Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-06
MATTY, MITCHELL
HAVE MADE GOOD
AS MAJOR HEADS

Neither an Umpire Batter, but Both
Believe In Aggressive BaIl-lmbus
Players With Desire to Put Every
Ounce of Energy In Effort to Play
Game.
With the major league baseball com.
paigns In full swing II Is becoming
daily more apparent that Christy NIath.
ewson and Fred Mitchell. manager OF
the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs
respectively, have proved their ability
to lead National league clubs.
Neither has had a galaxy Of stars
like McGraw and other managers who
have had unlimited financial resources
on which to draw. but they have more
than made good with teams that were
fixtures under other men.
1t Is comparatively simple task
for baseball managers backed by big
money" to gather thousands OF dol
lars worth Of top notch talent with
which to strengthen their teams. ANY
player In the pastime may he obtained
If the purchaser offers the necessary
amount Of money. but 1t is entirely diff
ferent when manager unsupported
by wealth endeavors to construct
winning aggregation. He cannot 20
out into the baseball mart with Il fist
full Of dollars and buy up all the stars.
He has to rely solely upon his judy
ment of new talent. and must probe
into the bushes for youthful players
who give promise Of future develop
ment. 1t is the manager without mon
ey who must build his team.
Neither Mathewson nor Mitchell has
been Overburdened with coin. Matty
was left the remnants Of the club over
which Charley Herzog held sway, while /
Mitchell was willed the disorganlzed
array of Joe Tinker. Each team had
finished in the second division In 1916
and neither looked like a first division
prospect this year. But Matty and |
Mitchell. by exerting baseball brains,"
for which each is noted, have SO i'm
proved their clubs that many critics /
have picked them to finish among the I
first four Matty and Mitchell have
arrived as major league managers.
Matty has worked wonders In devel-
oping the offensive play Of the Reds. I
His team has led the National league
In batting and base stealing.
Early in the season.. despite their I
f1eetncss on the bases, the Reds ran
the sacks with faulty Judgment, and T
mental errors in this phase of their
play proved a bigshandicap But Mat.
ty has taught his charges how to run
the bags judlciously.
OF course the Reds and fhe Cubs may
suddenly run afoul reef In the shape I
OF a breakdown Of the pitching staff
or injuries to some Of the star players,
but the fact remains that Matty and
Mitchell have made good. They have
shown that managers with brains can I
succeed without big money to spend
for stars. II there were more man. /
ayers OF their type the game would be
in sonhder condition than it Is today.
Neither is an umpire batter, yet both
are aggressive and keep their players
keyed up to the proper fighting spirit.
They have the ability to Undue their
players with the desire to put every
ounce OF energy into the effort to play
the game rather than waste a lot OF
1t riding the umpires.
When they took charge of the Reds
and Cubs 1t was everywhere conceded
they were pretty much nondescript out
fits, but Matty and Mitchell apparently
have laid solid foundation on which
to begin building