New-York tribune., 1912-01-28
HIGH HOPE IN BASEBALL
Seven Teams Counting On New
Managers to Turn Tide
BUILDING PROCESS NOW ON
Strong Efforts Being Made to
Check Athletics, Tigers
and Giants.

6-{sh in front IN edg" OF SHpt''''''s -
~ needed TO the Athletics by some. ou'
even the collepse Of the mighty Fhi'a1e'-
rhia pitching staff is being seriously con-
tomplated. and few there are VINO re-
Iiove that Connie Mack's men viii not re-
yeat for tho reason that Bender fIahN
and Coomhs cannot 20 on forever
Tho reason for this optimism IN IN"
American League lies in the introduction
of five new managers. Connie. MACK anu
IIughie Jennings, who between then 'd'e
guided all tho pennant winning teams TOT
the last five wears in tho Younger orsani4s-
ton, are not counted out Of the race oN
snv means. so that the number Of Jeans
which arc considered Is having a chance
is brought m to seven, Recently change
bss come over the baseball world The
ahiIitv of McGraw. Chance, Clarke. Mack
and Jennings to keep their men up in front
through thick and thin for long period Of
wears has attracted an extraordinary
amount Of attention 10 the managerial
berth 50 it has come to pass that when
team does poorly the first demand ol
the fans" IS for a new manager.
The owners of FIVE American League and
two National League clubs have listened 10
this cry for a change and have picked row
men 10 lead the mines. Jimmy Callahan,
ths veteran outfelder, has succeeded
yusbie Duffy as manager of tho Chicago
White Sox. Jake Stahl. the heavy hitting
first haseman. has taken Patsy Donovan :
place with the Boston Red SoX: Harry Da-
Wis. the old star of the Athletics, will lead
the Cleveland Maps: Clark Griffith, who
suffered the sings and arrows Of an out
rageous fortune as leader Of the Cincinnati
Reds. will he At the helm in Washington.
while Harry Wolverton is already en-
shro,uded in the mantle Of Hal Chase as
the manager of the Yankees. Hank Opay.
the veteran umpire. who has succeeded
Clark GrifAth in Cincinnati. and Johnny
King. the great Chicago catcher. who has
taken Tenney's place with tho Boston
Braves complete the list OF changes for
the campaign Of 1912
While local fans" in each city arc dis
posed to believe that the solution Of all dif-
f1culties has been found by tho appointment
Of new leaders. nevertheless IT must be said
that the problems 10 he solved are manifold.
Callahan has a team that is long on vet
ersn players. which is reaching the turning
point. and some brilliant but erratic young
ters Wolverton has a fine pitching staff
n and good out7eld. but strengthening the
III infield is a knotty question. Stahl has the
" same proposition confronting him, but he
will he aided by Jim McAleer, formerly
manager of the Washington Senators. and
McRoy, former secretary Of tho American
. League. who now own 30 per cent Of the
club Both have followed baseball for years
and are sure to have a finger in the Bos-
ton pie
Harry Davis seems to have fine material
10 work with. The team was good enough
10 come up from the second division and
finish in third place last season, but the
extreme youthfulness and inexperience Of
his men may he a handicap which only
years can remedy. Griffith will be compelled
TO rebuild almost his entire team in Wash
jngton. and il is doubtful whether he will
he able to climb out of the second division
next season. Hank O'Day has players
above the average in Cincinnati, and If he
can instil little ighting spirit into the
men decided improvement should he
noted II Killing leads his men to a first
division berth Boston will rejoice. Johnny
has the hitters. and with his pitchers work
ing right he may make trouble for some of
the big teams.
Three Of the new managers in the Ameri-
can League are by no means experiments.
This may not be exactly true Of Harry
Davis. but he has led the Athletics on the
field so often that he is an experiment only
I'm so far as selecting and developing ma
terial goes Griffith was an American
League manager from 1901 to 1905, and Cal
lahan in 1903 and part Of 1901. Wolverton
and Stahl have never managed major
league clubs
Hank O'Day is new to the managerial
toga. but after graduating from the ranks
Of the pitchers, he spent years as an UNI
pire in watching the baseball tactics OF
various managers, and ought TO profit large
Iy by his experience. Johnny King while
IN his prime was commonly reported to be
the principal cog in the great Chicago ma
chine He was the director Of many OF
the fancy Stunts" done by that brilliant
infeld. In becoming manager he real
izes his one ambition. II nothing else. hH
ought TO be a past master in the art OF
selecting his pitchers. putting the right
man in the right place and taking tWirlers
out of the box al the psychological moment.
This is considered 10 be one of the great
eat accomplishments of a successful man.
ager.
The signing Of all these new managers
has started pennant talk in many cities.
and teams are being boosted which have
or the Tigers. New managers are not all
that is needed. however. Detroit came up
from nowhere in 1906 to a pennant in 1907,
hut no process of rebuilding was involved.
Rossman being Jenpings's only new player.
The Athletics fought II out with Detroit in
1907. but finished in the second division In
1905. when Mack was rebuilding the nine
that eventually developed into the star
II tool bo
clever Mack, who already had his pitching
staff, two years 10 recruit and develop pen
nant strength.
With all the talk about the value OF
manager, the material must be at hand.
II is a moot question whether the team
makes the manager or the manager makes
the team on the whole, it seems to be a
little of both with "a plentiful seasoning
of luck thrown in. Without Ty Cobb it Is
doubtful whether Jennings could have won
as many pennants as he did Connie Macks
success was assured when the full value
Of Eddie Collins was realized and the great
Philadelphia inheld OF to-day constructed.
McGraw without Mathewson. Clark without
Wagner Chance without King, Evers and
Brown might have had a different tale TO
toll credit must be given TO a manager,
however. for knowing bail player when
he sees him and being able to select his
material, separating the chaff from the
wheat Ty Cobb, great ball player as he
naturally Is was sklfully handled by Jen-
nines.
On form II looks as If the Giants and
Athletics would meet in the next worlds
series. The only thing that can prevent
Connie Mack from winning once more.
outside of injuries 10 his star players. is
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