Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-22
.HURLERS HAVE HAD POOR
SUCCESS AS MANAGERS
Coombs, MatEcwson and Donovan
Tried to Pilot Clubs, and AL
Three Were Failures.
GRIFFITH WON FLAG ONCE
Nearly Two Decades Ago Present
Leader OF Senator's Put White SoX
Out Ahead, but Has Never Been
Able to Repeat Stunt.
ny JAMES j. CORBETT.

NEW YORK, August 2l. Fate
seems to rule against any noticeable
success for former pitcher who dons
the managerial toga.
Jack Coombs, as smart a player as
ever lived. tried to make good with
asset Of manager. He knows baseball
from beginning TO end and he is a
genius in handling men. Coombs
tried, and desperately, to make good.
confessed failure.
When Christy Mathcwson assumed
the helm of the Reds. the opinion was
almost unanimous that he would lead
the Cincinnati team into the promised
land Of Pennantville. Ranked az "A man
with superlative Judgment. as wizard
IN schooling young slabmcn. as an in
diNidual capable of getting the maxi
mum results from his men. Ma,ty
looked like natural-born baseball
B i3 Matty was plotting bust"
wild BIZ Donovan got a chance
With the Yankees and the owners
They told BIN not 10 spare expense,
inat remnant winner was the thing.
d IN tried for few years and every
eHort was iruitlcss. So lie passed out
Griffith Once Won Pcnnnnt.
Nearly two decades ago Clark Grif-
nth. pitcher Of the lonc-gonc days,
Won pennant for the Chicago White
Sox Every year since then he has
tried 10 repeat But he never has sue
ceeded The jinS tina, seems TO rule
moundsman as a team leader seems 10
have EMBODIED Griffith In its embrace.
jimmy Callahan, who pitched as we'll
L,lrhtes 10 the crest. But ne was
doomed TO disappointment. And SO IL
mas been with practically every pitcher
III the modern history Of the game
Arthur Irwin. the veteran player and
manager isn't at all Impressed win
INC new stunt of many ba;smen OF hit
That is "A distinct advantage TO the
pitcher declares Irwin n every
natsman swings at the first offering /.
means, That ,ha, a pitcher Will throw less
Inc lever balls that pitcher throws
me less strain there liz on his arm
ana the better he can pitch
whit Out Pitcher. Irwin Sny.
by waiting out pitcher i, means
;nat Fellow must work his arm OFF
Il batters PLAYED the waiting-out trick
between 200 and $50 balls per game.
That would tire his arm apprec:ab!y
ana ana long before the seventh or eie'h,h
strain His speed would be iesscned.
MS control poorer and he would be
rather easy TO hit.
| hIGh!y important fact that the pitcher
Is their natural enemy. and they should
90 eyeryihinS possible 70 weaken him
| IN his fight against them"
Is Walter Johnson like NAPOLEON
l-ajoie, going down into history as a
man whose world series participation
dream is never to be realized?
All the truly greats o: baseball.
except Johnson and Lajoie. figured In
one or another world series during
their careers. Cobb. Wagner, Mathew
SON. Speaker. Collins. Alexander. BEN
der Plank. Waddcll. Brown. Schalk
kill!fer. King. Archer. Chance, Jack
son. they have participated in the
titu!ar clashes or baseball.
Injoic and johnson Missed.
Only I.ajoie and Johnson Of all the
stars that have scntillated during the
past twenty years. have not figured
IN at least one blue ribbon contest
! I.ajoie has faded and passed for ali
| time from major league view His
| LIES ambition will not be fulfilled
| And now II looks "A IL the name OF
| Johnson. the super-twirler. will be
added 10 that OF Lajoie. For nearly
fourteen seasons the speed King" has
! been in the big leagues pitching re-
| markable baseball. But fortune ap-
! parently has ruled that johnson never
! is TO appear in a world series clash
! And there is baseball tragedy in
| that.
| The Senatorial outlook for some
| years TO come is not at all rosy Their
chance o. winning a nag before John
! sons big league days are over are
CONTINUED on Tenth PaCcO