Evening star., 1925-09-20

L Ae tIldIiCcS are lIldI~ nave ndO d
more varied experience in my years of
dealing with odd and picturesque char
acters than most managers, and l
think / understand their attitude to-
ward true disobedience.
Handling ball club, of course Is
different in dts detail from handling
| a military unit, but the principle is
exactly the same. The authority must
be absolute. A man who takes the
responsibility should certainly have
the authority. Without it he would
be merely a figure head and could
get nowhere.
No group Of men ever worked to-
gether successfully without discipline
Some leaders apply it differently, but
ii is bound to be present in some
form or other, if there is SUCCESS.
Manager Takes the Blame.
The player who fails to carry out
his orders because he thinks the or
ders wrong does a great damage to
his team as whole. If a player
tries sincerely to carry out the order
and fails through lack of ability, then
he is not to blame. The manager
takes that as one OF the misfortunes
Of the game.
The great majority of ball players
understand the principles of discipline
and work accordingly. They know
the necessity of it and can be handled
with comparative ease. With that
type of player a uniform, rigid dis
cipline works well. All are treated
exactly the same and impersonally.
In base ball, however, that other type
of player-freaks, we cali them-has
to be brought under discipline in a
way that appeals to his unique per
sonality. The fixed iron rule will not
always work.
These players-oh, have had more
than my share of them-are the bane
of any managers existence. They
are marvels in their peculiar sphere
even If they do have freakish tempera-
ments. For that reason they have to
be handled as individuals and not
as an impersonal part of a unit. They
are incapable of grasping the broader
idea of discipline as are their team
mates. To get the best out of them
a manager is called upon to exercise
all his imagination, They are the eX-
ceptions that prove the necessity Of
disciplinary rule.
Some of McGraw's Freaks.
AS 1 say, I have handled more of
| these freakish players than any one
manager. l suppose, and have never
been able to apply the same treatment
! to different cases. For Illustration, L
have managed Bugs Raymond, Larry
Mclean and Phil Douglass. Other
characters that were unique, though
not quite so freakish, have been Cy
Seymour, Bill Dahlen and Sammy
Strang. Then I have watched the
handling of Rube Waddell.
To explain what 1 mean by applys
ing individual treatment, take Bugs
Raymond. To put him under the gen.
eral, rigid rule and get the best out
of him was out of the question. He
was a great pitcher when in the box
and in good physical condition. off
the field he was another person. After
many experiments 1 discovered that
the only way to get service out of
him was to salve him
Often We would pat Bugs on the
back and asure him that he was the
greatest pitcher in the business; that
he could beat anybody If he made up
his mind to it. He generally could.
too.
After that he would go in and pitch
| great ball. In a few days the treat
ment would have to. be applied again.
! Larry Mclean was a big, rough
fellow and had to be treated roughly.
| The only way of handling him was
with a hammer OF authority. He
| understood rough stuff and would re-
spond to it.