The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-13
NEVER SAY DIE"' MEANWHILE TO. MANAGE ELMIRA.
Boston Star of Many Years
 Not Yet Convinced Play. ing Days Are Over
ny FRANlE MURPHY

NEjnilcd Press Stan CoFrespOmdenu
 Boston, Feb. lS- (up)-- Rabbit Azafanville, the last Of the old Braves, brought his 2l-year big league career to Q rather reluctant elose today Co begin his baseball life all over again ct @ In Q man. mgeFial role.
 After refusing for nearly two gears Co concede that . broken leg had ended his already over-long span of big time unfolding, the little wonderworker secured his un. conditional release from the Boston Bees successors to tho Bravcs--to manage the Elmlra Club of tho Now York Pennsylvania league.
 Unthlnkable!
 The Idea that he could no long. er % out there and hold down that second base berth, where he had worked since his legs grew too old for shortStopping, was too much for Maranville to stomach all at once 60 his contract with President Levy 0insberg of tho Elmira club lists him as c player-manage rath- or than Q straight bench manager,
 Those who know the Rabbits die- hard spirit best say that "the kid" isn't yet fully convinced that his playing days are over, They pre- dict that it will take some weeks of nurazner heat and leg-wearinoss and playing with cratic rockies to make him hang up hts glove and spikes for good and buckle down to . life. of niaster-mlnding.
 Maranville, inventor Of the vest- pocket catch, exponent Of the head first slide, and principal in his younger years in some of baseball's most colorful escapades, came up to tho old Braves In 1912 at the age of %, Q ftve-foot- -flve-inch pepperpot from the sandlots of Springfield and the New Bedford club of tho old New England league,
 Greatest Braves
 Rabbit was at shortstop when tho Braves of 1914, George Stallings famous miracle team" climbed from last place on July { to Q Na- ti0nRl league pennant, He batted .30o when the Braves routed Comic laek's Philadelphia Athletics in the Wdgld Series that season and l4 years later was playing shortstop and batting an identical ,308 for the St. Louis Cardinals in their World Series with the New York Yankees
 Went Co Minors
 REaranville was with the old Braves from 1912 until 1921 when, because of his refusal to walk the straight and narrow, he was sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1925 he was made manager of the Chicago Cuhs but Rabbit was at tho height of his playboy days at the time and the next season saw him shipped to tho Brooklyn Dodgers. Still Rabbit wouldn't reform and the next shift sent him to the Cardinals Roches- ter farm club. 4 taste of minor league life brought Maranville to his senses and in 1927 he was up with the Cardinals playing as well as at any time in his career,
 Hard Luck
 Maranville came back to tho Braves In 1929 and was playing al- most as well as any second baseman in the league until he broke his leg in & collision with Norman Kies, rookie catcher, in a spring training game with the New York Yankees in 1884.
 Last season Maranville played in @ games with the Braves but moved to his left only with difficulty and seeming pain. Manager Bill Me- Kechnie feared to use the veteran lest he break the leg again,