New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-22
Owner of Cleveland Team
Says Managers Resigna.
ton Was "by Request"
CLARKE CONTENT
WITH HIS LOT
Nobody Expects Much Of Pi.
rates. in Fred's Opinion-Why
FOurnier Hits Hard.
By HAYWOOD BROUN.

Joe Birmingham no longer blushe
when a stranger asks him whats your
| line?" Joe resigned his job as manager
of the Cleveland Indians yesterday.
I The boy leader did not quit or crack
under the strain. He was placed in
! somewhat the same position as the
negro preacher who complained that
/ his congregation "Jes done handed ma
NAH resignation" According to the an.
nouncement of Charles A. Somers, Biz.
mingham's surrender was by request.
| Birmingham became the leader Of the
! Indians, or Maps as they were then
| called, in 1912. He succeeded Harry
| Davis. and for a time threatened 70
| become a most successful leader In
the campaign of 1913 he had his team
I'D in the race all the way, but the raids
! of the Federal League in the following
winter completely wrecked his machine.
In particular the loss OF Falkenberg
ruined his pitching staff.
The Maps of 1914 was one Of the
worst teams which ever took the dia-
mond. The team seems to be playing
much better baseball this year, but ap.
parently the Improvement was not suff.
| GENTLY great to satisfy Somers. Biz.
mingham joined the Maps in 1905, and
was a regular outhelder until he won
his managerial commission, when hs
gradually worked his way to the bench.
No announcement has been made az
TO the players future, but it is prob
! able that he will be traded TO some
other club. Leo Foil, coach OF the
| team, who at one time managed the
Waterbury club, will be in charge Of
.lo Indians for tho
Fred Clarke is a contented manager.
! He believes that he is in a position 10
command the envy of every other leader
/ in the big leagues. "You see. nobody
expects much of u.s." remarked Clarke
| at the Hotel Somerset yesterday, 80
how can we prove disappointment! So
| far I'm entirely satisfied with the show.
ing of my team. No, think | ought to
say that I'm more than satisfied. The
club has exceeded my expectations. |
think we'll surprise every one before
we're through"
/ Asked for his opinion Of the compare.
/ tive merits of the Eastern teams,
| Clarke said that so far as he could see
the Braves, the Phillies and the Giant,
were about equal in strength. "Of
course everybody knows the Giants
won't finish last" he declared. Il think
McGraw has stronger team than no
had last year. The Phillies may be
only fash in the pan, but Pat Moran
certainly has his men hustling. The
problem of the Braves is pitching.
think Stallings will have a mighty hard
job TO win another pennant. but ne may
! get just the work he needs from his
! pitchers when the warm weather sets
in"
Clarke expressed himself as greatly
pleased at the enthusiasm which the
| fans all over the circuit were showing
over Wagner. Hes just as good as hs
ever was" declared the manager Of the
! Pirates. "Does he cover as much
ground? Well, maybe not quite as much.
| Possibly he's lost half an inch OF his
range on either side"
! Rain, snow and assorted bad weather
no longer need interfere with the de-
I velopment of a baseball team.
manager cannot get his men out on the
diamond he may devote the afternoon
to mental suggestion. Clarence Row.
! land is doing it. According TO stores
{ from Chicago, the leader OF the Whi's
/ Sox has made Jacques Fournier con:
sistent hitter, simply by the force Oh
mental suggestion.
Day after day Clarence would corner
Jacques on the bench and hiss into his
ear again and again: Jake, you can
bust that ball; you certainly can ous
it," The player might modestly dis.
claim any ability with the bat, but
/ Rowland was opdurate and Fourier
would eventually walk to the plate 10
a dazed condition and hammer the ball
over the fence.
John McGraw might try the same
! scheme, but there is one difficulty. In
! mental suggestion, as in wireless teies'
raphy, an equipment is necessary 70 re-
ceive as well as to send
Speaking of minds, Fred Merkls has
one. His is probably the best in base
ball. The man who has been bone
headed" all over the circuit IS me
result of one unlucky break has
greater store of assorted knowledge
than any player in the game.
A stray copy of Schopenhauer was
found lying on a chair in the lobby OF
the Arlington Hotel at Marlin THIS
spring, and when the book was opened
the fly leaf revealed the name Fred
Merkle." The p,g first baseman's read
ing is about as heavy as some OF those
! long drives OF his.
Next to philosophy, he prefers eco
Monies, and simply wallows in Adam
Smith and John Stuart Mill II there
was any other Giant to listen Merns
could tell him all about the balance Oh
trade, tariffs. the Malthusian theog
and intensive cultivation Of land. IN
his lighter moods Markle plays souna
game of chess, and is second only 70
Christy Mathewson as an auction
player.