The Washington times., 1916-08-13
"Wait Until 1t Is Oper," Grif;
"Giants for Mine" Matty Choice
Reds Leader 0pines He ls
Learning Some Things
About Handing a Team.
By CHRISTY MATHEWSON,
ManaUer of the Cincinnati Reds.

HoioBcI VI tuC SHiCiHiilbSi AsCuoe
I feel like a stranger who has just
come to New York and Is trying to sec
the top OF the woolworth building from
a subway excavation. certainly have
to bend my neck and look up.
Since I have taken hold Of the Gin
cinnati Reds that 10 the only direction
In which can look. Like the man in
the subway hole. I can't look down.
There Is no place to look.
For some time past have had ideas
about making ball club. But since
found most Of them to be wrong. When
a. twirler. who had Just broken In from
the "bush." asked Hub Perdue. the
old pitcher. a couple Of years ago how
he got his results. Hub replied:
Just do the best l can until I let 60 of
the ball. and. after that. It is up to the
have been putting the best ball club
could into the field every day. and
then after that It was up to- the other
side. and the other side has beon max
Ing the most Of Il.
First Of all. have some good ball
players. as good as there are In the
league. but haven't a team. The boys
or less for himself. Changing . man
ager in the middle of the season always
results In this. Signs. etc.. 20 by the
board. Now I am trying to build ma
get to know my men. Slowly am be-
coming acquainted.
Is Combing the Bushes.
Also am combing the bushes for ma
terial, because / feel I can afford to do
as much experimenting as Connie
Mack. The worlds series money this
fall is not worrying me. Neither IL
Connie frettins about It. Therefore,
box scores OF the Cincinnati games are
liable to read like q bush league CLOS
sary.
When came to Cincinnati. I was
warned that everybody would insist on
running the club. from the newsboys to
all the directors. l was promised abso-
lutte charge on the field. and this prom
Use has been faithfully lived up to, and
will be. SO that I will be responsible for
the showing. Of the team. believe
tion on which to build. An automobile
may have n motor in fine health. but II
the driving shaft Is broken so the power
won't reach the rear wheels. that auto
mobile won't get anywhere. That is our
trouble. We have no driving shaft.
You can't have a driving shaft on q
ball club until you have become ac-
Qua!nted with your men and have de-
veloped team spirit.
70 We Win are Eoins nn,. to be IN the battle
say, will do a lot of experimenting
with young players. am down at the
bottom. but am In reputable company.
Look where Connie Mack In lodging.
ease up any because we nre exper-
menting. A tail end ball club can often
decide a close pennant race in the
closing weeks by showing in a lot Of re-
cruits against one contender and q
another. I don't believe that 10 fair. So
my same lineup will face each team
with a championship chance that goes
against us. l won't switch to give
some club a better chance.
Giants Are Stronger.
Now to discuss clubs that are in
higher attitudes than mine. The Giants
are rs per cent stronger than they were
in the beginning of the season. OF
course, my old boss. McGrsw. has .
large lead TO eat up. but. when q club
thai I'll has been sn heading the d
McGraw mas always contendcd that the
hardest way to win q pennant was to
set the pace all the way. And look
to see Brooklyn blow. The stretch
is where the nerve Of the clubs will he
tested.
The Boston Braves ! have always
liked but 1t is q wild club OF fighters
and about as nerveless as the ball team
of an institute. where nervous prostra-
tion patients are treated exclusively.
John Evers is playing the gamo on his
nerve as he Is physically frail anyway.
and he believes that there Is a conspir-
acy against him. He told me 30 re-
Gently In Boston. Whether John 10 right
or wrong about this don't know. but
I will say he seems to have TO stand
heavier penalties than any other Of
tenders for the same acts stallings
has also been suspended.
Braves Full Of Fight.
Tho Braves remind mo of the old Cubs
They fight among themselves and they
fight with the umpires. and they fght
with everybody. but they certainly play
baseball. and no one can say they take
the game as a joke They are deadly
serious about winning both of and on
the field. II tho Brooklyn club had some
Of this spirit. the National League race
would have been over long ago. But