The Washington times., 1930-07-02
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Kirk Miller


comment, was made when Iris
Speaker stepped out of baseball
the other day, handing in his
resignation as manager of the
Newark Bears.
The incident is doubly i'm,
portant to Washington for the
twin reasons that Iris played
here a season and that he sue
ceeded Walter johnson as pilot
of the Newark Internationals.
When Walter was let out of
his contract at Newark after he
could hardly lift that club off
the ground in the league stand.
jngs, it was said by many in
base ball that that fact was a
tip-off as to Johnson'S ability
as a manager.
Perhaps those soothsayers
will revamp their predigested
condemnation of the Big Train
as a pilot in view of Washing
tons present position IN a ma
jor league race taken together
with Iris Speakers inability to
do any better in Newark than
did johnson.
It all goes to prove the un.
certainty of baseball and it all
goes to prove the fact that in
baseball one has to have every
element of success working in
order to be a success. Whereas
a year ago johnson was hav.
ing all the bad breaks, sickness,
injury and about four out Of
six pitchers who should have
been clicking but who weren't.
This season the illness buga-
boo hasn't been persistent, the
pitchers are pitching and the
hitters are hitting and look
where Johnson's team is today.
So neither a Speaker or a
johnson. with all the majesty
of their names, can turn out a
winner unless ability, breaks
and luck are with them in full
force. The VagarieS Of the pas,
time were never more definitely
established than in compari-
son of Speaker. a great manager
at Cleveland until the Leonard
RiSberg letters came to light,
who fails as minor league
manager-and Walter Johnson.
great player, failure as a minor
league pilot. and success his
second season as a major league
pilot. 1t is indeed strange
game. fraught with frailties
and uncertainties.
The lew York Daily Mirror
has taken what we call very
firm and determined stand in
the case of baseball officials
beating up newspaper reporters.
ApropoS of the Bill Slocum-
Eggbert Barrow incident where
in the latter poked Slocum in
the nose the while he abused
him verbally, the Daily MirroW
says:
professional baseball in
this country has become a
well managed industry. Which
is as it should be. Baseball,
as a game to play and game
to watch played, is designed
for civilized people. Unlike the
prize-rir,g, which is rapidly
falling into diSrepute, or Sull-
fighting. which is diSgustingly
inhumane, baseball will sur
vive.
"The newspapers, more
than any other agency, have
fOstered professional baseball.
The press of the country de-
votes annually millions of dol
lars worth of space to the
doings of the major and
minor baseball leagues and
are glad to do SO.
can incident occurred the
other day, however, which re-
vealS the presence, within the
Yankee baseball management,
of an enem-' to the game. His
name is Ed Barrow, secretary
Of the Yankee ball club. Big
Ed Barrow, they call him. He
has in the past been able to
brOwbeat hall players with
impunity. He tried the same
with Bill SlOcum, one of the
abIeSt and best-liked baseball
write in the country.
when SlOcum asked for
an explanation of BarrOw'S
pre-releaSe of important base
ball news to Out-Of-tOwn news
papers before giving that in
formation to the Metropolitan
dailieS, Big Ed Barrow called
Bill SIOcum a vile name and
struck him viciOusly on the
mouth. Had Bill SlOcum not
just risen from a sick bed it
might have been a different
story. The cOwardly blow of
an Overbearing brute would
not have gone unanswered.
"It will be sad day for
professional baseball and the
scores of millions invested in
1t If the daily newspapers Of
this city decide to get along
somehow without any base
ball news. Another overt act
like the Big Ed Barrow in
cident will cause that action.