Evening journal., 1915-08-07
BIRMINGHAM Still
A BASEBALL BOY
Was Youngest Manager in
Organized Ball When He
Ran the Maps
WAS FAVORITE
UNTIL OUSTED

Joseph L. Birmingham. the de- !
posed child manager" of the Cleve-
land club of the Ban Johnson circuit, /
who has again dragged o. B. into |
court by bringing suit against his
former employer. was 81 years old'I
yesterday. Joe was the youngest
manager in major league captivity
when he was assigned to the job Of
plotting the former Maps. Joe took
charge of the club in 1912, succeed
ing Harry Davis. who had succeeded
George Stovall who was the sue
3 cessor of Jim Mcguire. Napoleon La
joie, Bill Armour and Jimmy Nc
Aleer. The Maps finished fifth in
1912. and in 1913 the child man
ager" kept the club in second place
throughout the greater part of the
season, although third at the finish
Joe became quite a favorile in the
Ohio metropolis as a result of his
showing that year, and it was pre-
dicted that he would hoist the first
pennant for Cleveland last year. The
prophets we're very much disap-
pointed, however. as Cleveland made
a rotten showing right from the start,
and was a hopeless tailender after
the first month, finishing witt the
worst record ever made by a Cleve-
land club in the American League.
1t wasn't altogether Joe's fault how
ever, as the pitching was punk and
the batting abominable
Somers gave Joe another chance
this year. but the club again fought
its way toward the bottom, and in
May Joe was deposed from the man
agement of the club. Last month
Birmingham brought suit against
President Somtrs. Birmingham al
legged in his petition that his contract
as manager has until the end of next
season to run, at a salary of S600O
year. Birmingham contract was
of the alleged iron clad" variety,
containing no ten-days' release
clause. and Joe claims his salary un-
d til October 1916.
President Somers alleged that he
fired Birmingham because ne was in
competent. Il is said that the Cleve-
land magnate gave Joe a free hand
S in hiring and firing players. and Il
+: was Joe who turned over Laioie to the
4 Athletics.
b The ex-leader Of the Indians wat
born in Elmira. ~ Y, August G. 1884
e "Birmy" played his first ball with Z
?; school club in his native town Ir
s 1902 and 1903 he played with MERGERS
y burg, Pa. Academy, and in the latter
year he entered Cornell University
to take the law course. At the Ithaca
institution Birmingham was promi
g nent as a football player. but played
t little baseball
"Dodo.' as he used to be known
n broke into professional baseball il
d 1906, with the A. G. e. ]. Clug of thu
l. New York State League. playing il
a the outer garden. He hit over .3Oi
e and ranked as a star in the heldin,
ii department, with the result that il
e Augusta his release was purchased b,
o the Cleveland club. "Birmy" joinel
Is the Maps in 1907, and made good a
e an outfelder. and in 1911 he brok
l. into the ranks of the leagues 80
n swatters.
10 In the 1918 race Birmingham locke
Al like a real star among the pilots. Tn
r. once meek aggregation seemed Z
D. have been imbued with Joe's fghtin
D. spirit. Joe seemingly made the tear
J. one of the best scrapping. "never-say
le die" clubs in baseball history. Afte
le pulling off the greatest surprise c
1913. the Maps pulled together in 191
by being as deficient in pep" as the
had previously been full of it. Ir
. ternal dissensions and squabblin
- were said TO be largely responsible
- for this condition of affairs. but whe
eo Joe got rid Of the discordant elemer
~ the Indians got no better fast, an
,s Somers told Joe 10. git" and neve
y darken his door again.