
way up In the Sos. Then comes Tommy
Leach, who is not far behind Clarke In
the matter Of age and yet displays more
energy and aggressiveness than 80 per
cent of the youngsters who break into
the game. Hans Wagner is by no means
yet is star. Last. but not least, come
Deacon Philippe and Sam Leever, two
veteran twiriers, who are really being
carried because of the fact that they did
much for the Pirates in years gone by.
No other club shows such an array Of vet
terans. When the average ball player
grows old he is turned adrift, but there
appears to be more real sentiment in that
Pfttsbur~ club than in any other.
Both Philippe and Lever are through,
so far as the big league is concerned. yet
they are being carried to finish out games
for no other reason than that Barney
Dreyfuss wants to reward them for the
work they did in years gone by. These
are some of the rare instances where
sentiment is displayed in base ball, and
it does much to help the game.
Only because the rule makers think it
policy to leave we'll enough alone does the
forward pass stand g chance OF being
continued. 1t would be unwise to change
the rules after but single years trial.
They apparently pleased the public and
decreased the element Of danger last year.
and that is what the rule makers strived
to accomplish, SO that those members of
the rules committee who have the real in
terest of the sport at heart will stand pat
for the time being at least.
Charley Harvey, the loquacious New
Yorker who manages Owen Moran. the
English lightweight, gives this unique de-
scription of Knockout Brown. the eastern
slugger, who has been doing sensational
things in his bouts before Tom O'Rourke's
National Athletic Club: ITO say that Mr..
K. o. Brown is an enigma to the boys
who confront him in the ring puts 1t
mildly. 1t is case Of guess from the
time the first gong taps. Mr.. K. o. Brown
is the guessee. the other fellow must do
all the guessing. Brown stands with his
right leg and right arm extended. his left
fist he carries behind him, almost en-
tireIy out of sight. 1t would be hard to
beat this for a pugihstic attitude, but Mr.
X. o. Brown goes it one better: he is
cross-eyed.' Now, then, can you beat that
for a combinatiOn?
Hal Chase is not springing anything
to work his pitchers in regular rotation
this year There is hardly a manager
who does not start out every season with
his mind made up that he will work four
pitchers in regular order. He may do this
the first week Of the season, but seldom,
indeed. does the plan last longer. 1t is but
natural that the man in charge OF a team
would work the nitchers who are going