Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1913-01-05
TWO STRIKES ON
GEO. STALLINCS
OF THE B0ST0NS
Once Successful Manager
All but Down and Out in
Baseball - Up Against
Hard Proposition.
BY W. ]. Macbeth.

oy w. - FoSpctts
New York, Jan 4-Three strikes and
out. is one Of the principal rules of
baseball But the last strike is far
more important than either of the two
preceding ones or both together any
way you take them. Some first ball
hitters are rs good as nailed up to the
minute a pitcher gets two strikes on
them. Other free hitters like Ty Cobb
Hans Wagner or Larry Lajoie do not
begin to get pitchers goat" till he
has them in the hole For II is then
that such demon is liable to step up
on one and clout 1t into the next
county.
Which little preamble has no refer
ence whatever to any Cobb or Wag
ner or Laioie but to one who deserves
more sympathy, poor, oppressed
baseball manager to-wit, big Chief
George Stallings of the Boston Ma
tional tailenders. For George is up in
the pinch with two strikes called by
Umpire Hard Luck, the bases cholted
two down and a home run needed
Organized baseball will await breath
lessly tho outcome of the 1913 cam
paign to see whether or not the Big
Chief fans, humiliation he has never
yet suffered in his 20 years of baseball
Some pretty wise baseball men VIII
be nightly surprised if Chief Stall
ings makes a failure of II as skipper of
the Hub trailers. 1t is true that he Is
UP against a rather blue outlook for
the immediate future but he could be
situated worse and not have to travel
out of his own circuit. His lot should
be easier than that OF any one OF three
new rival managers-Johnny Evers, Joe
Tinker and Miller Higgins
Tinker and Evers have something TO
work with at the start for they take
the helm of first division clubs. Mil
Ter Higgins. who succeeds Bresnahan,
has a club that ranked sixth in flight
of eight But Stallings takes hold Of
an absolute ruck runner. He cannot
possibly do worse than his predecessors
and any improvement in the final
standing Of his club will rebound to
his credit.
Thinks Well of Stalings.
I would like to lay little bet on
George Stallings. He's Just the kind
of fellow who rises to emergencies.
As d baseball leader / do not hesitate
to class him with John J. McGraw and
Connie Mack Neither of these shrewd
wizards knows more inside baseball
than the Georgian. neither is a better
judge or young talent Staiilnss mas
not perhaps the general magnetism OF
MeeifaW 50 Tar as me general pase=
ball following is concerned. lie las
never played to the stands" He has
always kept away from the noisy ae-
claim Of The populace; eententins
himself WITH working IN secret Win
his players, ot sflealSlng uHobserYed
onto the bench just before playing time
He is bench manager OF the Connie
Mack stamp, not SO reserved as the
Athletics boss hy long way' but still
a man who commands every respect
from ms dlscipiess Payers VINO nave
worked under MN nave tod me thai
Stallings Is nothing short Of mad
man curing the most eHcltlng periods
OF hafa fought game lie flBhts OH
within himself every move And IN ms
zeal he sometimes fergets h11aseli and
applles nara names. But ihese afe
fofgotteh Tie moment the last man
mas been retired ana ms fplia8efs, once
they understand nm are Wiling 70 tor
gave any mite ottenses IN the llght Of
sueh exceptional zeah For the one
great doctrine OF stallings Is to WIN
win, win at any cost
In his long experience Stallings
never YET mas neen Al the mead Of any
joke pan eluh. mat rs, ne hasn't
been Tor leng lie has converted any
number OF Jokes into real classy aggre-
cations III ~ years ne mas never I'm
ished worse man fffth II any company
ana mas haa ttle Satisfaction OF VIM
ming great many minor league pen
nants. EVERY one IS wiling TO con-
cede mat inc hls ihlet Is minor
leasue marvel lheS Wlll mol 80 - 1aI
"heh d aaestloh ef Dig league class
poos up
Ills RECORD speaks.
Inc Only way 10 ludge man is hY