The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-09-27
HUG GIVES
ROGE: rs
CREDIT
By MILLER HIGGINS
manager New York Yankees, American
League Chanpienb. 1890

By MILLER HIGGINS
SAfanager New York Yankees. American
League Champisnb. I0e6A
ST. LOUIS. Sept. 27.--And how
Rogers Eiornsby has led the Cardi.
nails TO pennant for the frat time
in the history OF the National
League. II seems only yesterday
that J was managing those same
Cardinals and Flornsby came up to
me. q raw, awkward. shy kid
krinnlng with embarrassment and
anxious to make good. And now
he's manager 81 the National
League champions. The hero Ut
tile country and. my onponeSt 10
I'm glad Of his success. And
I'm not surprised. He has the
stuff. | knew II from the day he
Joined tbs Cardinals. back In the
fall cf 1915. and ! was more con
WINGED when | watched the way he
went into the game. A lof has
been written about Hornsbv'a biz.
league debut, some cf II trva an,3
some Of It imagined.
Heres the real story Several
big league clubs had heard o.
HOrnsby down in Denison. Tex
! and were interested IN him.
: Finally, after LOT Of consideration
I induced the Cardinals 10 huv him
The prlce was not $500. As has
been stated IL was S6bV, and Ne
thought . long time before paving
It.
Hornsby came 10 the Cards as q
shortstop He was shys and quiet,
ard awkward. But be showed signs
Of real ability. And from the start
he had real baseball instinct.
Bob COnnery, who was scout
ing Tor the Cardinals was sitting
on the bench with me when
HUrnsby broke In, and we both
decided that he was q real conner.
At that time his hitting was fair.
but not phenOminal-but his In
terest In baseball was keen. He
loved 20 play and he was willing i
Go fight for his job. That Incl.
denfnlIy, Is one OF HOrnsby's
greatest attributes.
He is a fighter. Not an outward
fighter, but one Of those hard.work-
ing chaps who has the true fight
Ing spirit. The sort that never
gives up.
Stories have been written to the
effect that Hugglns changed Horns. |
by's batting style. Maybe did |
make suggestions. When Hornsby |
cafne 20 us he was q choke hitter, |
using 4 heavy bat and holding it |
veil up on the handle.
One day in training camp !
picked out a long. light bat and |
handed It to Rogers. Here" / said. |
.sHse this bat. Hold 1t at the end |
.end take q full ewing" That was
the extent OF my influence on
'1Iornsby's batting style. He did as
suggested-and immediately he
began hitting the long line balls. |
which have made him famous. |
Which is more. he began hitting to
all fields.
The rest Of his development
was a matter OF experience. He
had the ability and he had the
desire 10 make good. when yOu
find 3 man like that you can't |
keep him down. Rogers Horns
BY had the ll1alIings OF q star
when ne came up. All he needed |
WIS a few suggestions And now
he is manager-and good one.
He demonstrated that the minute
he took charge of the club and he
proved il even more this season.
BY fighting his way to the top and
grabbing pennant when all the
critics gave him was an outside
chance.
AS I see II there are two things
which make Hcrnsby a good man.
ager. one Is his own fighting
spirit. the other is his ability to
inspire confidence in the men who
play for him Unlike a lot OF
managers Rogers isn't a driver, he
doesn't order his men about. Nor
IL he wheedlsr. He just goes out
there and sets the examples for
Ethe boys to follow and his own
fighting spirit he keeps up the
hopes OF his players when the
going 10 tough and the outlook
doubtful.
When the Yankees meet the
Cardinals in the series TN he
out there doing my best to get
Yankee victory. HOrnsby and
] Will be rivals. but IL will be n
friendly rivalry. want 20 win.
IL the Yankees can't win then
there Is ITO one I'd rather have
heat US than Rogers H0rnsby.
He a. great ball player and q
great manager. have for him
only the greatest respect and adj.
miration and believe that he
holds the same feeling toward NE.
.((ouyriRhf 1a3g C.brtetv W.i.h s,,nA :
Tribe Beaten Twice
The Athletics polished of Cleve.