Evening star., 1935-08-13

there is no record OF base
ball club owner breaking his
49, arm at work. it is beginning
to look as though journalisms next
step is to make the day brighter and
the toll lighter for the front-office
gents of our national pastime.
Eastern sports journalists, by and
large, have failed to advance to the
stage of the Middle Vests base ball
writing boys. In the East the tend
ency is to permit Messers Clark Grit
fifth, Jake Rupert, Tom Yawkey and
the rest to run their own ball teams,
probably because they are the owners.
But out here where the West be-
gins they go much farther. For q
subscription to any one of several
newspapers, all an owner finds to do
is put his feet on his desk, smoke
cigars and stir himself on the first
and fifteenth of each month just
enough to pay off his ball players.
He need never worry about
changing managers or such
trifles. All that is attended to
by up-to-date Western Journal
ism.
EOR instance, some of the Cleveland
press-box specialists decided that
a great club like the Indians could
not win the pennant with Walter
johnson as manager. So they ousted
old Walter for owner Alva Bradley
This done. they looked around and
felt sorry for poor, old Uncle Clark
Griffith. So couple of weeks ago
they made Buddy Myer manager of
the Nationals and ousted Bucky Har-
ris. Yesterday, when the Griffs in
vaded Detroit. what should greet
Messrs. Harris and Myer but an eight
column banner in local paper NOM
mating Buddy as the new pilot. All
this was done for Mr.. Griffith at no
extra charge.
In outlining Uncle Clark's
shift in pilots. the argument
was advanced that player -man-
ayers are in vogue.
No owners ensemble is complete
without a player r-manager. The sue
cess of Mickey Cochrane, Jimmy
Dykes, Bill Terry and frankie Frisch
is pointed out.
Their clubs, it is argued, are the
fiercest. fightingest, winningest, most
colorful teams in base ball.
60 FAR, Mr.. Griffith has not taken
- advantage of this new journalistic
service. I am not saying that he
won't, because Buddy Myer is a great
ball player and smart gent on and
off the field. Furthermore. the only
three championship Washington teams
the 1924, 1925 and 1888 clubs
we're managed by playing managers.
But / can guarantee that the
report of Harris removal for
Myer or any one else is as un-
reliable now as Washington
pitcher.
Griff has given no intimation OF
any forthcoming change in managers.
Harris certainly has not, and Myer
is distinctly upset over the myste-
rious rumor.
What was not pointed out by even
such expert service is threefold and
as follows:
/. That both Griff's previous player
managers quickly faded as outstand-
ing stars;
2. That when great managers are
named they are not Cochrane and
Dykes, but a trio of dugout dwellers
named John McGraw, Miller Higgins
and Connie Mack, and
8. That Bucky Harris is one of
modern base balls best pilots and
currently is receiving some of the
worlds worst pitching.
THE first unnamed point is reason
aplenty for a base ball owner to
think twice. Harris. himself. was one
of the games best inf1elderS, but
Bucky didn't last many seasons after
he went through the wear and tear
of playing and managing.
Joe Cronin was the best
shortstop in base ball when
Griff named him manager in
1893. In 1884 he slipped and,
sadly enough, Joe still is slip
ping.
When sports writer's name the best
shortstop now he is Arky Vaughan Of
Pittsburgh.
And if the local complete-service-
for-owners department will look in
their own backyard a moment they
may notice that, at least with the ball
playing gentry Rollie Hemsley of St.
Louis, and not Mickey Cochrane is
rated the best catcher in the Ameri-
can League now. And how about
Frisch handing over his second base
job to young Burgess Whitehead and
retiring to the bench?
It's Griff,S ball club and he can do