New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-07
More Baseball Confessions by Johnny
Epers, Captain of Worlds Champions
Fine Tribute Paid Frank
Selee as PossessOr OF
All Needed Qualities.
CHANCE KNOWN FOR
HIS AGGRESSIVENESS
No Man Ever Held Reins OF a
Club Without Doing a Lot
of Worrying.

notchers, for, after all, the most sue
cessful player is not always the fellow
who can hit the pill on the nose every
time up and knock it out of the lot or
field everything that is batted toward
him. To climb to the top player
must be THERE" from the shout
ders up.
While discussing Mack and Stallings
il is advisable to explain something
that may have been overlooked IN the
huzzahs that have attended their WORK
of the last several years. They did not
scale the heights Of greatness at q
single bound. They have worked nara
for wears at this baseball business. Az
first neither was what could be called
q manager of more than passing note
90 far as the records of their teams
went. This, however. merely substan-
tiates what said earlier in this story
that a good manager is not always the
most successful.
There are other examples, notably
John J. McGraw, of the Giants. MS
first efforts were not crowned with the
laurel wreath. At first these men may
have been handicapped by not beng
permitted to WELD free hand in run
ming their teams.
Must Be the Boss.
No matter how great general man
ager may be, if he is interfered with
he cannot succeed. He must De the
boss of the team. Just as soon as the
president of a club interferes in this
branch of the service just so soon IS
his club doomed to fail. ! do not nee
essarilv mean by this that a manager
70
nlavers without consulting his employ
ers, but | do mean that he shouIG De
nermitted to run the playing end OF
he game, | never realized how ham
pered by interference a manager could
he until | was made manager OF the
Cubs. | am not offering this as an
alibi or an excuse for the showing the
Cubs made under my management, but
I never again will accept the position
as manager of a club unless ! am
going to have absolute charge OF the
PLAYING end of the game.
The handling of players is great
problem. It is a delicate problem. Base
hall plavers are among the most sensl
tive persons in the world. This, IN a
great measure, is no diubt due to the
fact that the tension on the average
nIaver's nerves is terrific throughout
the championship season. TINS MAKES
him smart more readily under the lash
of criticism than he would ordinarily.
Most PLAYERS work hard to win all
the time. Very few loaf on the Joo.
The few who do loaf do not stay long
in the major leagues. The others know
thew are doing their best at all times
and they hate to be ridden for that
reason. There are just as many diner
emit dispositions in baseball as there
are different players, and each requires
different handling. That is one OF tne
tasks that confronts a Manager
to treat players as individuals ana not
collectively. IL is an even more dell-
cate task than training athletes. Every
one appreciates the fact that athletes
70 be trained properly, must be nam
died individually. No two systems are
alike. The same applies to dispositions
Then. too. a manager must possess
the knack of getting all there Is out OF
a player. In this respect / tnihk lnat
George Stallngs stands alone. lie
Combines all the good qualities OF such
great baseball generals as McGraW'
Chance, Selee and Mack.
I learned a great deal under Selee
and Chance. but learned whole lot
more under Stallings last year. AFTER
Joining the Boston club and working
under Stallings for one week, l realized
that he Is wonder and his success
last wear did not surprise me, Tor
believe that he works harder and more
conscientiously from the time his clup
reports for training in the spring unul
the close of the season than any other
manager in the country. And he I'M
bues his players with the same amol-
ton for victory that fills him:
Some critics have been so KIND as 20
attribute some of the success OF the
Braves to me, but | want TO say thaI
IN success was entirely due to the
endless work and tireless efforts OF
George r. Stallings and no one else
In saving this do not mean TO detrac'
one whit from the credit that IS due
lanes. TYLER, Rudolph, Gowdy, Maran'
Vile. Connolly and all the other play
ers.
and fail in that position do so because
thew are too lenient As a result, they
are imposed upon. To succeed as
manager. one does not have to be
taskmaster of the kind that stands over
his players with verbal whip. one
can be kind, but at the same time
manager must be stern when occasion
demands il.
tCopyrisht 1915. By the Wheeler Syndicate Inc.
In next Sundays Tribune Mr.. EYers VIII DIS
| Gus, .PIayer. and Scouts" he al 80 VIII ave man
! Interesting pointers to young players anxious Z
| succeed In baseball, explaining what inc reeufe
ments Of BIG Leasuer ate-~hat the MANAGE
tbsm out In the minor leagues. He Will discus
| the various scouting systems com pairing tns'e 0
| the present with those OF the past