Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-02
TODAY'S GAMES
Washington at Boston.
New York at Philadelphia.
Manager McKechnie
In Several SQuabbles

Pittsburgh, Pa, Oct. 1. = (AP) -
Bill McKechnie. third baseman of
parts in his day and a native of
Pittsburgh, has attained national
league pennant after approximately
three seasons as a manager.
McKechnie is a product Of the
sandlots and much travelled ball
player. His life has been entangled
with several of basebalrs squabbles.
Early life found him playing third
for the Butler and Washington teams
in his home state and in 1907 he was
purchased by the Pirates, making his
first appearance in the majors at
about the time Heinie Zimmerman
cropped up at second base for the
Chicago Cubs. Babe Adams also
made his bow that season.
In 1908 McKechnie was transferred
to Canton, o., and year later APP
peared with Wheeling where he
ed the hest man at his position in
the Central League. In 1910 he re-
joined the Pirates and played very
little, the same holding for 1911 when
the presence of Jack Miller, Bobby
Byrne and Hans Wagner prevented
any aspirant from breaking into the
infield
st. Paul received him in 1912 and
In 1918 the Braves drafted him. He
played only one game in Boston and
drifted to the New York Americans.
Once again he went to st. Paul on
Aug. %, 1913. to play alongside a
youthful shortstop who was destined
to create records in the majorS-
Everett Scott, of the Red Sox and
Yankees, and now with the team that
will fight McKechnie's band in the
worlds series, the Senators.
The next year the present Pirate
manager was among several who
jumped to the Federal League He
proved to be one of the organiza
tons greatest infielders with Ind
annapolis. That year he batted 1905.
In 1915 the team was transferred to
Newark and McKechnie succeeded
Bill Phillips as manager and won
the pennant.
Another season saw the collapse of
the Federals and for a time Nc
kechnie was out of work He finally
went to the Giants in a settlement
which Harry Sinclair handled. IN
New York he played brilliantly but
the Giants lost eight straight battles,
only to swing through the West for
the first time and capture every
game. with the mauling bat of their
third baseman working overtime.
Returning to the Polo Grounds Nc
Kechnie was the hero of New York,
only to be traded to Cincinnati two
days later along with Christy Math-
Z ewson and Eddie Roush for Charley
Herzog and Wade killifer. At Gin
cinnati he alternated with Heinic
Groh until he suffered a broken hand
in the second game of the 1917 sea-
son. and was out of play for almost
the entire schedule.
Hugo BeZdek, now Penn State ath-
letic. director, but at that time the
Pirate manager, obtained him in 1918
and Mckechnie participated in every
game. He left baseball in 1919 TO
enter business. The call of the dia-
mond was too strong and he was
back in uniform in 1920,' the year
that Harold (Pie) Traynor appeared
on the Pirate squad. Traynor came
fast and McKechnie was sent to ST.
Paul the next year, to be called in
1922 as coach and assistant manager
to George Gibson, recently named
manager of the Cubs. He succeeded
Gibson as Pittsburgh manager on
June 30 of that season and has re-
manned in control since.
Three times before this season, the
Pirates, under McKechnie, have been
pennant threats but no more. Each
season they have faltered in the
stretch, usually in tackling their
main rivals but this year 1t has been
a different story. McIkechnie, with
Fred Clarke as his adviser has kept
the Pirates to the fore and when the
crucial test came with the champion
Giants not long ago, the Pittsburgh
ers came through triumphantly.