Evening journal., 1915-03-15
FEW PILOTS FROM
minors MAKE GOOD
ComiSkey TemptS Fate By
Hiring Rowland as Leader
of White SOx
BIG LEAGUE
MAN Is NEEDED

The appointment OF Rowland,
bush league pilot, as manager OF the
White Sox is almost as big a sur
prise as the sale of Eddie Collins. The
scheme of putting a minor Lacquer
over players who have been in the
big show for several years has seldom
been successful.
Charley Somers was the first TO
thus attempt fate Charley pulled Bill
Armour away from the Dayton Club
of the old Interstate League Armour
has acquired considerable fame as
minor league manager and developer
of players. In the few years prior
to coming to Cleveland he had turn
ed out such players as Elmer Flick,
Wiley Platt and Earl Moore. But his
big league experience was confined TO
climbing into Pittsburgh uniform a
few times prior to the opening OF
season.
There was no doubt of his knowing
lot Of baseball In fact, he was
considerable of strategist, but there
we're several veterans among the Maps
who disliked to take orders from
man whose baseball career was con-
fined to minor league teams. Hugh"
they murmured. What does that
guy know about big league baseball?
He might get away with that sort Of
stun In the minors, but he amt In the
minors now"
Under Armour the Maps, a powerful
organization ran fifth, third and
fourth. Had there been perfect har-
mony between players and managers
q pennant might have been won. Such
was Somers' experience with Armour
that he made up his mind ten years
ago that never again would he em-
pioy manager for his big league club
that had not been a big Lacquer him
self. A few years ago Somers was
urged to engage Bill Clymer, who hao
been so successful at Columbus and
Buffalo.
"Bin is all right" said Somers, but
he has not been a big leaguer. and
those fellows out there at the park
would not pay any attention to his
orders"
Go through the list of successful
managers and II will be found that
with possibly one or two exceptions
all have been big leaguers with con-
siderable ability. Connie Mack. John
McGraw. Hughey Jennings, Charley
Comiskey. Fielder Jones. Frank
Chance, Fred Clarke. Roger Bresna.
han, Ned Hanlon-Every one of then
was a real big leaguer. Frank Selee
who managed several pennant winners
for Boston and built up a team at Chi.
cago with which Chance went on and
gathered fame was the most notable
exception. Selee was not player
Then there is George Stallings. The
latter was big Lacquer, Il Is true
but not for long. and most OF his ex-
perience was acquired in the minors
AS far as the dope goes, Selee and
Stallings are the only men who did
not take renown as big league players
who won pennants after they became
managers in the big show. Ed Bar
row was of the Selee type. The Tigers
ran fifth and seventh when he was
bossing them. Billy Murray stucl
around the minors for ten years ol
more before he landed job as man
ager of the Phillies. who finished
third. fourth and ffth during his ad
ministration. The Red Sox LANDED
third the year that Fred Lake man
aged them. Fred had never been bil
league player. but he served as scou
for few years.
jOnu J. McOiuhhcl Is dnolhef eN
ample. His career was in the minors
He managed the Cardinals later on a
the result OF his success in class
Incidentally. the Cards ran seventh
eighth and eighth while he had ia
reins. Horace Fogel. another who ha
not had the required schooling. trie
his luck with the Giants fifteen year
ago. They failed to finish lowe
than eighth. Seventh place was a
high a. Joe Cantillon could finish wit
Washington although he had almof
the same team with which Clark Grii
nth finished second twice.
Thus Il can be seen that Comiske,
in his appointment OF ROwlands [
assume the reins held by such fame
players as Griffith. Jones. Duffy. Sull
van and Callahan. is defying tradition
But perhaps Commy feels that Row
lands may be another Selee or Stall
inEs. And then Il must be remember
cd that Comiskey himself watche
seventy-seyen home games and ha
his theories worked out during th
morning practice sessions.