The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-03-03
The Big LGaguGFS In Line In
Quite A Job
Some Stunts OF The Managers
Of The Big League Teams


has set out to build up team whose
members will be models of department
as well as efficient players. The new
manager shares the opinion Of others
who have had experience as baseball
pilots that efficiency on the diamond
depends to great extent upon the
way the players spend their time when
off the field.
Hickey took charge of the Browns
too late last season to try out his the
ories in team management, but he has
lost no time in putting them into prac-
tice this year. AS the train carrying
the Browns to Florida pulled out of
st. Louis the manager gave the play
ers to understand that poker playing
was barred from that hour until the
close of the season. The order came
as something of shock to the play
ers, especially the older members of
the team In addition to putting the
ban on poker Hickey has issued order
prohibiting drinking, cigarette smok-
ing and the use of profanity. For any
violation of the blue laws the offend
ing player is to be nicked slice of
his salary in the way Of a fine.
Manager Hickey believes that the
strict enforcement of his new rules
will result in boosting the Browns up
to a notch or two in the pennant race
Since entering the American league in
1902 the st. Louis team has finished
in the first division only twice In 1902
they finished in second place and in
1908 they finished fourth. Regularly
since 1908 the team has been either in
the cellar or knocking at the cellar
door.
A graduate of the University of
Michigan and later baseball coach at
the same institution, Manager Hickey
is keen for the college ball player and
the training methods of the college
athletes. In handling the Browns the
new boss will endeavor to follow out
the same methods he used in coaching
the varsity nine. How the big leaguel
will take to the college method re
mains to be seen.
Rickey's experiment is a reminder
of the fact that no two managers in
the big leagues have exactly the same
way Of handling their players. Connie
Mack manager of the worlds cham
pion Athletics and probably the most
successful pilot in baseball puts the
matter of good behavior up to the play.
ers themselves. The honor system, as
it has been termed, evidently has been
successful.
The most serious jolt that Mack's
system ever received happened sever
al years ago. Two of his most bril-
liant players, so it is related, started
in to add a little something to the
gayety of night life in the big league
cities. In short time the boys were
hitting only the high spots. But Con-
ME was not long in mailing the high
fiers and in a heart-to-heart talk he
convinced them that they were surely
tossing themselves into the discard as
we'll as weakening the team by their
dissipation. The convincing argu-
ments of their manager, which includ'
ed threat of back to the bushes
caused the two players to immediate
ly mend their ways and they have
since done their full share of work in
adding worlds championships to the
glory of the Quaker City.
Jimmy Collins followed Connie
Mack's system of giving his players
plenty of freedom, but in his case the
system was not so successful. AS man
ager of the Boston Red Sox Jimmy de-
veloped a bunch of world-beaters in
1904. Two years later the same outfit
finished the season in the cellar, due
it was said to the big-hearted Jimmy
giving his players too much leeway III
the matter of discipline.
John McGraw, manager of the New
York Giants, has his own method OF
handling his men. There are no frills
or furbelows about John and he is not
slow to call player when the latter
manifests a disposition to kick over
the traces. He has been known to land
a healthy wallop on the jaw of bad
actor for an infraction of the training
rules At the same time no manager
in either league is better liked by his
players than is McGraw. AS the schol,
ar said of his severe master, "He is a
beast, but a just beast" McGraws S
players know that if they are in the
right their manager will stick up for
coat and fight.