Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-04-23

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rs II possible for the manager Of
big league baseball club to play
every day and direct his team sue
cessfullv. When that question was
asked five years ago and more it de-
veloped rapid-fire argument. There
were Connie Mack, John McGraw and
HuRhey Jennings as ammunition for
the bench manager adherents: the de.
baters on the side of the playine boss
as notable examples of success.
Ask the question today. and what is
the result? Only one playing manager
in the American League and three in
the National. One Of the latter trio,
Roeer Bresnahant Of the Chicago Cubs
probably will not catch so games in
the course of the coming season.
while 1t Is not at all certain that Bill
Carrigan, who bosses the Boston Am.
orleans, will go behind the bat in
more than 40 battles. Therefore, the
who does not take an active part in
the pastiming.
II the managerial type were select
ed from the result of the 1914 major
league campaigns, the bench manager
would win easily. George Stallings,
who drove the Boston Braves to the
National League pennant and then to
victory over the Athletics in the
worlds series, never leaves the dug
out reserved for the players. He does
not wear a uniform Neither does
Connie Mack appear on the field in
the course of o game and yet he has
won more nonors than any other base
ball boss in modern times. His team
captured the American League pen
nant last year-if you require that in
formation.
Therefore, any way you choose to-
take 1t, the 1914 campaign in the big
| show was triumph for the bench
manager-indeed, for the citizens
clothes manager.
1t always has appeared best for the
manager of a team to confine any
work he may, chose to do to coaching
when his team is on the attack. For
how in the world can Charley Herzog
Of the Reds, for example, know what is
going on in the outfield when his at
tention has to be riVeted to a pos
sible play at second base? Or how
can Roger Bresnahan, wearing the
mask and chest protector for the
Cubs, decide what the infield shall
do In. case of a double steal when
Sherwood Magee is at bat and Rajah
has to devote his attention to pre-
venting the ,slugger from knocking a
home run? Again, what chance has
Miller Higgins. to. plan inside attack
ing for the Cards when he is at the
plate trying to rap out a single and
send in the tying run!
Baseball today is a game of brains,
and 1t usually is up to the manager to
exercise the mental powers. The
.Players-and there are few exceptions
are mechanical TO the extreme. They
expect To be told when TO hunt and
when Ia nit il out: when 10 come in
Tor s. play at the plate and when TO
stay out for a, double killing.
1t is we'll known that Connie Mack
and George Stallings are supreme in
the course of a game. They may per
NIT certain players. to use their own
judgment on hitting. or bunting, or
stealing. But the bosses have an
elaborate system Of signs, and flash
them for almost every important move
which comes up, in the battle. And
because they sit on the bench, with
the whole battle before their eyes, and
no individual efforts to distract their
attention, they are in a position to
know what is best to do; In their
judgment, at least.
Fred Clarke, wnen ne was a playing
manager, was a 300 batsman and one
of the best left fielders In the big
leagues. He could say to his players,
do as / do and we'll win" Further.
more, when the Pirates were supreme
baseball was largely a game of slug
and field" Frank Chase, too, was a
thoroughly capable first baseman, as
we'll as a first-class batsman, but he
had as his aides such brainy players
as Evers, Tinker, Killing and Mordecai
Brown. Clarke and Chance both
found that they could not continue to
play and direct their teams And
neither of them was In need of crutch.
es when he quit active work
In spite of the fact that Mack and
Stallings do not wear a uniform and
depend upon their respective lieuten-
ants, Davis and Mitchell for the
coaching and other field duties, it
would appear that the manager who
gets out with his men once in a while
should get the best results. Especial
ly has this been true of John Nc
Graw and Hughey Jennings, who in,
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