South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-18
ADDITIONAL SPORT NEWS
MANAGERIAL JOB
IN MAJORS MOST
UNCERTAIN PAY"
Rise and Fall of Present Day
Pilots is Parallel of
Brokers Life.
By DAVIS J. WALSH

NEW Otkht d uly l0.-Ile re-
cent passing Of George Gibson from
the payroll Of the Pittsburgh VA
tional League bail club and the lists
OF major league managers gives am
pie evidence Of the uncertainty OF
managerial favor. one year ago al
most 20 the month George Gibson
was embarkins on a promising ca
reer as leader of the Pittsburgh Pr
rates. In a few buck jumps ne took
his team 20 the pace and kept It
there until late August. AT that time
Gibson had the world by the tail and
was swinging il about his craving
head
Came then the disastrous series
with the Giants, in which he ri.
rates seveu-game lead disappeared
with unseemIy haste. and the team
was fortunate TO finish second.
WhereupOn Gibson was given
clean bill of health on the collapse.
the blame laid TO lack of training
and dissension and the disturbers
given highly beneficial air during
the off season.
The result: The Pirates struck a
slump with the season only a few
weeks advanced, have been at il
more or less industriously ever since.
and Gibson, the man of the hour in
July, 1921, passes on out with the
coming OF July, 1922.
"A hero one day. a bum the next"
applies more readily 10 baseball
than 10 any other activity Of the
sport field A glance at Gibson's
predecessors with the Pirates since
Fred Clarke stepped down years ago
is sufficient illustration, If you care
TO so that far.
But that isn't necessary. Consider
the major league managers of the
moment They are nearly all one
or two-year men, and their Jobs are
just about as sure as a politicians
promise.
Bill Killifer, Of the Cubs: Fred
Mitchell, Of the Braves; Irving VIII
helm. of the Phiuies: Lee Foil. OF
the Browns. and Ty Cobb, Of the
Tigers, fell heir TO the jobs last year.
OF the lot only Foil and Cobb are
reasonably certain OF hanging on,
and then only on condition that they
continue 10 deliver.
OF the 1920 managerial crop there
are Iris Speaker. of the Indians;
Hugh Duffy, Of the Red SoN. and
Branch Hickey. of the Cardinals.
Duffy may or may not stick. de-
pending upon Mr.. Frazees pleasure.
From the year before remain Pat
Moran. of the Reds. and Kid Glea-
son. Of the White Sox. who fought
out that peculiar 1919 worlds ser
les. Rumors Of Moran's passing have
been waited about, but Gleason
seems to be sitting pretty-for the
time being at least.
That narrows the field down 20
Miller Higgins, who came TO the
Yanks somewhere back about 1917;
Wilbert Robinson. leader of the
Dodgers since 1915, ard John Nc
Graw, of the Giants. and Connie
Mack. of the Athletics. Clyde Milan.
of the Senator'S, and Bill Mex echnie.
OF the Pirates. are not mentioned
because they have yet to receive a
white mans chance
OF the others, however. it is un-
derstood that Higgins must bring
the Yanks home this year or take
himself hence, despite the fact that
he won in 1921, while Robbie. Nc
Graw and Mack are fixtures.
The spare manager of the Ath-
letics is part owner of the club. else
he would hardly be with Us now.
No mere manager could finish last
for seven years and hover about
that spot in the midst of his eighth
season and still remain among those
present At that he won enough
pennants between 1901 and 1914 tc
merit more than ordinary considera-
ton.
Connie and McGraw. the winners
OF many pennants. stand cut as the
only twenty-year managers in all
baseball. and they owe their long
evity as much to circumstance as to
results attained. Both are stock
holders, and McGraw. in addition. is
given carte blanche in the matter OF
buying talent. Were il not for that
il is extremely doubtful whether
John would have been able TO BAG
seven pennants in some twenty-five
starts.