The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-10

q manager. but Ii must be said OF
him that he was one manager whose
duties In that regard did not affect
his playing ability. In fact he never
played better than last year. when
he hit better than he ever had done.
lie was OF anything but fretful
temperament. bat might have done
better as manager had ne been more
inclined to worry. As matter OF
fact there IL no reason why. II a man
has 1t In him to manage II bali club.
he should not be- able +. keep ap his
end as a player. Good managers who
did not drop of as players are the
exception rather than the rule Larry
Iajoie did better when relieved OF
the management. but two noted tfsan-
ayers whose playing hasn't suffered
PARTED. because of being managers are
Frank Chance and Fred Clarke. May
he they were the better managers
because OF being In the game. Nor
did nuofn's PLAYING ever chow retro
grade movement while he was manag-
ing. Bobby Wallace played Al well
AS ever last year: Roger Bresnahan
seemed able to catch as well az ever
when he was In the game. and Fielder
Jones' playing never lost bit OF it's
brilliancy just because that star had
Tho job of directing and handling
team on his hands.
Fielder Jones says he thinks Frank
Chance and Connie Mack are the best
two managers In BASEBALL. His opin-
ion Ia not to be desptscd. but any
opinion which leaves .McGraw- out of
the frst two will be far from unan-
1mous. --.------------------.----
Sandow Mertes has been appointed
an umpire In the Pacific Coast League,
Picking Out Athletics
Those ciubE In the American League
that figure on pennant chances on the
belief that the Athletics have played
their best ball stand a good chance Of
being appointed. There are enough
players on the Athletics young enough
not to go back and to carry the cham
pions along at the speed of 1911.
These are Thomas. Lapp. Mc1nnes.
Collins. Barry. Baker. Lord and Old
ring. There Is no reason why any
of these should be any slower and
that aggregation of talent Nth the
assistance of others has proved itself
y pennant combination. Even IL there
should be retrogressions at certain
points. In the box for instance. the
Athletics could have played less ef-
feetively last season and still won the
pennant. Those rivals who are de-
pending on their own strength and ef-
zip are adoptir- the sensible course
They don't concede the pennant to
the Athletics, yet don't underestimate
them.
Clark Griffith Is finding 1t a hard
problem to get y good man to lead of
IN the batting order and the next
hardest TO get 8 good. man 10 fe}IoE
him. Most managers not only find ii
hard to get -ood men for these two
positions, but also for the remaining
seven.
Career Of Cy Young.
II IL hard to find In baseball case
parallel to that OF old c. Young's,
not In Young's length of service, but
In the fact he pitched for major
league club in one city. drifted away
from that city for years and then re-
turned a. q pitcher for the rival league
club of the same city. Thus founx
and Boston establish case not quite
unique but rare. Willie Keller under
went q like experience. Keeler play
Z few gamcs with the New York Ma
tlonals away back in the early SOS
and after nine years Of service In Bal
ttmor6 ana Brookfyn became q mem.
shan: thAa he PLAYED with the Giants
AGAIN after being released by the Hill.
top club, In having played with three
tSxMaI iii one NJ 1sli2iE iAffty k4Sa1 u No
Different times with one OF those
teams his experience n unique.
Young.s caroer also includes. beinx .
members OF Clevelands In the Ma
.tSonal4 League stwelva club ~daye, and
then, after playing In st. oLuis ana
1oeton. returning to Cleveland ~ an
American LeaSus player.