Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-22

League Manager, or the Diff
ficulty Of Detecting Future
Greats" is said TO be the title of a lit
erary work which Charlie Wahoo, for
mer Carlisle star, and more recently
manager Of the Waycross team in
the Empire League, anticipates put
ting on the press in the near future.
Charlie has just returned to Atlanta
after a sojourn of a few months in the
South Georgia burg, and a recital of
his experiences is interesting.
To begin with, be IT remembere5
that the Empire League is a brand
new organization, wherefore there
was none of the bunch of the former
season, commonly referred to as the
nucleus of a winning combination
left, 1t was, therefore, up to the
Big Chief, as well as every other man
ager in the league, to go on the big
hunt for any and everything that
could make a noise like a ball player.
Also il was necessary to bear in mind
that, while enthusiasm ana civic pride
are desirable factors toward the
rounding out of a successful baseball
season, the fact remained that re-
sources were limited, and the propo-
sitiOn was one OF sorting out likely
looking material from a great heap Of
green stuff rather than Of taking the
pick of everything in sight regardless
of the cost.
w THEREFORE, Wahoo found the
w big task that Of picking from a
great crowd a dozen Youngsters who
could so perform the great national
pastime as to befittingly represent the
tiourishing city Of Waycross Imag-
inc a baseball manager trying 10
choose the wheat from the chaff in a
bunch that numbered no less than SO.
That was exactly the number that
reported to Charles when the picking
reached its zenith. Guess John J. Nc
Graw would have felt cause for real
reflection under the circumstances,
especially when II is considered that
past records were practically unavail-
able, and self-praise as liberal and
unstinted as the circumambient at
mosphere that sweeps the nearby
swamps.
According to Charles own admis-
sion 1t was largely a game Of hit
and-miss, the main point being to
leave the impression that every aspir-
ing mothers son of them was getting
a fair and impartial tryour, lest some
future Cobb or Wagner, possessed
with a temperamental SOUL feel the
sting Of partially gather unto him
self his worldly belongings and HE
away to again massage the bosom Of
mother earth, awaiting the dawn Of
more suspicious opportunity.
ON second thought, It may occur
- TO the reader that some difficulty
would be experienced under the cir
cumstances in equipping such horde
in suitable toggery. The same
thought occurred to the management;
wherefore was a wise admonitton in
corporated in all letters written to
eager inquirers seeking to entail
themselves upon the payrolls Of the
club to bring their uniforms with
them. AS a result, the color scheme
of the ensemble was magnificent TO
behold. Many there were who wore
the ready-made stuff, with ample va
riations, be 1t said. And likewise
many there were who were not so
fortunate, but who came rather clad
in humble homespun, conforming,
however, to the conventional knicker-
booker style of architecture.
One would-be twirler literally
stocked with figures and statistics,
carefully gathered from sport sheets
and record books, proffered the in
formation that neither Big Six nor
Nap Rucker had anything on him. To
back up his statement he cited the
fact that he packed in his person the
same physical specifications as con-
fronts the tailor when he takes the
measurements Of the Giant star. Sure
thing
Unfortunately, comparative figures
as TO the number of Creases and folds
in the cerebrum were not available.
THEN, too, there were other candi-
\ dates Of promise, aside from hurl-
ing material More than one ambi-
tious gardener vouchsafed the infor-
nation that they had all the natural
ability Of Tyrus Cobb, admitting the
while they lacked possibly a bit of
the Peach's experience. But a man
can never gain experience until he
has been given his tryout wherefore
should they feel disturbed? Shove 'em
into the breach and watch the oppo-
sition fire and fall back.
But with all the ambitions and adj
vance assurances of excellence, but
few of the many called are chosen.
Then comes the return trip of the
boys who were not good enough Some
Of them gather quite a bit of educa-
ton during the short stay, becoming
thoroughly convinced that they were
Just on the verge of spelling a good
farm hand or dry goods clerk, while
others decide that nothing short of
tough luck and a raw deal threw them
among the disCards. Among the lat
ter are the lads who journey back to
the home village with shocking tales
OF craftsmanship and failure on the part
OF the manager to recognize a regu-
lar ball player when he sees him. Nor
90 they stop there, according to Wa
hoo's story. Some even figure that
they have real money coming to them
for having partaken of bread and
meat at strange hosiery, at the
managers expense. Furthermore, they
refuse to Danish the idea, when in
formed that they were merely brought
on Tor a tryout, and some have threat
ened to enter suit for such salary.