Evening star., 1942-10-11
20-Year Service
With Club Fits
Vet for Helm
ossie's Team Spirit,
Eornestness Praised
By Prexy Griffith
By BURTON HAWKINS.

an apparently imperturbable shell,
yesterday was rewarded for 20 years
OF unselflsh service with the Mats
when President Clark Griffith
named him as the Washington
Baseball Clubs manager for 1943.
Appointed a coach in 1910 under
Bucky Harris, who resigned as msE-
Ager OF the Mats two weeks ago,
Bluege for II seasons gave Wash
1ngton a superb sort of infield pro-
lection with his matchless grace and
precision. He is rated by Griffith
ana many others as the best defen-
s1ve third baseman of all time.
Hell show the right spirit as
manager, because he had the right
spirit as a player and COACH" said
Griffith IN announcing the appoint
ment. He has a keen baseball
brain, he's a stickler for discipline
and he'll show our fans a fiery
temperament they haven't suspected
he owns.
Eyes, I know" continued Griffith,
"a lot OF people will say he's too
quiet and retiring for the job, but
that isn't true. AS a coach under |
Harris he naturally wasn't demon
strative-he didn't want anybody to
think he was grabbing the initiative
from Harris by squawking when
squaWking seemed to be the man.
ayers duty.
Ideal Team Man, Says Griff.
"Bluege always has been a hustler
ar6 as manager he'll insist on a.
hustllng ball club. He always was
the ideal team man, submerging
himself for the sake of the club. but
ne always had plenty to say to any,
oooy who wasn't hustling. He'll
make our players give their best
He always has been 100 per cent
honest with himself and his team
mates. One of the things that en-
deared him to me was the fact that
II he had i'll feeling toward a team
mate he'd go to him and tell him
Wnat ne thought to his face and
tney'd iron it out between them.
.Ossles team spirit has been a
rellgion with him. When he was
fading out of the picture he never
hestltated to teach youngsters who
sought to take lis third-base ioh
He always has given the teams
welfare top billing. 1 think he'll
be fine manager"
Mr. Griffith and hope to make
come improvements, said Blueee
we haven't had an opportunity to
discuss the clubs future, but Mr.
Grlfnth already has obtained some
players and there undoubtedly will
be other changes. I'm going to do
the best possibly can with the ma
terial at hand" ,
Given Years Contract.
Bluege's contract is for one veor
at an undisclosed salary. Ossie, who
Will be AZ years old October "a, is
ceileved to have been offered $4,000.
A vital, priceless cog in the only
three winning clubs in
history, Bluege strangely
patterned his brilliant fielding style
after a sandlotter. It was Tony
Pechous, a Chicago sandlot infielder
who later played for Toledo, whose
style Bluege copied
Bluege's baseball career was
launched as an infielder with the
Logan Squares. Chicago semi -pro
cam managed by Jimmy Callahan.
Who later managed the Chicago {
White Sox. With the Logan
Squares Ossie soon attracted the at e
ention of Bill Jackson, who man
lged Peoria of the Three-I League
md In 1920 Bluege went to work for
,im.
Late in the year of 1921 Griffith
,pened letter from Jackson. The {
I'D gentleman who runs the Wash I
ngton ball club was asked to gamble
N young shortstop with a bad leg. 1;
Griffith dispatched Joe Engel to =.
cout Bluege. I
Made Ailing Leg Look Good. :.
The Philadelphia Athletics had an
'ption on Eluege when he played
It Peoria, but the AS dropped it be- R
ause of Ossie's game left knee. The
was that Bluege would not j.
ast long in baseball.
II was so anxious to impress s.
NIGEL" relates Bluege, that 1 VOL b
inferred to race 100 yards with three a
r four fellows on the Peoria team C
fy knee was swollen several inches
nd I could hardly walk. But to -,
1ove up to the big leagues I was u
eady to do almost anything. So 1 81
IN the race and If hadn't stumbled to
would have won it. Anyway, I did ii
. we'll that Engel was convinced the
nee was cured" v
As a matter Of fact Ossie's knee or
ave him trouble for years after -,
ard, but the customer in the stand AZ
nd the rival hitters never suspected pf
!. In 1857 major league games -
luege robbed batters of base hits d
nd with men on base he was a more
'rmidable hitter than his lifetime
q average would indicate w
Hurt Knee in Basket Ball. W. W.
Ossie hurt his knee playing basket Lao
III on the courts of Chicago. When
, went to Peoria at the age of 20 Fl
. aggravated the injury and as an
te as 1929 he felt serious effects. tn
Ut, game leg and all, he represents ~,
e Of Griff1ths S best bargains. He
sts the Mats $500
When he came to the Mats, Bluege ga
Is shortstop. II always wanted NO
be Washington's regular short Is
,p," grins Ossie, "but never was"
When Ossie came to the Mats, a ,
tsee BLUEGE. Page C-4) ! Blu