Norwich bulletin., 1922-12-12

Frank Leroy Chance, former mana ger of the Chicago Nationals and the New York Americans, today signed contract to manage the Boston Am erican league clubs for 1923.
 Official announcement of the con summation of the deal was made by H. H. Frazee, president of the Red Sox, from his New York office. Both Frazee and Chance refused to reveal details of the financial terms involv- ed President Frazee, however, stated that Chances salary would compare favorably with th6se of the highest paid managers in baseball
 The Boston owner also said that the engagement of Chance marked the first step in the reconstruction of the Red Sox. Every effort will be made to strengthen the team by trade and pur- chase in order to make it a factor in future pennant races. Chance will have full authority and control in re- building the club and may appear in playing uniform on the coaching lines. He will not, however, engage in ac- tual play.
 Chance Keen For Job
 Chance expressed his keen pleas ure upon re-entering maJor league baseball and stated that having dis posed of his real estate interests at Glendora, Calif., he expected to make his home in the east for the future The signing of Chance by the Red Sox brings back to the national game one of the most popular and dynamic personalities the game ever has known. As first baseman and peer less leader a decade and more ago of the famous Chicago Cubs-Nation- al league champions four times and worlds champions twfce-Chance es- tabl4shed a brilliant reputation not | only as a player, but as a Held gen ! eral and srategist.
 i After fifteen years with the Cubs eight of them as manager, Chance severed his Chicago connections in | 1912 with the intention of retiring to | his California orange grove, but was persuaded to take over the manager l ship of the New York Yankees un l der a three year contract reputed to | have called for an annual figure of l $4e,000. He piloted the team to sev- enth place in 1913, but in 1914, when the Yankees finished sixth, he resign l ed a month before the close of the ] season because of disagreement with owners over team policies and dis satisfaction with the conduct of several | star players.
 Chances interest in the national game, however, has not waned since l he left it's active ranks and reports ! have been current at various times ] that he intended come back" as 2 major league manager.
 Frazee Strong for Frank
 Negotiations between FTRzee aH1 1 Chance were practically concluded 1 during the last worlds series in New 1 York The Boston magnate, who pre- viously had known the former Cut pilot but casually, declared after { long conference that Chance was o11 of the. "most remarkable personalitie: 1 he had ever met" and that he believ- ed him particularly qualified to re l organize the Red Sox and make thu club a pennant contender again.
 Chance was born in Fresno, Calf. in 1877. He was catcher on the tean at Washington college, Irvington, Cal 1 in 1S93-4-5, when he decided, agains the wishes of his family to becom' I professional player, signing with ; semi pro club at Sullivan, ILL, at ( salary of $40 monthly for his frs venture. Later he returned to the coas and attracted the attention of majo league scouts when playing in an el imination championship tournanen among coast teams. He received of fers from Chicago, Baltimore and Ney York clubs and finally chose Chica
 go, joining the Cubs on the sprin
 training trip in 1898 as a catcher. Chance played behind the bat an
 in the field in 42 games his first yea
 and batted .28S. His play improve steadily and in 1903 he was transfer
 red to first base to give the team tn benefit of his batting and baSe-run ming regularly.
 He batted .327 and led the leagu in stolen bases that year, with 67.
 When Frank Selee was forced t
 retire because of i'll health as man
 ager of the Cubs in 1905, Chance va appointed to succeed him and the fol lowing year led the team to it's frs
 pennant since 1886, but lost the world series to the Chicago White Sox, tn ''hitIess wonders of those days.
 <The Cubs repeated as pennant win
 ners in 1907 and 1908, winning world
 championships both year from Hug
 Jennings Detroit club; finished sec
 ond to Pittsburgh in 1909 and wo
 their last league title under Chanc
 in 1910. The Philadelphia Athletic trounced the Cubs in the worlds Sc } res that year, marking the ascend ency of Mack's great machine and th l turning point in the supremacy of tk Chicago club.
 el Chance, popular among his player g but an unf1inching task master on tf t field. achieved his success throug e the inspiration of his own forcefu
 ability as we'll as his quick, decSsi,
 tactics at critical moments. His team regarded by many observers as tl ! greatest of all time, included nun bef of brilliant strategists as well {
 players.
 Notable among them was John
 Evers, second baseman; Joe Tinke
 shortstop, and Johnny King, catche
 Three Fingered Brown, Jack Pfei
 ter, Orval Overal and Ed RueIba,
 were the pitching stars.
 & volSutoWn Rifle ciRb The unI1,pfowo 2&eIa f<H