Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-03
.BUSHER MANAGER
PROVES A MASTER
Lee Foil May Not Win Pcnnant
But He's Made a Mighty
Name for Himself.
Is AN ACCIDENTAL LEADER
By FRANK G. MENKE.

Hol iht MS iliuiduS W Inc CICst Vi TIC l
American league this season, but he
has made reputation for himself that |
will be enduring; has accomplished |
things with a seemingly mediocre
ball club that ranks his name with the |
greatest managers OF base ball
At the outset OF the season the In
dams were ranked as a 100 to shot
for the bunting honors-just that and
nothing more. Those who laid those
odds and spoofed the chances OF the
club, did SO after study OF its play
ing personnel. They prognosticated,
without considering the leadership
genius of Foil. And that is where
they Numbered,
One OF the oldest things about
Fohrs success is that he never had
any real major league experience I'M
til he went TO the Indians in 1915 as
a coach. All his base ball knowledge
was gained in the bushes-and the
low-down ones at that. Yet this same
base ball genius. plotting one OF the
seemingly weakest teams in the big
show, has kept them at or near the
top OF the American league all season
the miracle OF miracles.
An Accidental Leader.
Foil got his real chance to show
what he might do in All accidental
way; he became manager through
what might be called flukc
Joe Birmingham was porting and
starboarding the helm Of the indian
craft until midseason OF 1915. Then
he succeeded in making himself so nm
popular with the club owners and
fans because he had steered his club
to the bottom. OF the Johnsonian sea
that he was elected from his job.
And then arose the question:
who'll manage the ciub!'
Charles Somcrs, then owner, pom
dered over II a while and decided:
"Let Foil do IT,"
| The chances are that if Somers
hadn't been broke he never would
have given Foil the chance, Soiners
would have gone out and hired one
Tor another OF the veteran managers
who just then were out Of jobs. But
Somers, with depleted bank roll,
had but one choice--to name Fohl--
who was willing to take the job at the
same salary he had been receiving for
performing coaching chores.
He Restores Harmony.
Under Fohl's leadership the club
didn't accomplish anything wonderful
during the rest Of 1915. But Foil,
with the genius that is his, rooted out
the dissension that had wrecked the
club earlier; he brought order out Of
chaos, cured the "soreheads' and
brought about harmonious conditions.
During the winter of 1916 tine club
changed hands. Jim Dunn OF Chi
cago became the owner. And the
first question fired At him was
who will manage your clubf'
The answer was:
lee Fohl. Some OF the base ball
sharps tell me ! am making huge
mistake in retaining hiin--but ! have
contrary views. Fohl's achievement
Of restoring harmony strikes me IS
being one that deserves for him
another chance as manager, am
convinced that Foil has real base ball
knowledge and that he will give
Cleveland 4 winner ii such thing
is possible"
And so Lee Foil led the Indians
into the 1910 battling while all the
experts shook their heads sadly and
said
"Poor old Clevelandl'
Indians Surprise Fandom.
Those same Indians, under the
"busher" Foil, have been the sensa-
ton OF the base ball world. They got
away to flying start--and they have
tipped along at an amazing clip ever
since, II is unlikely that they will
win the pennant, but they have done
this--outdrawn every club in base
ball, given Cleveland one OF the best
ball clubs il has ever had and already
made a showing that makes II seem
certain that Dunn and his associates
will clear from $ls0,000 to 100000
on the season---which is something OF
an accomplishment
Treats Players Individually.
just short while ago we asked
one OF the Indians:
What Is Fohrs methodh
ITO treat US all like human beings
land like brothers or sons" was the
reply. Its the best method in the
world, yet used so infrequently in
base ball.
Foil doesn't try to drive US. He
doesn't domincer or dictate. He talks
over all things with us just like part
nets do in business enterprise. He
handles each man differently. i He
realizes that every man has differ
ent temperament Fohl studies that
Of every player and then conducts
himself toward each in a way design
ed to bring out the best.
"Fohl is Of the .ype that never
gives up. He fights until the last
but he always fights fairly, clcanly.
And he has imbued each and every
one o. us with that spirit.
Some cri.ics say that we have been
playing beyond ourselves all year.
That may be true. Ii it Is, il IS due
to Foil. whose leadership has added
at least 40 per cent to the base ball
value OF every man on the club.
Can any manager do a greater