Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-13
MOURN Loss Of
ROWLAND; GREET
GLEASON WARMLY
Owner ComiSkey of White Sox
Makes First Big Move of
Reorganization Period of
Baseball in Dropping Pilot,
By Hugh :. Fullerton.

BY Hugh S. Fullerton.
Owner Comiskey of the Chicago
White Sox has taken the first big
plunge of the reorganization period
of baseball He discarded Clarence
Rowland. his chum and friend, and
has made Kid Gleason manager. The
change of front by Comlsk"y is
scarcely less startling than his move
in bringing Rowland, am untried
"busher." into the majors.
Rowland. after making good with
every one else failed with Comiskey,
and the inside story of why he was
released will never he told 1t Is
rather odd for an owner 10 dismiss
his pal and friend and appoint a man
with whom he was supposed to be on
terms of enmity.
Rowland held the White Sox to-
gether for three years. For two years
he held them because they liked him
personally Then a worlds cham
pionship went to the heads of some
of the players Last season Gleason
refused to join the team ana internal
trouble at once broke loose. TIE men
got away from Rowland, discipline
and team work went to smash ard
the champions finished down in the
ruck ComiSkev declared that the
team did not give him its best after
the Paint and Putty 'LeaguerS left it,
Rowland developed largely as a base
ban leader during his four years with
the White Sox and seemed to lose
his chief asset, which was the dcvo-
ton of his men to himself. Few fin
en- characters have ever been III the
game.
The absence of Gleason from the
team last year was a misfortune. The
Kid is one of the greatest characters
the national pastime has brought
forth. He is a born fighter. and if
any one could have maintained dis
cipline on the club he could. His
methods are elemental: he gives an
order, and if il not obeyed he en-
forces it by his physical prowess He
looks like little man and he does
not weigh up to the light middle
weight standard. but he can whip al
most any ball player in the country,
and while perhaps he cannot lick
them all, no one can whip him. He
has never been whipped and never
will be-
1t has been erroneouslv stated that
Gleason never has managed a club
during his thirty-seven years on the
ball field He was manager of the
New York Giants once during the I'M
fortunate epoch of Andrew Freed
man. Managing a club when the own
er would rather lose th1n win games
is not a pleasant task. Freedman had
q feud with the other club owners of
the National League and to bring
them to terms he wanted New York
to lose, knowing that the league de-
pended upon New York crowds for
its prosperity. He was fighting mad
and game declaring he would
stand to lose lose more than the 9TH
nrs would, which eventually proved
to be the case. TO make matters
which he was especially bitter Those
he wanted to beat if they were up in
the race He had a bad makeshift
team and the Kid was made" manag-
err among others.
Gleason was the only man who ever
could get along with Freedman in
that epoch He used to go down to
Freedman's office and for the next
hour ii sounded as if there was a
riot going on: then the Kid would
emerge grinning. And oddly enough,
Freedman always declared that Glca-
son was the sGuarcst and best man
he ever had. The Kid told him the
truth about himself and everything
else.
The experiment Of appointing tho
Kid MANAGER of a modern club is
strange He is the old type of play
or. uses the old-time principles il,
,l,., H.. Tai H.
lot Of the modern systems are bunk
He has kept up to date in the game
but insists that what we call inside
half' is old stuff that they used when
he first broke in.
His baseball system is as element
al as his nature. He wants men in
condition ms SITS on having them
work hard and keep on their toes al
the time, and that they fight for ev-
cry point. If they do not fight fol
games they will have to fight Glea-
son-and the choice will not he hard
for them to make.
A great little man is Gleason. anG
while we must mourn the loss OF
Rowland We must welcome Gleason
as a manager Any one desiring It
take a post graduate course In base
ball should attend the first argumen
DetWeen COmlSKeN ana tIIeaSOn oNel
some play. 1t will be worth travelling
miles TO hear.
The tip as to the situation in thu
White Sox is the ardent applause o
the appointment of Gleason nv Ed
die Collins, who declares that the Sc
lection of Gleason means anothe
championship for the White SoN
You wouldn't pick Collins as
trouble maker. yet for two years h
has been the center of almost ever,
bit Of internal trouble on the So,
team. Perhaps. II is jealousy of hi
wonderful ability, hut a number o
the other players declare that Col
Inns has not played the game; tina
he has played for himself and not 70
his team. He had trouble with tn
trainer, with Feisch and some Others
and there are open hints that he di,
not jibe with Rowland last season.
Collins superiority to some o
the others. or what they imagined t
he that seems to have been the chic
cause of the trouble in each case. On
thing is certain--there will not b
any of that. with Gleason.