Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-04-21
INSIDE GLIMPSE
BY CONNIE MACK
No Hint on Managing a
Championship Baseball
Team Is Withheld

his own business. wrote me a letter |
in the championship season of 1911 |
about the running OF our team-the
Athletics lie said he had plal
as % how the men should he played |
which was not the way vac play
ing them His letter ran IKE this.
Your infield as al present con
stluied. Is the youngest and fastest
IN the big leagues and is doing won-
deriul work The idea occurred 10
me that. with Baker on first and Me
Inns on third. the field would be just
as fast, and at the same time would
give what In my opinion Is needed
- larger man al first base You ca.
take TINS Tor what IL b. worth
That's what ! did. Bakers nltura
position is al third and he was play
inc he biz bag as well as any man
In our leaeue-much better than
most third-sackers For some time
Molnnis was a problem 10 me The
clun signed him as substitute shorJ-
stop-the position he PLAYED as
high school boy--but We found tina.
he was not the ideal inlielder. and
by iniielder is meant man VIII.
car play either second base short.
stop or third reasonably wel!-iirst
base is not included
Put Mclnnis at First.
Nclnnis. however, sure can hit the
bah and the regular team needed
his batting ! iay awake many a
nigh,-though the fan who wrote TO
me was sleeping soundly, no doubt
trying 10 figure out where TO put
Mclnnis. Finally ! had the bunch
10 put him on first. knew tha'
someone must be found 10 take Cap
tain Davis place, and the Substitute
w we're carving was not up to the
lob. So told Mclnnis TO grab a
mht aud play first IN practice al
every opportunity He did 20. And
the way he developed was amazing,
When spring practice was over he
was playing the position in the firs,
sasker's manner born. Our problem
was solved-at least. 50 ] thought
Then came the letter from the busl-
ness man suggesting that We rear
range the infield con binatlon
though. IN his own words, that con,-
hination was doing wonderful
work" OF course have before hard
ened 20 outside advice ! guess man
ayers OF hall teams get more advice
about their own business than an.
Other class Of men shouldn't eX
cert publ, office holders Letters
come by hrndreGs and the funny
part Of II Is thai MANY Of then are
signed by successful men WHO would
resent any outside interference In Tho
MANAGEMENT of their business affairs
No doubt this was true Of the mar
who wrote me about INV business
thought ! was Justified In havin
little fun with him 50 J wrote hin
a polite letter. thanking him for hi
interest in the club aud winding M
In this fashion:
Perhaps you have overlooked tn
fact bat the club is paving me larg'
salary 10 manage the Athletics an
supposed 10 be worth q Now. m
friend it's all right for YOU 10 sen'
mo q confidential letter tellinr m
how 20 run the team and apprecl
ate vour trouble In the matter. bu
have a favor 10 ask Don't lot M
clul owners know that YOU are do
inr my thinking for me-"
Made Hin Real Angry.
TO my surprise the letter mad
him mad he wrote back Il an
as GOOD in my line as you are 0
YOURS ] hadn't said word abou
his business shouldn't think n
advising any man IN another lin
how 20 run his affairs have troubl
enough looking after my owr WIZ
should hesitate 10 offer advi
20 INC MANAGERS Of other ball club.
They have their way NJ doing thing
I'm clad 10 saw and ] have min,
They think their way is best. and
well I'm rather partial 10 ours nC
altogether because my system ha
succeeded quite well but because II
based on the experience Of twcnt'
EIGHT years PLAYING and manaRinl
and has been worked out step b. ste
and then checked up with actual r
suits. WHY give II awav7 u "
have something valuable why not I
our club mononolize IT. Well. a sy
tenn on paper is one thing. and a ~
ten In practice-in actual play
decidedly another thing.
Hereafter. our club must rely z
tho certain application OF principle
rather than on q knowledge 81 no
10 play winning ball The desire
win Is 80 strong that every manage
IL on the keen scent for the be
methods ~ handling a ball club II
sure thing that the Wise man ~
isn't going 10 copy the plans ar
specifications Of the tailender IN u
leaguc. 7 feel that our rivals n
right rp 10 the fence-that they "
20, a lookin somehow-so mls
ius, as well let them look over q
fence and see how We Do e.
Here's the formula Get tho rig