Evening star., 1940-07-20
The
SPoRTLIGH1
Tiger Pilot Little Known
But Knows q Lot
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

opeClal SUlICSpuudCut Va 4nc 0tHIs
NEW YORK. July 20 CN.A.NA1.-
No ore knew much about Del Baker
when he succeeded Mickey Cochrane
as manager Of the Tigers in a sur
prise move two years ago-and no
one knows about him now. He has
had his team in the battle for the
sfag all the way and has the best
chance of all to take it If the
Yankees do not win again, yet you
hear less of him than of managers
who are mired in the second divi-
sion. The only time the spotlight
ever hit him was the day he took
! over Mickey's job-and then he
stepped nimbly through its rays and
into the shadows again.
He spent most of his playing days
In the minors, never made the head
lines as a major Lacquer and, as a
lieutenant to Cochrane, was eclipsed
totally by the colorful Black Mike.
His Job in those days was to have
the pitchers ready for Cochrane
when he wanted them and to coach
on the third-base line. He did his
work well, made few mistakes and
attracted no attention whatever.
His anonymity SO nearly was COM
plete, outside Detroit at any rate,
that when he was announced as
Cochranes successor, fans in the
other cities asked, Baker? Who's
Baker,"
He's Simply Among Those
Present on Tiger Bench
So far as the casual visitor to
the Tigers dugout today is con-
cerned, Baker still is simply among
those present. He doesn't dominate
the bench as other managers do.
No aura of Importance envelopes
him and any one looking for him
likely is to find him seated among
the substitutes and second -stringers
while the baseball writer's and pho
tographers are giving their atten-
ton to Hank Greenberg. Buck New
som. Dick Bartell and the other
highly -publicized members of the
cast.
Del has little to say at. any time
and says that little so softly that
he cannot be heard a couple of feet
away. Ask him question and you
will get a complete and Intelligent
answer but he volunteers little.
But the Detroit ballplayers have
q tremendous liking and respect for
him. His selection as manager was
popular with them and he has done
a great job.
Undoubtedly the team was in a
turbulent state when he took COM
mand of it. Some of the players
were in conflict with Cochrane or
with each other. There were stories,
most of them true, about rows in
the dugout and the clubhouse.
Boxers CoImness Contrasts
Coehrone's Demeonor.
Baker had no trouble at all. His
calmness was in direct contrast to
the excitable nature of his predeces-
sor, who in two magnificent years,
had driven the Tigers to the pen
nant and then had lost his touch.
Dugout rows and clubhouse re-
ordinations ended Immediately. A
slump into which the team had
fallen was checked The Tigers rose
from the second division to fourth
place and finished there.
Last year they finished fifth. Even
this reflected able handling on
Bakers part. for many of the
players obviously were slipping,
some were having a bad year, and
at one stretch the Tigers were last.
During the winter Baker en-
gineered trade of Bill Rogell to
the Cubs for Dick Bartell. Then
he assigned Hank Greenberg per-
manently to the outfeld and Rudy
York to first base. The critics
didn't think much Of these moves.
Actually, Bartell has been the KEY
man in the inf1eld and the spark
plug of the entire team; Greenberg
has hung on in the outfeld, and
York at first base. In center field.
McCosky has become one of the
best In either league and two of
the younger pitchers, Corsica and
Newhauser, have developed rapidly.
The veteran Tommy Bridges has
held his own. Schoolboy Rowe has
come back and Newsom, up until
Wednesday when he cracked his
thumb, was pitching better ball
than he ever did In his life. For
the next three weeks or so it will
be interesting to watch Bakers
handling of the Newsom- less pitch
Ing corps. Bucks injury coming
at such a hot stage of the race
very definitely could affect the play
of the team. and Detroit boosters
hardly can hope that the Tiger ace
will be so effective when he re-
turns.
Managers Handling Helps
Newsom Become Stor.
The progress of Newsom to a
point where he is rated by many
as the best pitcher in the American
League undoubtedly has been ac-
tolerated by the way in which
Baker has handled him. Buck al
ways has been quick to tell every
body how good he is. That he
now believes it implicitly himself
ts due in large part to the circum-
stance that Baker, instead of
ragging him or trying to beat down
bis opinion of himself, has been
4 source of encouragement to him.
Ever, nn{roif ovitioc ouar fnv