San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-07
T1%@$l4
Clarke Was Beloved.
One of Few Managers.
His Wonderful Record.
Always in the Fight.
He May Buy Pirates.
By Damon Runyon
Copyright. 1928. International Feature
Service, lnc.)

Service. lnc.)
1t is interesting TO learn from old
ball players their estimate of the
managers under whom they served in
their baseball youth.
/ have reference particularly to
estimates Of the ability OF the man
ayers as leaders. and baseball gem
erals, rather than their personalities.
| find that few managers seem to
have enjoyed both the affection and
the respect Of their men.
Some managers have had plenty of
affection. but not much respect from
their men for baseball ability. Other
managers have had the respect with
out the affection. ] am inclined TO
the belief that the latter is the more
desirable. although of course it must
be nice to have both.
Out in Pittsburgh during the
worlds series. learned from the lips
of baseball old timers, transmitting
into words the feeling in their hearts,
that of all the managers of the past
% years. Fred Clarke. of the old
Pirates. probably enjoyed to a great
err degree the affection and respect
Of his followers.
This surprised me to some extent.
Clarke. in his managerial days. al
ways impressed me as distant chap,
rather cold, but then | did not know
him very well. He did not seem to be
much of mixer with fellow base
ball men. and you rarely heard his
name discussed.
But the men who served with him
when he was chief of the bold Buc-
cancers swear by him, and speak in
his praise words such as / have
heard spoken of only one other base
ball leader in my experience in base
ball-Ncd Hanlon, of the Baltimore
Orioles.
The old Orioles, fighting. swear
ing, swashbuckling crew, hold Han
lon in an esteem that approaches
reverence. Some of his pupils have
gone beyond his highest fame and
great success in baseball, yet as old
men they still look up to the older
Hanlon.
In much this manner, too, does
the memory Of Fred Clarke endure
with his Pirates-the Pirates of
some fifteen years or more back
when he was leading them through
red-hot campaigns, and to a worlds
championship.
There never was any doubt MS to
Fred Clark's ability as Il manager.
He proved it time and again. But
you heard comparatively little of his
whether his men hated him, or loved
him.
He retired from baseball after
years of leadership of the Pirates to
farm near Winfield. Kansas. He
was just that type. You see Clark
now, q mild looking, middlc-agcd
man, with spcctaclcs riding his nose
and you would never suspect that he
was once one Of the greatest of the
baseball leaders.
He came back to baseball this year,
and has some position with the
Pirates but just what it is seems to
be matter of doubt Some say it
is MS adviser to Bill McKechnie,
the manager of the club. / take it
that Clark is a sort Of manager
emeritus.
1t has been rumOred that he may
eventually buy the Pirates from Bar
ney Dreyfuss. That would be quite
fitting. No baseball man or fan
ever thinks of Fred Clark save as
identified with Pittsburgh.
"Clarke was always one of us,
an old time Pirate remarked 10 me,
looking back on his former leader
through a heavy mist of years. HE
never held himself above his players,
or alfoof from them in any way. He
was n member Of the club, and as
such he considered himself amenable
to every rule the same as any other
member.
IF man committed a dumb play
on the field, Clark would give him
n good call. but if he made n dumb
play himself, he expected the other
members of the club 10 call him. He
was a pal, that's what he was, and
a real great manager. l don't think
he ever had an equal, though you
don't hear as much about him now
adays as about some Others"
The records show that Clarke was
a great ball player. He played left
! fold for tho pirates during hiS ar