Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-10-08
McGraW VS.. Stahl
For Championship.

When the Boston Red Sox, cham
pions of the American league. and the
Giants, champions of the National
league, meet this week for the title
of worlds champions, the greatest
honor in professional baseball, they
will be marshaled on the field by two
generals who are direct opposites in
many of the qualities which go to
make successful managers.
To begin with. McGraw is a bench
manager, while Stahl will lead his
men in person. McGraw always has
been known as an umpire batter and
his teams have been taught to fight
for every point and to dispute all
close decisions. Stahl seldom has
words with an arbiter. and when he
does it is because he is strongly con-
WINGED of the point in his own mind
McGraw directs practically every
move on the field. Stahl relies more
on the judgment of his players, ex-
ercising general supervision rather
than outlining every play. McGraw,
according to his own statement, is 80
years old. Stahl is l32 years old.
Both have had experience with
worlds champion aggregations in the
last decade, Stahl with Boston in 1903
and McGraw with the Giants in 1905.
AS to the relative effectiveness of
bench and playing managers, the dis
cussion probably will survive as long
as baseball itself. Whether man
not in the play can see more and bet
ter direct the attack or defense than
a man actually in the game, distract
ed by his own efforts; is a moot
question. If he can, whether this
quality offsets the personal leadership.
or whether this personal leadership
means anything to the team morale is
equally a moot question.
The fact is that Stahl is younger
and able to play first base better
than any other player on the Boston
club. His presence there is held in
large part responsible for the cham
pionship honors. McGraw has play
ers who, he thinks, can fill every
position better than he could do. or
he would be out there fighting. When
playing manager begins TO feel
stiffness and age coming upon him his
views of the question usually change.
and he may be counted among the ad-
vocates of bench management For
the sake of proceeding with this
story. grant there is no choice be-
tween playing and bench managers in
the present instance.
The Aggressive or the Deliberate?
Then is the McGraw type of pros
gressiyeness likely to prove more eff
fective in worlds series than the
Stahl deliberateness? Hardly. The
four umpires for the world series are
chosen two from each league. They
are supposed to be the most efficient
members of their respective corps
They have absolute power, backed up
by the authority of the national COM
mission, and can fine or put out of the
game any player who is unruly or Gre
ates scene at their expense, just as
they can in their respective leagues.
These umpries, then, are less likely
to stand for protracted kicks, tending
to incense partisan crowds, than In
games of less consequence, because OF
the Importance of the effect upon the
already frenzied spectators. On the
other hand, because of the Importance
of the series the umpires must use
more tact and judgment in the disci-
plining of players if that discipline be
removal from the game. But IL the
umpires are not partisans themselves
there can be no favor in the decisions.
no matter what be the amount or the
velocity of the kicking.
McGraw is older and more expert
enced than Stahl. His players prob
ably will rely more on his judgment
than the Red Sox will upon that of
Stahl. On these qualities alone the
advantage would seem to be with the
Older man, but it remains to be seen
whether he is better tactician. New
York's attack is likely to be more
versatile, but the Boston Red Sox are
more impetuous and strike harder
when they do strike.
Both teams have Wonderfully sue
cessful apitching corps. New York has
relied more on its slab artists than
has Boston. If the Giants slabmen
go at top speed this will be an adj
vantage. If Boston solves their
pitchers it will be disadvantage, for
the Boston pitchers, while hardly as
brilliant individually. always expect
batting help from their team mates.