The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-21
the
! ofSport'
by NnN S.@-M4e~

seem 10 depend greatly upon the siy!"
Of baseball the managers elect their
teams shall play. The craze for slug
ginE. long-htting games has upset SOM"
OF thu traditions and made results more
uncertain than they have been in gen
cratic
Thc-" is no doubt that IN" Sp"rlacu-
lar. long driving style is the kind OF
baseball the public wants. Some OF
the managers arc Of the opinion mat
giving tho public what II wants is the
proper kind OF baseball. Others do not
agree. and insist that the object Of play
ing baseball is to win games.
Thu. cash Of theories is tho thing that
has upsc: the dope on the races thus far
The New York Giants. team which
ouSh. TO win the National League cham
p;onShiD without much OF struggle, -
playing both ends against the middle
and trying 10 win games and win pop
u,ar applause at the same time. "hich
cannot be done.
/ have been studying the styles OF
| the teams. OF Cours, we must ADMIT
that a manager should try % take an
vintage Of tho things in which ms
. team has an advantage. 4 team with
three of four long hitting Mttcrs must
play that style Of baseball. team
with nothing excepting pitching
strength should adjust its style or play
/ to the team.
II Won can't hit, put the accent on
the defon~ivs. Il you can't pitch.
20 stronq on the attacking end OF
the game.
! There used to be great debate as
| to whether team composed OF nlne
! Willie KeelerS could beat team com
posed Of nine Amos Rusies. The argu
/ mcnt lasted through one entire genera
ton Of ball players and never was d'
cided. although the consensus or opinion
was that the Keelcrs would win persiS
tenely.
There is no desire to criticise mana
gers. Admittedly manager mus
adapt the style OF play OF his team
70 the material he has. The team Will
pitching strength and little attacking
power must play for one run nj a Time
! sacrifice. push the runner along hh'
then rely upon the pitchers 10 hold I'M
opponents A team with mediocre pltch
Ing weak defense. and much drlvlnl
mower has no choice but to try TO wal4ol
out e punch OF III b''S i''i''o'
The well-bala nced team is the on
which can switch styles Of play to fl
the stage of the game and which has re
serve attacking power on the bench Z
throw into the game in the hope o
starting hitting ralley.
The criticism is OF managers who
lacking the hitting power and the loni
driving force. are misled into tryin
that style Of game.
Neither Pittsburg nor the Cubs no
yet Cleveland nor washington has oee'
guilty Of that as yet But some othe
teams have-and the result Is that the!
have lost more games through 1t THAI
they have won--which Is always tn
case through season.
Sending q boy to mill L. all right,
provided thsrs IN flour enough 10
last
John McGraw Is hack on the job a
the head OF the Giants. ItIis no close'
secret that McGraw would retire as ac
tive manager OF the Giants IL some on
came along who could handle the tear
as we'll as he can.
McGraw Is a funny kind OF bird. H
pretends TO be an egg and cynical We
the truth is ne would probably throS
away the salary and everything else t
make the Giants win. He may preten
that he is tired of baseball. that he pre-
fers horse racing and his other business
but at heart he will always be 4 base
ball man and he will always be Clan
fan. I know. because have bee
through the same evolution.
McGraw has been assigning more an
more duties to Jennings and 10 Jes
Burkett. Like many another leade
who tries to release the rcins. he find
that no one can handle the old horse Xix
the one who traTcd him can do.
Jennings had been running the tear
up to the Sunday game with the Reds
McGraw. crippled and suffering from
sprained ankle. laid off. There was dis
content Whether il was Hughes faul
or whether the machine simply wouldn'
work for different driver. no on
knows.
In that Sunday game. with tow OIL
bases and none out. F'rsch came to bat
He looked toward Jennings. who wa
coaching at third. The Reds natural,
believed It was a sacrifice play. and tn
pitcher worked" to make Frisch bun
a bad ball. The result was two ball
called. Frisch did not turn to look II
third, but looked at the bench Nc
Graw slipped a signal and Frisch worke'
It down TO three balls. two strikes. thel
whanged out the triple that decided tn
game.
Evidently McGraw was back directing
the tcam-and the Reds crossed them
selves up by expecting the signal L
come from Jennings.
Credit WHARF credit Il dus IL n