The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-05
Joe Birmingham, Deposed Boy Manager, :"
 31 Tomorrow

I- Joseph L. Birmingham. the deposed 'chiId manager of the Cleveland club or the Ban Johnson circuit, who has again dragged O., B. into court by bringing suit against his former employer, will be 31 years old tomor- row. Joe was the youngest manager in major league captivity when he was assigned to the job of pilotng the former Maps Joe took charge of the club in 1912, succeeding Harry Davis, who had succeeded George Stovall, who was the successor of Jim Mcclure, Napoleon Lajoie, Bill Ar mour and Jimmy McAleer. The Maps finished fifth in 1912, and in 1913 the 'schild manager kept the club in sec ond. place throughout the greater part of the season, aIth tough third at the finish. Joe became quite a favorite in the Ohio metropolis as a result of his sh owing that year, and it was pre- dicted that he would hoist the first pennaflt for Cleveland last year. The kprophets were very much disappoint- ed, however, as Cleveland made a rot ten showing right from the start, and was a hopeless tailender after the first month, finishing with the worst re- cord ever made by a Cleveland club in the American Leagune. It wasn't al together Joe's fault, however! as the pitching was punk and the batting abonninable.
 Soners gave Joe another chance this year, but the club again fought it's way toward the bottom, and in May Joe was deposed from the man agement of the club. Last month Birmingham brought a suit against 1 President Somers. Birmingham al- legged in his petition that his contract 1 as manager has until the end of next | season to run, at a salary of $6,0o0 a year Birmingham's contract was of the alleged ''iron clad'' variety, con taining no 10 days release clause and Joe claims his salary until October, 1916.
 President Somers alleged that he fired Birmingham because he was in competent It is said that the Cleve- land magnate gave Joe 8 free hand in hiring and firing players, and it was Joe who turned over LaJoie to the Athletics.
 The ex-leader of the Indians was born in EImira, N. Y, August $. 1884. I 'tBirmy'' played his first ball with a school club in his native town In 1902 and 1908 he played with Mercer burg, Pa-,~ ~Acad eny, and in the latter year he entered Cornell University to take, the law course. At the Ithaca
 institution Birmingham was promi- nent as a, football player, but played | little baseball
 -'Dodo,' as he used to be known l broke into professional baseball in | 1906, with the A. G. & J. club of the
 New York State League. playing in
 the outer garden. He hit over .3oC l and ranked as a star in the feldins g
 department, with the result that ir August his release was purchased by the Cleveland clubL ftBirnny'' joined
 the Maps in 1907, and made good a!
 an outfielder, and in 1911 he broke into the ranks of the leagues .30G
 swatters.
 In the 1913 race Birmingham look
 ed like a real star among the pilots tThe once meek aggregation seemed to
 have been imbued with Joe's fighting
 spirit. Joe seemingly made the team
 one of the best scrapping, "never-say-
 die" clubs in baseball history. After
 pulling off the greatest surprise o1
 1913., the Maps pulled another in 191=
 by being as deficient in pep as they
 had previously been full of it. Inter
 nal dissensions and squa bbling were
 said to be largely responsible for this
 condition of affairs, but when Joe go
 rid of the discordant element the In
 dians no better fast, and Somers to1t
 Joe to ''git'' and never darken hi
 door again.