The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-22
CRITICS AGREE
| PLAYING ISN'T
QUALIFICATION
Cobb, Mathewson, Evers, Tink-
or, Herzog, Sisler Fail as
Managers
NJ ACK WAS C ATCH E II
Some Observers Not Swayed
by His Personality Say He
Inherited Club
M ACK WAS CATO H E r
BY HENRY L. FARRELL

DIV HEN II l.. + ANNEI-L
(NEA Service Sports Writer)
Just because he was never a gre.
player and the records are not ali
cluttcred up with his name, it does
not follow that Bill Mckechnie
should not be good manager Of q
ball cbul in his own right.
Some of the most successful man.
ayers in the big leagues were not
great players. And some of the
greatest players failed as managers.
John McGraw, Wilbert Robinson and
Hugh Jennings were good players on
the great old Baltimore Orioles.
Connie Mack was a good catcher.
and so was Bill Carrigan, but none
Of them ever have been mentioned
on any Of those All-Star teams Of
all times.
Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson,
Johnny Evers, Joe Tinker, Buck
Herzog. George Sisler mad Ray
Schalk form, a group Of great ball
players who failed as managers, and
the cases Of Cobb and Mathewson
were particularly conclusive that it
takes more than individual brilliance
to make success as a manager.
Bill Wasn't Player
Bill Mckechnie never was q great
player. You might be pardoned for
saying that he wasn't even q good
player after you read the cold type
Of dull record. The who's Who
Of baseball traces his various wan
behring's through the minor and major
leagues and concludes with the not
very flattering personal note that
During active playing season days
was shortstop and second baseman y
But in three years McKechnie may
steer two teams into championships
in two different cities, and if. that
isn't a record it is at least q unique
accomplishment.
He won the National league pen.
nant and the world series in 1925
with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he
is fighting off the New York Giant.
for another pennant this year With
the st. Louis Cardinals.
His record with the Pirates
pennant and nothing below q third
and a championship for the Cards II
his first year, if he does it, ought t.
mark him as a manager out Of the
ordinary.
But they call him lucky-"Lucky
Bill"
Those observers who are not
swayed by his likable personality
say that he inherited fine ball club
in Pittsburgh and that one pennant
doesn't represent what the club wa.
worth potentially. And they insist
that he was the luckiest fellow in
the business to fall into a good bal
club like the Cardinals when he lost
his job in Pittsburgh and was hold
ing on in the major leagues only in
the capacity of q coach.
Luck Isn't All
Luck may not be the only factor
that has helped McKechnie to hold 1
good job in the majors since 1922
But luck certainly was not against
him. When he lost his job in Pitts.
burgh he accepted the position q
coach with the Cardinals, and he
certainly found himself in nice spot
when the st. Louis officials decided
that Bob O'Farrell was a good
catcher but no WOW as a manager
It might be said, looking 70,
points to stress the luck angle, that
it is not his fault that the Car.
dinals insisted upon winning q pen.
nant this year because the ball play.
ers on the other clubs have beer
kidding him all season.
Except during that brief period
when Hornsby was asserting him.
self, it was accepted as q fact oil
around the circuit that Branch
Hickey was the whole works on the
club. And all season the player.
have been razzing McKechnie BY
shouting at him who's the man.
ager Of your ball club, Bill" and
where's Hickey hiding, Bill :"
It was also convenient for Bill, al
least, that his employers were will.
ing to 60 out and get him Z great
catcher, that they had = string or
Rabbit Meanwhile that could b.
pulled easily, and that his club owns
300 ball playerg that could b
chosen from when the emergency
call came for reinforcements.
But McKechnie is the manager Of
record, and he will have his picture
taken as such if his boys get into
the world series. He is LUCKY Bill
il you look at it that way. But who
would kick about being in his spot