The Washington herald., 1912-01-29
For Poor Showing of Base
ball Teams and Players
in st. Louis.
CUBS MAKE MANAGERS
Six Leading Pilots in Big Leagues
Are Graduates from the
Old Chicago Club.
By BILL BAILEY.

That baseball players are human and
have human instincts can be accepted as
an axiom. They have their likes and dis
likes Just as have all other mortals. but
the ways in which they exhibit them are
sometimes most singular.
1t has been said that when a ball player
acquires an aversion for anything or for
any place, nothing can erase it. That
may be true, and again it may not; but
the fact remains that there is one city in
the big league circuits which players
seem TO try to steer clear Off already
there. they strain 10 get away and, once
gone, never return IL they can help it.
That town is St Louis.
The reason is not that st. Louis is not
q good baseball city. It Is a good one.
In fact, 1t is too good, and that is where
the answer lies
After comparing the crowds, both in
size and kind, that turn out at the differ
ent big league parks through several
years, no conclusion can be drawn than
that the Mound City has the most rabid
bunch Of baseball fanatics in the country.
They are boon to the magnate. but
bane to the player. They study baseball
and, as rule, know baseball much bet
ter than the brother fan in, say, for in
stance, Chicago or Philadelphia, with all
their champion teams.
These bugs" go into spasms Of enthu-
siasm and delight over a players work
when il is good, but they employ equally
extreme methods in evincing their dis
pleasure when his efforts are unpro-
ductive of results. They have an efficient
booster band" but the Knockers Club"
can play rings around Tne other gang.
And THEY do so, have been doing so for
the past decade. The unpopularity OF a
player is so magnihed by the fcns that
the manager has TO get rid OF him
whether he wants TO or not.
Results-every club expecting one
Washiugton-in both National and Ameri-
can leagues has at least one former st.
Louisan on its roster, ana in practically
every case the St Louis rundown is
making good with a vengeance, some as
players, some as managers, and some RS
club presidents. Every position on the
diamond is represented by them.
Those in the National League are: New
Yorlz-Manager McGraw and Outfielder
Jack Murray Boston-Outfielder Mike
Donlin and Pitcher Cy Young. Brooklyn
Outhelder Hub Northen. Pittsburg-Out-
fielder Vincent Campbell, Third Baseman
Bobby Byrne, and Pitcher Lefty Leiheld.
ChicagO-Outfielder Artie Hofmann and
Pitcher Ed Reulbach. Cincinnati
Pitcher Arthur Fromme. Philadelphia
Those in the American League are:
Athletics-Pitcher Cy Morgan. Detroit
Second Baseman Delehanty. Clevelond-|
Catcher Sid Smith and Outfielder Arthur
GriEgs. Boston-President McAleer. Chi
Cago-President COmiskey. New York
OutfeIder Harry Wolter and Third Base
man Roy HartZell.
Out of that array could be selected a
pickup team able 10 beat either OF the
aggTegations that will represent St Louis
in the two big leagues this year.
Impatience Of the fans has taken the
scalp Of many a big league manager.
They are not willing to wait and give him
a chance to develop the talent on hand.
That is the root of the trouble with st.
Louis II the fans there would let the
manager have a chance TO try out the
men and not force him to snap Judg-
ment, the town might have another pen
nant some time before the twentieth CEN
tury ends. II is their very overanxiety
to have a winner that proves a boom
erang and keeps a pennant away.
While St Louis is an extreme eX-
ample OF this type Of feyerish, hssty
baseball populace, there are many other
towns in many other leagues whose base
ball inhabitants are afflicted with the
same disease. Until II is cured, they will
ship that they think they are working
for And they are the doctors But
there is no use giving advice to baseball
fans; they don't listen to it.
While st. Louis holds the lead in get
ting rid of promising baseball material
before 1t has had a chance TO develop
10 the utmost. the Chicago Cubs hold
the record for bringing players to the
height Of their possibilities, so that when
their playing days are over, they are
capable Of taking the managerial reins
Of other big league clubs.
The coming season will witness six men
Leading major teams who had almost
all their schooling with the Chicago Ma
tional League machine. They are Jimmy
Callahan, Of the White SoX; Clark Grif-
fifth, of the Nationals; Bill Dahlen, of
Brooklyn: Harry Wolverton, Of the New
York Yankees; Johnny Killing, Of the
Boston Nationals, and Frank Chance
himself, who Is still on the Job with the
Cubs.
All Of these. excepting Chance and
Dahlen are filling the executive position
OF their present teams for the first time.
Callahan last year was merely an out
fielder for the White Sox. Griffith comes
TO Washington from the Cincinnati Reds,
whom he managed last year. Wolverton
is returning TO the big leagues as a
manager after having been In the minors
several seasons. King did the back
for Boston in 1911, but will ex-
perience his first managing this year.