Evening star., 1923-01-08
In dividuaI as. Team
York Tells of 81
Thought'' Ball Players.
What Happened to
SnOdgrdss for the Error
That Lost a World
Series.

THE public, have discovered,
doesn't care anything about
- the methods employed by
ball club. The fan, wants to sec
the home club win. So there is
little concern in the mind of man
ager as to what the public thinks
of his system as long as he wins.
How often have you heard some
base ball enthusiast-after the game
or before-say, Il don't care par
ticularly which club wins Rs long
as it is a good game?
have heard them say it all my hfe
and l never knew of one who / be-
lieye really meant it. That is not the
spirit of base ball, no matter what
we hear. Such remarks are usually
made after a comfortable dinner and
in an effort to display sense of
craftsmanship.
One night / had dinner with De
Wolf Hopper, Louis Mann and few
other rabid fans.
Honestly. Hopper" / asked, what
really is your idea OF a good ball
game?"
my idea of a perfect ball game and
veteran fan and actor, "is for the
home club to pile up fifteen runs in
the first inning. To add to my COM
fort don't want to see single play
er on the other side reach first base"
We'll" spoke up another, "it is
quite thrill, at that, to have them
get the bases full and then have our
pitcher strike out the batter"
But, my dear fellow" declared
Hopper, that isn't comfort and
pleasure. That's suffering"
So, you see, the base ball manager.
method, must win. He needn't worry
about the details. The average fan
will never understand them anyway.
Importance OF Teamwork.
Teamwork is to base ball just what
it is to any other enterprise. Individ-
ualism is all right in its place, but
too much of it will kill any organiza-
tion in the world. The result is what
counts. and the only way to get it is
by teamwork.
So-called inside base ball is mostly
bunk. 1t is merely the working out
of definite plans that the public does
not observe. There is nothing on a
ball field that the public could not see
and understand if the fans studied the
game as we do. AS have intimated
all the fan sees, as a rule, is the vic
tory or defeat. His eye is always on
the ball or on the runner approaching
the plate. Rarely does he observe
what the other players are doing He
is an enthusiast-not a workman
1 venture TO say that not one fan
out of hundred saw the two plays
that we worked on the Yanks when
we caught Meusel and Schang going
to second after their hits had driven
runners around. The eyes of the pub
lie were on the ball or the runner
furthest advanced. If, for instance. a
batter cuts a base the fan rarely ever
sees it. His eye is always centered on
the reaf action.
And this question of individualism
or team Work~recalls my early remark
on the difference between the college
player and the town lot fellow. The
former quickly sees the advantage of
team work-of coordination. The
latter sees only himself, either max
ing good or falling down. If he
makes an error he will try to cover it
up by such remarkss as We'll, 1
thought-"
Always Have an AIIbi.
We call that class II thought
ball players" There are many of
them. Always they have an alibi.
1t is seldom that they come to the
bench and sask where they made the
mistake and what to do about it next
time. The college player will do
that. His mind is. more disciplined
and he is eager to learn.
A type of the college player, quick
to learn, was Eddie Grant, who was
killed in action in France.
After leaving Harvard, Eddie was
on the Philadelphia National League
Mathewson, he was very curious to
bat against him. Finally his chance