The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-07
WRITER DECLARES
WORDSWORTH GETS
NO CREDIT HERE
rhe following is from the Chattanooga


The following Is from the Chattanooga
Times.
Never did pennant-winning manager
get as little credit from his home folks
as Carleton Mo1esworth draws from the
press and fans of Birmingham. The
chubby old veteran brought a hopeless
team into the fight in 1910 and lost out at
the wind-up; he overcame the weirdest
run of hard luck that ever team en-
countered last year and was again hot In
the fight at the wind-up; this year he Is
leading team that's easily the best in
the league.
Billy Smith drew deserved eneomlums
by the thousands when he piloted At
lanta's famous team of 1897 and 1903.
Charley Frank, who won two pennants
in succession down at New Orleans, has
been painted as regular wizard of base
ball But Wordsworth plods along his
way, always turning out winner for the
people of Birmingham and draws hardly
a yelp of approval. On the contrary,
from no uncertain source ever and anon
comes a howl for his removal.
Part Of the come-off is due, 1t Is said,
to the peeVislness of a Birmingham
newspaper man, who is either a con-
firmed dyspeptic or a human bear-the
most chronic GROWER and finger of sar-
casm the league has ever known-a NAL
content from whose pen boosts are few
and far between and knocks flow as
easily and naturally as wit from an
Irishman
The failure to give the manager the
credit due. however, must extend farther
than a single individual. That Moley
slowed up in his playing and had to go to
the bench perhaps had something to do
with 1t.
This season has certainly been grand
tribute to Molesworth's Judgment in
many ways. He let Rowdy Elliott go last
winter amid chorus of dismay and dis
gust. The Birmingham people knew that
the little catcher had been disorganizer,
but they were inclined to blame 1t on
the manager The rest is history. Elliott
has been only a mediocre performer with
the Vols this year. Not even the smil-
ing and affable temper of Bill Schwartz
could make the catcher lose the Crouch
he wears habitually when his team Is
losing and things are breaking bad.
Wordsworth is a splendid trainer OF
young ball players. He can see the
"makings' of a ball player In the veriest
youth and can take him In hand and
make a star of him. Take Clarence Smith
as modern illustration. Smith was
discovered" by Molesworth-a local cor
ner lot artist Moley took him up and
worked with him. The fans couldn't see
him for q long time, but while he pitched
losing ball Wordsworth still said the lad
had the goods If he could get going
Well. Smith got going" at last and
now he is as good, on the records, as
any hurler in the league, and is sure to
be sought by the majors next season.
That is the work of Moley. The press
said Moley would get rid of some of his
best men this year-Marcan and old man
McGilvray, for instance, yet they are
still playing good ball for the Baron out
fit
Molesworth took the team at hand at
Birmingham when things were going bad
after the pennant winner of 1906 had
been followed by the Joke team of 1907.
He has put the city back on the baseball
map. Had he done that for one of the
major metropolis cities, such as Isirming-
ham is in the Southern, he would be I'M
and ingratitude and lack of appreciation
has been his reward. Owner Woodward
demonstrated that he didn't share the an
tipathy to the manager by recent hand
some gift to him, but the latohstring Is
still not hanging out for the manager.
Moley has made some mistakes--what
manager has not? We who have seen
him in charge of the Barons may have
felt at times that he wasn't getting all
that he might be getting out of the
team, but his work, as Is the work of any
manager, is best rated by the standard
of results SO considered, Wordsworth, is
one of the best managers IL not the best.
in the Southern league.