The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-14
By ". ]. MACBETH.

| ].
 New York, July 14-The more or less brilliant career of Hughie Jennings
 with the once terrible Detroit Tigers
 furnishes a fitting illustration of the vicissitudes of f1ckle fandom, as well as the feeting breath of fame. The man who for three years-while he de- livered American league pennants to the City of the Straits-was hailed uni versally as one of basebalis greatest managers and idolized by the support
 CTS of the Royal Bengals appears in | line for Byron Bancroft Johnson's of I hcial guillotine. In other words Hugh Jennings is stated to pass out of the young major organization if reports l from the west are to be credited.
 Jennings is in very bad favor with Frank Navin, president of the Detroit club, and the whole American league
 in general. He is blamed for the un
 precedented strike of the rank and file 1 of the Felines following the indefinite
 suspension of Try Cobb for striking and lassaulting a spectator at the Hilltop I grounds in this city during Detroits
 first visit of the year to Gotham
 1 Hugh Jennings took no active part | in the rebellion; indeed. at least to l those on the outside he gave every evidence of loyalty to the league and his employers. If he was in with the athletes as most American league mag mates inslnuate then indeed is High an adroit cuss whose diplomacy should be commended highly rather than drowned upon.
 1 Of itself the baseball strike of De- | troit was but sputter and the malcon | tents were forced to swallow bitter dose Yet it is the future rather than | I4l.. -l.t l- a-r l apprehensive. Following fast upon the | heels of Tiger unsubordination have been instances of individual treason, most recently that of Hub Perdue, of 1 the Boston Nationals. When this great
 pitcher tore up his uniform and de- | clared he would never again play for | the City of Culture so long as Johnny King remained at the head of the
 Braves he but re-echoed the general
 sentiment of his fraternity that it is | due time for the profession to strike for
 certain due rights heretofore denied
 Wherefore the American league has | found a seasonable excuse of open
 blame to Jennings. He Is to be made 1 the goat" And If Ban Johnson had his way Hughie would doubtless be
 driven out to the barren wastes be- | yond the pole of organization. Certain | 1t is that the big Pooh-Boh of the American league has been lying in wait for Hughe's scalp ever since the worlds series of 1911.
 Ban Johnson converted his henchmen | to the belief that Jennings was guilty of heresy against the circuit he served | because. Hugh had the nerve to express an opinion that the Giants had a chance | to take the measure of the Athletics. | Doubtless the wish was father to the thought and the subsequent utterance.
 For Hugh Is a bosom friend of John l
 nelius McGillicuddy. Some American league "progressives'' went so far as to charge the fiery thatched leader of the | Jungaleers with treason. They said he tipped off McGray to the weaknesses | of the Athletics. Personally I believe such an assertion a bald-faced lie. And 1t would go if the humblest player
 rather than a man of Jennings proved Integrity were under suspicion. For in the belief of the writer baseball is hon.
 est and straight simply because the players are above treuchery. In all the history of National Commission inves- l tigation not once has an instance been | recorded where an athlete even fibbed. 1 And in the history of the squa bbles,
 turmoil and strife which has charac- | terized government and organization. | few indeed are the occasions when
 some magnate has not bid or resorted
 to trickery.
 Johnson Dislikes Jennings
 Rut getting back 10 Hugh Jennings i He is to be concentrated if he gets out of the American league There js
 plenty of room for him in the National 1 and it is not likely that Tom Lynch | will stand in his way. Johnson drove 1 George Stallings out of New York. often | the Big Chief" had built a joke tail ender into a real contender. The joke baseball that has characterized the lo- cal American league pastime ever since proves conclusively that B. F. John son is no oracle. Lynch has said that Stallngs is welcome to put his feet un- der the National league table any time he so desires.
 l And so may Jennings. you may be sure. He Is ono of the greatest draw | ing cards in organized baseball today
 More New Workers go to see him coach than to see Tyrus Cobb play. To ques- l tion his ability as manager is ludi- crous. Didn't he win three pennants ' in a row with club that was a hope Hess second division proposition when The assumed control?
 He would undoubtedly have beaten the Athletics last year had not Gainor been put out by a broken wrist when
 the Tigers were spread -eagling the field. And he would have done it with team far, far inferior. to the Ath- iotics in playing strength
 Frank NaWn is quoted as saying that I Hugh Jennings had no qualifications