The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-09-22
MANAGERS PLAY
IMPORTANT PART
in BIG Serbs
Winner Of Title Nay Depend Upon
Knowledge Exercised by Lead
ers Of Opposing Clubs.
JOHN McGRAw has ONE
ADVANTAGE OVER STAHL
Giants Manager viii Have His
Warriors Wait Wood Ont for
Bases on Balls.
By cHR1srY MArHEwsox.
OF tbs Giants

"
OF the Giants
In a worlds series. much depends on
the leaders of the two contending clubs.
There is always a great deal Of jockey
ing. the matching Of one pitcher against
another. the direction Of plays. the de-
lection of weaknesses In the style of the
opponents. and the general manipulation
Of the men. AL this responsibility weighs
on the two managers.
John McGraw and Jake Stahi will
match their wits and baseball knowledge
many times In the short set II games
to decide the championship Of the world.
The winner OF the series may depend
upon which leader is the cleverer general.
Once one team can be thrown on its bal
ance. when things are apparently going
its way. its equilibrium can seldom be,
restored. Then its opponents sweep
through the series victors.
Baker Breaks 1t Up.
Up until he time that Baker banged
the home run over the fence in the
second game OF the worlds series with
the Athletics last year. the Giants had
all the best OF the going That one
hit was a bad jar. There was no error
Of managerial Judgment from which 1t
resulted 1t was a Furnishing smash at
the psychological moment when things
looked good for US.
The Cubs have always claimed that 4
certain play made in the series with
Detroit in 1905 for the championship OF
the world carried the American League
club on its feet. and resulted in its de-
feat Jennings team was ahead and
things were breaking for II. when the
| batter tried to sacrifice with Cobb on
| second base. Fast fielding caught the
Tiear star at third and so upset the
plan of battle that the Ttgar team was
thrown on its feet completely.
Therefore, these two managers will
be playing all the time to get the
breaks which, translated. really
means taking advantage Of every op-
portunity, and. when the opportunities
don't appear. making them. McGraw is
a wonder at squeezing every possibility
dry. OF Stahl's ability as a leader I am ,
not so familiar, having never seen the
Red Sox play under his management.
But. in my opinion, considering that all
other things are equal, McGraw has one
advantage in not being in the game him.
self. He will not be worried by the adj
ditonal duties OF position to play as
Stahl will
OF course, prefer McGraw az q lead.
er. 1t is my humble notion that he -
the greatest manager in baseball. He
has shown time and again, by clsver
Jockeying Of players, what he can DO
when a situation looks hopeless. Fans
frequently wonder why he shifts and
breaks his team up and sends emer-
sency batters to the plate, and sprnkles
the box score with extra players SO
often. I guess IL you were to take sew
eral box scores Of the Giants games and
| compare them with the scores Of any
other team in the National League you
would find that McGraw uses more play
ers to the game than any other man.
ager. And you win also discover that
he won more games in the National
League this year and last than any
other leader Only last week a man,
sent to the Polo Grounds by the Boston
Americans TO look the Giants over and
try to get points on their flaws, criti-
cised this shifting.
Pinch Hitters Used.
| ness" remarked this scout TO a friend
Of mine, who told me, ito see McGraw
break up his regular team to put a
pinch hitter into the game and then be
forced to substitute another man. Time
and again, since 1 have been watching
the club play, ne has removed FietcheN
or Devore 10 send some one TO the bat
for one Of them. The Red Sox prefer
to play the same nine men through each
contest"
McGraw will not study the Boston club
IN any preliminary course 70 a large ex-
tent He will not have scouts observing
the team in action. He prefers to DEL
pend on his own Judgment.
Snap Judgment for mine" he says
When you get lot OF scouts reporting
to you. you get many opinions confused
In your brain, and You don't know what
to do"
He probably will send two or three of |
the pitchers over to Boston to watch the :
Red Sox work before the SERIES and that
is ALL He has a fair knowledge OF the
habits of some Of the players from his
observations In 1903, when the two teams
met in post-season series. Against each
pitcher he probably will have worked outX
style Of attack before the umpire CALI
the first game.
Wood May suffer.
think that Wood is a twirler who Is
likely to suffer at the hands Of Mac
because I have heard that he IL one Cd
those pitchers who are always in TIE
hole with three balls and one strike or
three and nothing on the batter McGrav
will work him for passes sure and Re1
him up in the air II he Is shy on control
The Giants are probably the best waiter
In the world when they get q pftched
who Is uncertain II Is McGraw's idea
anyway, to make the opposing twir,s
pitch as much as possible to every bat
ter, and nothing upsets Mac SO nuc
az to see one of his men swinging at
bad ball. As soon as Wood steps int
the box, McGraw will be out on the line
studying his every move and WATCHING
for some vulnerable spot. Once he find
II. then he will just pound. pound. pounl
at 1t. sfs
As far as managers go. the Giants hav,
all the best of it. McGraw never lets a.
opportunity to get by him. He see
them all. Rival managers admit that h
is right oftener than any other leade
in big league baseball. and the return
show it, too. Doom. the leader Of tn
Philadelphia team. said last week tina
McGraw 10 right 80 times out 100, a YER
fair average. II the Giants drop the Sc
RES, which do not expect. Il will not n
or account of the manager.
II had been my intention to conside
stahi this week. but the lack of space
forces me to let the Boston manager Sd
until next Monday.
Copyright. ~. hy Mcclure NsWspapsr syudicste
Z sscDonald wiu Me- REPORT.
Eddie Mcdonald. who WAS released t