The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-11
Baseball Coach ! Has Important
 Place On Team
By JAMES J. CoRBETr

] Not so long ago the baseball coach was
 unknown; today he fills a most impor- tant position
 I The diamond aggregation in this era would consider it a calamity if it didn't | have coach The fact is indsputable l that ever since coaches became a part of | the baseball machine the standard of
 play all around has improved remark ahly
 ] Wilbert Robinson was the first of the | outstanding coaches. At that time John McGraw, managing the team, had quite ! a few young pitchers on his staff. He wasn't able to give them all the atten- | tion that they needed. He decided that l if he could get some veteran catcher 1 to work with the boys and tutor them, it would solve the problem.
 1 So McGraw got in touch with Wilbert Robinson and teammate of his back | in the Baltimore Oriole days, and Robin
 son took the job. It is a matter of his
 tory that the pitcher achievements of the
 Giants staff became really remarkable
 after "Robby'' became it's training boss. Robinson really developed Rube Mar
 quard. When the eccentric southpaw landed with the Giants from Indianapolis more than a dozen years ago, he was
 as wild as a Cannibal Island chieftain. No one seemed able to teach him con- trol. When Robinson arrived with the Giants he gave Marquard much of Eis attention. As a result, the "eleven-thou- sand-dollar lemon" developed into one of
 the most spectacular pitchers in the game.
 BOBBY IN ANOTHER ROLE Robinson also served another role with the ball club. Sometimes John McGraw would ride his players a little too hard. It would cause friction between manager and athlete. Then it was that Robin -toy,, nd ma of "blarney," would step into the breach,
 deliver fatherly talk to the irate per former, and in little while the player would forget all about his grievances. ! It was Robinson who acted as the buffer between McGraw and his players, l a peacemaker whenever peacemaking was necessary; an inspiration for var mcny and primarily coacher of the l youthful pitchers and adviser to all the
 other players.
 Robinson was given much credit for his
 work with the Giants, credit which he richly deserved. Other club owners ~o-
 ticed what the Giants had accomplished after they became possessed of a coach,
 and decided that coach was neces-
 sary asset And so one big league owner
 after another began hiring coach until
 this era, when every team is so equipped
 | Most of the coaches are veteran bal. players who Know the game Iroin pe5iH-
 ming to end and who can do much to assist the youngsters
 DOOIN BECAME COACH l After Robinson graduated from his job into the management of the Dodgers Charlie Dooin became the Giant coach. He was succeeded by George Gibson, who left to manage the Pirates. Then came Pat Moran, who quit to manage lthe Reds Matthewson followed, but had | to go into retirement on account Of lii- lness. The last of the Giant coaches
 was Johnny Evers, who drew the assign ment as leader of the 1921 Cubs.
 l Joe Sugden. old-time catcher, is the Cardinals coach. Bill McKetchnie, for mer big leaguer coaches the Pirates, and Cozy Dolan holds a similar job with the Chicago Cubs. Oscar Dugey is with the Braves. Hughey Jennings is the new coach of the Giants.
 l Mack McAllster is the Cleveland coacn' The other American league coaches in 1920 were:
 Lee Fohl, Browns; Charles O'Leary,
 Yankees; Ed Holley. Red Sox; pan Murphy, Athletics; Jack Coombs Tigers land George Mcbride, Senator's
 l In an earlier era coacher was more or less of a comedian. But times have changed and as the years go on the coach becomes more and more one or the
 most important parts of the basepan | machine