, 1923-02-11

Arthur Fletcher of the Phil
inEton. are the men who will make
their first attempts at diamond lead
ership. Bill McKechnie will try to
show that his success as Gibson's
successor in Pittsburgh last year was
no fluke, and Frank Chance n former
peerless leader. will try to yank the
Red Sox of Boston out of the slough
into which their owner has brought
them.
Probably the most general interest
centers in the return Of Chance to
the game after eight years Of retire
ment under the shade of his OWL
orange trees. On account of his for
mer eminence he o~vershadows the
more local interest felt in the success
or failure of the other three aspirants
to the managerial hall of fame.
nance will be the focus of more eyes
on account of his great success in the
National league and the opportunity
he has to wipe out the meH.ory of the
failure he made in the American.
Made Good With Cubs
In the seven and n half years he
piloted the old Chicago Cubs Chance
demonstrated his right to the title of
peerless leader hung on him by the
king of press agents, C. Webb Muir
phy. In the seven years of his full
control Chance won four National
league and two worlds pennants. He
was beaten out of two worlds cham
p~ionships by such renowned tactic
sans as Fielder Jones and Connie
Mack. When his great machine be-
gan to disintegrate he was rowde
into the discard at the end of 1912.
but was tempted back the following
year to ana the New York Yam
KEGS, Who a been a consistent Sec
ond division outfit for n decade.
After two years of failure in Goth
am, Chance quit. following n run-in
with Devery. the secret owner and
hoodoo of the club, and declared he
was through with baseball forever.
Just what has tempted Chance tic
try his hand at building up another
almost hopeless team is n mystery
Maybe II is the fact he has nothing TO
lose and everything to gain, for the
Red Sox can't do any worse than
they have. Perhaps Chance believes
he a enforce the same plan that
worked SO we'll the first half dozen
years he piloted the Cubs. That was
absolute control of his team and al
that %pertained thereto in the way OF
trades, purchases and releases.
I recall n year, after Murphy's
SUCCESS as a financial manager ha6
convinced him he was n wise u in
all departments of baseball, the Cubs
were in Philadelphia in midseason,
Coming in to breakfast n morning
.-1za ., fa1hprnF m hp
had Just received from Murphy. It
congratulated him on his victory Of
the previous day. then mentioned the
fact that as Overall usually had been
successful against the Phillies it might
be well to pitch him that day.
Must Reign Supreme
"I was going to work Dry today"
the manager growled, but now III
have to switch. Every little while I
have to warn Murph about our agree,
ment or he will try TO run the whole
works-just like that indicating the
message. Chance pitched another
man that day, and won. If he has
the same sort of an agreement with
Frazee and can make the owner live
UP to 1t the P. L. may win back his
laurel.
Fletcher and Bush are both veteran
players and. oddly enough, both have
starred at shortfield. Also they have
served under two of the best leaders
in their respective leagues McGraw
and Jennings. Both game fighters
themselves on the diamond. they have
reen to school to great strategists as
well. Bush has the better opening
because he will have n wise baseball
man behind him in Clark Griffith
while Fletcher will have 20 suit the
hardest kind of a taskmaster in
Baker.
McKechnie's task is n tough one
because. to satisfy Dreyfuss, he must
fill the shoes of Fred Clark, one of the