Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-02
Bucky and Clark Griffith
Break Relations Under
Friendly Conditions.
NO SUCCESSOR IS NAMED;
SEVERAL ARE CONSIDERED
Second Baseman Expected to Leave
Club NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
for Tigers Berth.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

Stanley Raymond Harris no longer
is manager of Washington's American
League base ball club. The man who
was at the helm of the Nationals the
past five seasons, during which time
his club won two league pennants, a
world championship and never finished
out of the first division of the circuit.
was relieved of his post this morning
by Clark Griffith, president of the club,
following a conference between the
manager and the executive.
In announcing the move, President
Griffith said that Harris would not
be retained as manager of the Ma
tionals, then added that he was not
prepared to name any candidates or
any men he might have under con-
sideration for appointment to the
managerial position. Although Griffith
did not so state. it is to be assumed
that Harris also Is no longer to be con-
sidered as a player with the Nationals.
Break Declared Friendly.
The conference. according to Grif-
fifth, while frank, was friendly and busl-
ness relationship between the president
and former manager ended with each
holding the other in high esteem. Grlf-
fifth assured Harris that he was pre-
pared to aid the deposed pilot at any
time in procuring managers perrin
with some other major league cillo.
For some time there has been IN cir
culation a rumor that Harris Is In line
for the management OF the Detrolt
Tigers as successor to George Morlarty'
firmed. there has been no denial from
the Office of the Detroit club.
Harris, who will be 80 years old next
November 8, was bought by the. Ma
tionals from the Buffalo club OF the
International League in 1919 as a
second baseman and assumed that posi-
ton with the club here in August OF
that year. The next year he was IN
stalled as the clubs regular second
baseman and has filled that position
since. Less than three months before
the opening of the 1924 season Harris
was named manager of the club. sue
ceeding DOME Bush, now head OF the
Pittsburgh club Of the National League.
Success as Manager.
His success was immediate. He
whipped into fighting trim club that
had not Jared we'll the prior season
and under his inspiring leadership it
wreSted the American League cham
pionship from the Yankees after a
neck-and-neck battle with the New
Workers that continued well into the
last week of the campaign. In the
world series with the New York Giants
that followed, the National triumphed
in a seven-game fight held the most
dramatic in the history of the base ball
classic.
In 1925 the Nationals again won the
American League flag and without such
a struggle as in the previous year.
Again they went through a seven-game
world series, but lost to the Pittsburgh
Pirates. Then the Nationals began to
wane. In 1926 they finished fourth in
the American League race, last year
they were third and this season they
barely managed to attain the fourth
position.
Harris Popular Elsewhere.
Harris had intimated he would prefer
a berth in some city other than Wash
ington, for he felt that fandom here
was unjust in its criticism of him
this year. The manager was jeered
more than cheered at games in Griffith
Stadium during the past campaign,
even though he apparently got the most
out of the playing material available.
In no other city in the American
League is the Washington manager un-
popular as apparently he was in his
clubs home.
Harris has been a pilot of the mod
ern type. Unlike managers of the old
school. he has formulated no stern rules
for the regulation of the conduct of
his players outside of their time on the
playing field. He has stated repeatedly
that 1t was no concern of his what a
player did between games as long as
he reported on the field in fit condition
to give the club the best possible base
ball. Nor has Harris followed the policy
of schooling young players that many
managers of the old type followed. He
ing drills for his club. as it was sent
through only two or three during the
past season.
On the other hand. President Grifith
is a base ball conservative and still
has faith in the old managerial system.
The regulation of the conduct of play
ers off the field as we'll as on, the
schooling of youngsters for replace
ments. the morning drills for the gen.
eral conditioning of the players and
the perfection of team play all are ia
vored by the executive head of the
Washington club
Bucky Not Interfered With.
But in the past five seasons he never
interfered with Harris handling of the
Nationals. Harris was the field gen.
eral. Griffith merely the commisSary of
the local base ball army. Harris di-
rected the maneuvering of the club In
action, Griffith supplied the material.
Now Griffith may have doubted that
the material he supplied was used to the
greatest advantage. while Harris may
have doubted that the material at hand
ever could have been used to any ad-
vantage. Neither has made any public
expression of opinion, though.