The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-29
Strategy Will
Tell During
Coming
Series
By FORD Prick

BY FORD FRICK
Young Bill McKechnie, who
handles the reins on the cham
pion Pirates, is much maligned
young man. Bill has been called
everything from numbskull to
moron. Even by the good citi-
zens of Pittsburgh, who are about
as tough losers as you'll find this
side of the Hindenburg line.
When it comes to strategy and
inside baseball, chances are the
Pirates won't be so far behind
their Washington rivals.
And the answer is just two
men. One Of them is the much
maligned McKechnie; the other is
Fred Clarke.
Every one admits that "Bucky''
Harris is a pretty smooth citizen,
In baseball way. "Bucky" is one
OF those come on, boys, let's get
EN- types, who believes a pat on
the back is worth two socks in the
eye. "Bucky" is a disciplinarian
when discipline is necessary. hut
he prefers kid-glove methods. In
system, in that he always has held
that a team of veterans played
better ball if left to their own de-
vices Only once or twice during
his managership has Harris had to
step in with rod. On both occa-
fsions he rose to the crisis noDly.
And knowing all these things,
nor forgetting the time Buclxy
Outsmarted McGraw through as
hectic q series as has ever been
staged, Mr.. Average, Fan is in.
clined to give Buclxy all the best
of it and rule the Pittsburgh
| strategy department off the boards
without a chance at rebuttal.
Two stories will perhaps illustrate
better than anything else the fact
that both Clark and McKechnie are
in there thinking.
Some years ago Bill McKechnie,
then a youngster, came up to the
Yankees as an infielder under the
late Frank Chance. McKechnie had
been around the club only a few
weeks when he became a confidant
Of Chance in all baseball strategy.
The other players, noting the man.
ayers partiality, began to sheer a
bit, calling McKechnie Chances
pet"
Word Of the turmoil finally
reached the ears Of the Peerless
Leader, and one day in the club
house he arraigned the players with
as scathing a denunciation as is
not often heard.
And. at the finish he said just
RnII n
ways talking to McKechnie.
That's true. You say 1 tell him
all my plans and say nothing to
you. That's true, too. And IN
tell you why. It's because Bill
McKechnie is the only man on
this club who is smart enough to
think for himself. He knows
more about baseball than the
whole lot Of you thrown together.
And that goes"
. Clarke's story is even better.
Back in 1909, the Pirates and
Tigers were in the throes Of as hot
a series as baseball has ever known.
Pirate nerves were on edge.
Pirate calmness strained to point
of breaking. Clarke knew some
thing had to be done. He called
the team together in the clubhouse
81 want everyone Of you fellows to
come up to my room tonight" he
said.
They came, wonderingly.
When they entered the door
Clarke met them, man for man,
and to each player handed bottle
of beer. There's more where this
came from" he said, land l want
you to drink It,"
They did, wiping out numerous
cases of beer and untold sand.
wiches ere the evening was over.
Finally, at midnight, Clarke called
/ halt.
"NOw," he said, you've for.
gotten baseball all evening. 1t
hasn't been mentioned. 1t won't
he. Go ON home and tomorrow
well play our baseball on the
ball field.
And the next day the Pirates
went out and walloped Detroit, 8
to 0, Babe Adams holding the
Tigers scoreless while his team
mates pounded Donovan all over
the lot.
Perhaps the beer incident is good
only once. Certainly THIS writer
doesn't recommend it for use
promiscuously. But 1t proves some
thing, and that is that Fred Clarke
is in there thinking, along with
Harris.
Baseball strategy may win the
series. 1t may not. But it's a
pretty safe bet that Bucky Harris,
master strategist as he may be,
xan& y&, 70 nd nVN
to McKechnie, and Clarke, when
they get their heads together for
Pittsburgh.
MRS. L. o. CAMERON WINS