Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-10-12
BY JOHN 3. FOSTER.


There they sit, over there on the
bench. They're as guilty as ! am and
a lot more. They've done about twen-
~ times as much to win a champions
ship In the American League as I
have. ] didn't even sign them j
found them waiting for me. Come
on boys / said to them this spring,
lets get together and see IL we can't
get a hammeflock on a pennaTt this
year. We were at Hot Springs then.
They started to get together and they
have been getting closer ever since. I"
That was the answer made by Gar
land ]. Stahl, manager of the Boston
American League club, champions of
1913, to query how this particular
championship team came to be made.
Il always thought" he added, that
we had pretty good ball club. But
you've got to count me out of it on
putting the club together. 1t was done
before got there and | have no wish
to claim something which would make
me appear ridiculous. ~ + =
I'm going to begin with Hot Springs
last spring. That's where we trained.
We had quite congress Of Boston
folks down there. The owners of the
club were along, some of the players
were there before arrived, and there
were critics enough to make up nine
by thmselves.
Il discovered some of the players
were so confident of the combined
ability of the club-its team ability,
should say-for it is team work that
counts in the long run-that they were
not overwhelmed by the task of try
ing to beat the Athletics for the cham
pionship.
"One of the boys made the remark
one day that the Athletics might get
a little careless after their victory over
the New York club in the worlds Sc
ries and think they could jog along
and beat anything on earth. More
than once since then. have thought
of that remark. That player had a
better line on the Athletics than l
had.
Anyhow, found that the spirit of
the Boston players was just the kind
of spirit that seemed to me to need
nothing except the friendly advice
which could give and the moral sup
port that l might be worth as man.
ager. So l made it my part of the
task to which | had signed up" to
talk over plays and players and help
to put together combinations which
We thought might be of advantage to
us when the season began.
I'VE had some youngsters with us
at Hot Springs and some of them
seemed too good to send away. 1t was
generally agreed that the best policy
to be pursued was to put together as
quickly as possible a team which
would be the regulars; and we natur-
ally went to work with the team which
had been signed, sealed and delivered
to me when l dropped off at Hot
Springs. 1t has been playing ball for
Boston ever since, and it is some team
You see, had Hooper, Lewis and
Speaker for the outfield right at the
jump. | am not decrying the ability
of any ball players, but I'll take lit
tie bet on the three Boston outfield-
ers any time in any series of games in
which they are stacked against any
other three men who are chasing
flies right now in the big leagues.
Its a pretty nice arrangement o
have three outfielderS who are ready
to play ball for you right off the reel
wanted another in case any of these
three should happen to be hurt After
looked over the material | decided
on Henriksen. Ever seen that boy go
to first base? He's some runner.
Three outfielders, every one of them
good, and fourth ready for emer-