Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-27

Nothing could give a better line on the
manner in which John ]. McGraw mas
achieved his great success as manager
in New York than the report from Los
Angeles that Fred Snodgrass has been
signed for 1913 at an advanced salary,
says E. A. Bachelor, in the Detroit
Free Press.
Frederick, it will be remembered by all
followers of the national pastime. was
considerably the best player the Boston
club showed in the recent worlds series.
Although wearing the uniform of and
drawing salary from the Giants. this
young man practically handed the cham
pionship of the universe to the Red Sox
when he muffed a fly ball in the tenth in
ming of the eighth game and allowed
Clyde Engle to make second base on what
should have been an easy out.
This was the start of batting rally
that enabled the Hub people. beaten 3 to
when the last half Of the tenth was
ushered in, to score pair of runs and
drag down the major slice of that rat
purse. 1t is true that Merkle, by his
stupid misjudgment of an easy foul fly
few minutes later, lost a chance to
cover up the Snodgrass mistake, but at
the same time the Giants could have en-
dured the Merkle malfeasance if the out
fielder had not got them into the ticklish
situation originally.
Frightfully Abused.
Probably no player in the entire history
Of the National League has been more
reviled and abused than the unfortunate
Snodgrass. Even Merkle's memora BILE
''bonehead' of 1908. when he failed to
touch second base and thus forced the
Giants to accept tie in a game that
they ought to have won, paled into insig-
nificance beside that CHASTITY muff in Bos-
ton. There remained at least another
chance to square things when the Merkle-
marred game was ordered played over,
but in the more recent case the misplay
literally pulled the laurel wreath from
the brow Of the New York club.
Players. fans and critics poured a tor
rent of abuse on Snodgrass' head. He
was held up to the entire base ball
world as the most stupendous blunderer
In the history of the game. and the stig-
ma will adhere to him probably as long
as he remains on the diamond. Had
McGraw been a man of hasty temper or
q poor judge of human nature, he prob
ably would have assaulted his erring out
fielder with a bat and then sent him to
the lowest minor league that he could
think of.
Keeps His Temper.
But McGraw has not achieved his tri-
umphs in base ball by letting his tenn
per run away with him. While every
body else was abusing Snodgrass in I'M
printable terms and predicting his i'm
mediate release by the Giants, the man
whose ambition to be for the second time
a worlds champion manager had been
thwarted stood behind Fred. McGraw
Immediately announced that under no cir
cumstances would the hapless Snodgrass
be released.
'It was Snodgrass' misfortune rather
than his fault to drop that fly" rea-
soned John J. He is good ball player
and he is going to be a better one. There
is no reason why his entire career should
be sacrificed to one error. Every player
in the game has made errors and it was
just hard luck that Fred had to pull his
at time when it counted SO VITALITY
Gives Him Hand.
And instead Of furnishing man who
has already suffered as much as any one
could suffer McGraw hands his outfielder
a boost in salary and encourages him to
do better next time. Perhaps Fred Snod-
grass will not work for manager who
treats him that way. Were McGraw to
tell him to jump into a lake Of molten
do SO without a moments hesitation. If