South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-27
BY Charles W. Call.


a good man down" is being exempli-
ned very wildly by pilots OF at least
two major league teams this year.
one is a veteran manager. the other
is leading a major league squad his
first full year one is Connie Mack.
the other is Christy MathewsOn.
Each has been the big surprise in
his respective league for the season
OF 1917.
Ever since Mack made mincemeat
out OF his 100000 inheld a few
years ago he has been finishing each
season with upwards Of "A 100 games
in the abandoned column. Philadel-
phia turned into about as consistent
a calender as she was formerly a
pennant-winner When Mack dis
rupted his high priced inner works
he made the bold prediction that
he would be back in the race by
1917. This prediction has not been
realized but more and more the
silent efforts OF the leader OF the
Athletics are gaining respect around
the American league circuit. He
may not even pull his insists into
the first division. but he has succeed
ed in making Philadelphia once
more a team 10 he feared in the
American league. Nineteen hundred
and eighteen will almost surely find
Mack where he predicted he would
be this campaign-up there battling
for the pennant
Reds or Giants Heels.
But the greatest sensation of the
year is not the accomplishments Of
Connie Mack. That honor must go
20 no other than Christy Mathewson,
premier pitcher Of all time. and now
the aggressive leader Of the much
buffeted Cincinnati Reds. 1t is not
vet a year since Matty took hold Of
the team that has never won a pen
nant. vet today ne has them in sec
ond place in the National league
the only team that looks of hinder
ing the Giants from making a run
away out Of the pennant race.
Mathewson took charge Of the
Reds quite late in the season Of
1916. He set himself methodically
20 the task of studying every man
on the team and his possibilities. He
finish much better than last. and he
planned in one season for the cam
paign Of the HeXt.
Matty Shows En- How.
When the Reds congregated in
the south this spring Matty's real
task in constructive management
was begun He had the monumental
task Of instilling into the Reds the
principles Of scientific baseball as il
is played by winning teams. and no
man was better qualified not only 10
teach but 10 illustrate by practical
exposition. The Reds soon noted that
Natty knew as much about base
running as any man on the team.
He was the same at backing up
throws. relaying throws, covering
the right bag on different kinds Of
hits. and the other hundred and one
moves which q topnotcher is sup
posed 10 have at his command. and
most frequently does not And then
there was that essential that had TO
be instilled into the aimless Reds
the ole pen. Schooled under
McGraw for a decade and half
Matty knew the value of the extra
punch.
As the Reds began TO realize that
they were being headed by an hon
est-to- goodness "old master who
knew more about every mans spec
iality than the man himself knew.
and that he also had the rare faculty
Of importing his knowledge TO
others. and that he was a bundle of
fight from the peak of his hat 10 the
toe Of his shoes. the team took on
an entirely different aspect. II be-
gan 10 realize that II had enough
strength 10 get somewhere. with the
intelligent direction that it was re-
ceiving and it has pounded its way
up 10 the second rung in the cham
pionship ladder without the first
sign Of cracking under the strain
Of such a prolonged squirt.
Student Of the Game.
When il is remembered that list