New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-06
By GEORGE T. sTALLINGS'
,,..usr Of the Boston Braves.

= nusIENA
one o. "" toy a baseball club, for II IS
ne hat manager must begin 10 geS
msHn.irted with the new men, MAKE niS
as 'r.s,ons from his flock OF recruits anu
~ 20 build his team,
SUI rso : srring of 1918 will always De re-
Ise me as the most important
gAfusu BASEBALL career, since II was
y! hst | faced. for the frst lime
n'H pas+on club, with which ! was
ne ~ in two years time TO win
oesI' i,. championship. ! would never
voIu songbt II possible at the time.
hS,s r,,.tion will do more in the hrst
vy' ~ snring practice than all the IN
We .ors EVER compiled. Long ago !
snul..~srsd a very satisfactory process
el's~t;sb 7 could test out the steel OF
,,,rujt in the spring. Nearly every
..rrvster comes TO a training camp
In az ambition, and he LOOKS LOT AZ,
. 49, from the manager. some o.
80 viii lose their ambition and pep
.s,sr 4 week or two II ! ignore
-D TSsn know that this sort Of man
- ,ba stuff 10 make a real Big
1900 But If ] don't say anything
-scruit for a week or two and ne
s.s,s 6Obtine al the harder 10 make
s.ns know that he is the real thing,
s..Si ,tart 70 work with him. He has
' snS he has the courage TO plug away
end force me TO recognize him.
The Player Let Go.
-oun- fellcw came TO me IN the
spring Of 1918 who had mace Dig
.f.orS in the minor leagues as
PITCHER, and looked for him to De
wonder. left him alone during me
srst week Of the spring training sna
4, seemed 10 sulk, and that looked PAD
n ne. He had so much stun when
"a On, the winter kinks out Of his ar =,
borrower that | began TO coddle him
TttIs and thought I might have been
wrong In my preliminary diagnosis.
With little petting he came through
surine practice in good shape, and i
t.ourht had q find 70 help out E-y
scsuiT collection Of pitching talent. /
must be borne in mind that at this time
PriOlph had had little or no big league
experience and "Bill' James was abse-
L. = raw. 8,
Well. this young fellow worked
along and started the season with T J
club. Two months after the champion
ship race had begun ] let him go be-
cause be was such a temptation to m e.
Perhaps that sound like strange rea-
son to the ordinary follower Of ba-
bal, but it is the true one. The young
fellow just lacked gameness, and my
first test-that Of ignoring him In the
s. ing camp-had revealed this, but
ks refused to be convinced and had
tsrTied him along.
He had everything that successful
pitcher needs. He felded his position
smoothly and possessed a good balk
notion toward first base so that run
ners could not get any lead on him. lie
would warm up fine and look like a MIL
hon dollars in practice, but ne always
weakened in the pinch. When one
pitched ball might win or lose, he
would shoot il up in the groove" and
game would be bowed for me.
This boy would have been a Mathew
500 except for the one big weakness
bevssn't game. So this temptation Of
mlnt vent back 70 the minors. The rea-
ssn ! called him q temptation is be-
sauss could not let him warm up
SIssout starting him, and when i did
put him in the box | knew he was 60
ing to blow the game unless the team
stu- lot Of runs under him at the
getaway. This young pitcher is dead
nov, but If be had lived TO be mil
non years old he would never have
heen anything but a "busher." So /
soon saw one bright looking prospect
, , INTO the minors that year Of
Why | Am My Clubs Confessor.
But ] must get. back to the spring
p'seace. Al the first meeting Of the
payers always make it rule TO take
ny seat IN the middle of the group
saa TAX 70 them. ! lay down and ex-
y1eh the regulations which will gov
.,n the club during the season and
Mu them about hotel arrangements,
ae conditions under which they will
work, etc.
! know that have accumulated quite
Iepetaiion for "bawling" men out
Saee ! have been in baseball, and per-
r l 90 say a lot Of things on the
Sssh IN the heat of a game that i
sSat mean. But ! have never fined a
sslu sines ] took charge Of my first
~. and ! tell them all this frankly
"a. le siart. ] have never taken a
~. Of players money.
an osnef managers contend that / am
wong In this and that ] canno'
~ysel 70 have any discipline without
,S s.Js penalty which hits a player in the
teAetDook, but ] have got along this
a. Ntnout finding il necessary, and !
gong 10 continue in the same old
,~' ior 4 has brought me some re-
-. u The result is that ! nave be-
-e sort Of father confessor 70 the
-, -. On ny team, and am the Arst one
roublez
.. neither do lay down any hard and
80 tuies about what time a player
oe IN the hotel when the team
" the road. Each man knows tina;
supposed 20 be in bed not later
,.s' midnight, and by IL o'clock. as
,e s- l don't have 20 be a detective.
~ - u necessary for me 70 have
- man punch a timecloek so as 20
sure that he is not diBsipatinR
shq hurting himself.
nave been around ball clubs long
snsegn % know when a player Is
=, ~ tsking care OF himself by the looks
!. am They cant fool me long. and
sss.hy watchdog does not inspire con
,aeshee IN thu men. All the time ! am
,ssI'nG 70 appeal 10 the confidence and
:, - Individuality Of each player. | want
y zee enough ambition in every one OF
:, hnen 20 that they will 20 70 bed OF
..I own accord in order 20 feel right
snd 70 win.
Mistake Of Taii-End Managers.
70 spring practice one Of the FIRST
...nfa J begin 70 study II the mental
..ssp1Dilities Of the players, because Q
,s.sft Dali player IL a real gem. Nine
nts put Of ten ! have a mans intel.
's,,ssl number by the end Of the FIRST
,,ssk Of spring practice. During this
~ week there Il no baseball actuallJ
gv..1ysa, bat a good deal IN talked in the
"a >plfeen IN front Of the blackboards
<1< brat afternoon on the field ia 4