Evening star., 1924-02-14

have felt that my ambition to reac CT
nth appointed some ether m"n TO 1e
1T is simply too wonderful for
words To realize that after four full
seasons with the Senators / am to pe
the manager of my club-the young
est manager in the major leagues.
But l have been preparing myself for
the job. feel am fitted to assume the
responsibilities and am confident | will
make good
These words cannot possibly i'm
press one when they appear on the
printed page as they did when they
were uttered by Harris today. He is
boy in enthusiasm, in appearance.
in his eXuberance of spirits. But he
is man for a that-a he-man-in
his sincerity, his mental vision and
tis intensity of purpose. incidentally.
he is not a braggart.
Has TwO-Year Contract.
Stan Harris insisted upon a two
year contract at salary which. he
says, is entirely satisfactory. He de-
clares that he will max. good. be-
cause. Wouldn't it be terrible for
fellow to drop back to the ranks of a
player under another manager after
he udu Deen lHc Dig DOSS nllnSeI.
Bucky is certain in his own mind
that Washington has the players.
that he knows them better than any
man in the world. because of mis- as
sociation with them as their captain
and fellow laborer-and failure is as
far removed from his mind and vision
as Hongkong.
Its simply great to have the op-
portunity to match your wits against
such wise base ball men as HugginS.
manager. Il mention them because
they led the teams that bea. u.:t the
Senators last season.
And, while it is Il bit early to
talk about the finish OF the race,
figure that our club has a chance to
slip in there because the Yankees.
Tygers and Indians will be lighting
one another tooth and nail. 1t would
crack ed-three in a row is stepping
some. YOU know. The fourth may
be hard to get.
Says Indians Are Stronger.
cleveland has strengthened her
club where it was weak-at first base.
That boy George Burns will hit like
fool and play the same fine game he
played for Boston last year.
Detroit can't miss If Cobb plugs
that gap at second base. If Ty had
acquired Eddie Collins-well. I'd say
the Tigers were the boys Washing
front.
Nov, it is natural that both De-
troit and Cleveland will give the New
York club the best they have in shop
to knock Off the Yankees. And we
hope TO do our part in that little
game.
And ! am not Forgetting the Ath,,
Indians because they finished ahead
OF the Nationals last year. That is
the reason | consider them. with the
ankS, as the first teams we must go
out to get.
"If Connie Mack's new outfialders,
Strand and Simmons, hit as they did
in the class double minors. that
boy Bishop comes through as he is
touted to- do and the AS pitching
STAN does its part, / suspect the
our chase.
"In fact, the entire league is
strengthened this year--dont over
look the Red SoX with new owners,
a new manager and plenty of new
fight and spirit"
Close Student OF Game.
Stan Harris, who comes from Pitts
ton, Pa, by the way, Will prove to
any man in two minutes that he has
been close and intelligent student
CT base ball--knows all the answers.
Confident that the day would come
he permitted no angle of the sport
to escape his attention.
When bellboy escorted the writer
to the writing room in the hotel. the
by the wholesale. Incidentally. it
was necessary for us to ask the boy
to point out Bucky. Having seen
him in his uniform on the ball field
dozens of times. we thought We might
recognize him. Nothing doing
One would take STANLEY Harris to be
a young college man--perhaps a theo-
logical student. He dresses modestly,
but in perfect style. There is none OF
the flash that the average ball player
deems essential.
Bucky is clean-cut-doesn't smoke
and doesn't fracture the eighteenth
amendment. His speech is free from
the slang OF the game. Yes, brother, he
can cuss-but he does it by way of EN-
phass and one doesn't notice it when
he let's slip a few adjectives not used at
a Sunday school session.
He is thrilled because he is a big
league manager. But he has Kept his
feet on the ground.
Glad He Wasn't Traded.
The most interesting statement he
made was that he was happy over the
fact that he had not been traded to the
Yankees, Detroit or Chicago. y
Il was so afraid that the stories
read in the papers might be true, he
said. Il wanted to stay with Wash
ington because 1 felt that it was with
that club l might some day land the
job 1 now have"
Bucky agreed that almost any ball
player would grab at a chance to go
to New York; he modestly. agreed.
also, that he might have helped De-
troit to win pennant had he been
sent there to play second base Tor
Cobb.
II would have gone wherever Griff
sent me-" he said. But l was mighty
happy in the early winter when
Griff told me I needn't worry-that
I would be with Washington next
II knew that Washington was after
Eddie Collins. l would have been
glad to have that fine fellow and
friend as the manager OF the Sena-
tors. / had agreed to move over to
third base-the position l played
when start started drfs If paSeDat aid not get Col
lns l knew that at least / would be
the second baseman for Washington
next season. 1 hoped I might be
named manager-bvt honestly. was
surprised when | received the the good
ambition would be realized SO soon-
l was willing to wait
Denies Grin Hampers Pilots.
There have been rumors that Clark
Griffith cannot keep his fingers out
Of the pie-his interference with his
manager is blamed for the firing of
Mcbride, Milan and Bush after one
season. Harris denies this-in the
case of Bush, anyhow.
Bucky was asked point blank
whether he feared the meddling of
Griff-we said we would consider any