The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-03-01
Behind the
Home Plate
nv nHIU HTyANTc
BY BILLY EVANS

BASEBALL managers. major or
- minor, are a most peculiar lot
No two managers have exactly the
Same theories as to how n ball club
should DO run. There arc certain
Of the game on which
they all agree. but after that there
is a wide difference Of opinion. Meth.
Cd OF play. handling Of pitchers,
when the hit-and.run play is prefer.
able 10 tho sacrifice, arc just q few
Of the disputed points. Perhaps IT
is this lack OF unanimlty Of opinion
that makes the game 80 popular. 1t
tends 10 create the belief in the mind
OF every fan that he knows az much
about the game as manager. player
or umpire.
However, most managers have
certain features Of play that
have u distinct appeal. John Nc.
Graw Is always strong for the
hitand.run game. Connie Mack
favors players with initiative.
This Is contrary TO McGraw, who
does most OF the thinking for
his club.
HID ELBERFELD, who for years
IA- starred at shortstop in tho ma.
Jors. took a Whit at managing the
New York Americans and then drift.
ed TO tho minors. had peculiar hob.
by as a big league leader. Elberfeld
was strong for system. He wanted
a signal for any unusual move that
was TO be made By his players. The
members Of the New York Americans
during Elberfeld's regime used to do
a lot Of kidding as a result Of their
managers hobby for signals. They
Insisted 1t was necessary TO pass the
kid" the proper signal. even If they
merely wanted 10 take chew OF to.
baeco or a drink OF water. OF course
that was the bunk.
Wild Corroy played third base
for Elberfeld. He tells an inter
esting story Of how a mixup in
signals almost resulted seriously.
Conroy Is now assistant to Ar
thur Fletcher In the handling Of
the Philadelphia Nationals.
PACK is years ago favorite play
Il that many pitchers tried TO make
was catching a runner off third base
With tho winning or tieIng run on
third. the pitcher paid as much at
tention trying to catch that runner
as twirlers now do at man on first.
Time and time again the pitcher
would throw to third in an effort 70
catch the runner mapping. Seldom
is such a play attempted thess days.
Jack Warhop. then pitching for the
New York club. was q wonder at
making this play. II was not I'M
usual for him to catch a runner a
game off third. In making this play
no received much assistance from
Conroy. Seeing the runner with a
big lead. WARRIOR would snap the
ball to third and 1t was up TO Con.
roy TO make the play.
Elbefeld insisted that some
plain signal should be used for
this play, so there would never :
be mixup as 10 when the throw
was TO be made. Ii was agreed
that when Conroy wiped his
brow with his right hand, War
hop was to cut the ball 10 third,
knowing Conroy would cover.
TNHE stunt worked fine during
l. April and May, when the
weather was cool and the ath.
letes perspired but little. one
day late in June it was very
warm and the players perspired
freely. Late in the game, with
runner on third, Conroy felt
the desire to remove the prespir-
alton from his brow. He had no
intention OF making a play at
third. Warhop. getting the sign,
cut the ball loose with great
speed. 1t struck Conroy back Of
the ear. The ball went into left
field. the winning run crossed the
plate and Conroy took the count.
The next day Conroy insisted ON