The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1944-05-11
BEHIND
HOME PLATE
By Doug STEWART

The more | talk with Herb Brett,
the more convinced l am that the
Owls have got themselves a real
manager. Quiet and unassumlngs
he makes no extravagant claims for
his team. but calmly goes about the
Job of imparting some of his base
ball knowledge to the rockies on
the squad.
Perhaps am prejudiced in
Brett's favor because he happens to
agree with some of my pet base
ball theories. | have never made a
pretense of being a "grandstand
manager" but have followed base
ball for many years (although this
is only my second year of reporting
ANYTHING below Glass A Leagues)
and during that time | have natur-
ally learned few things about the
game.
One thing / have never had any
use for, and that is coddling the
players. | have always maintained
(and still do) that players, whether
they are rockies, favorite sons, or
what have you, should take the
game as il comes and be shown no
favors. Hits are hits and errors are
erporss and the sooner a player
finds out that he is going to be
charged with an error, whenever he
makes one, just the same as he is
credited with a hit, the sooner that
player will improve in his fielding.
In discussing this with Brett, he
brought out the fact that out on the
Pacific Coast, the sudden drop in
the high price obtained from the
majors for Pacific Coast League
players was due, in part, to the fact
that some of the boys with fancy
batting and fielding averages didn't
look quite so hot when being looked
over by Major League scouts, simp-
ly because they had too often been
credited with hits that should have
been charged as errors to the oppos-
ing fielders. and visa versa.
Another of my pet theories is that
it helps team to have an infield
with plenty of chatter and pep, but
here Herb definitely disagreed with
me and put up an argument that set
me to thinking
Brett claims that while a certain
amount of chatter and pep is OK,
this business of racing all over the
inield between every batter's APP
pearance at the plate is all wrong
and that he has instructed his boys
to stay on the baselines when toss
ing the ball round the infield. Herb
pointed out that too many infielders
used up all their energy racing
around and he would rather they
reserved that energy and use it
afield and at the plate. Guess he's
got something there, at that.
And now let's take look at the
sOwls in action
In the five games / have seen
them play, they seem to have plen-
ty of potential power on offense
(of course you can't overlook the
fact that the boxcar scores run up in
the first weeks games were due in
some measure to rather spotty
pitching) and believe that, even
when the opposing pitchers get
warmed up, the Owls will still give
a good account of themselves at the
plate.
The fielding, however, is some
thing else again and l believe that
in order to get on top of the heap
and stay there, the team will have
to be strengthened, particularly at
short and third. Neither Flesh or
Crimrnins impress me at short, al
though they are really out there
trying all the time, and there's no
overlooking the fact that Palkovitz,
who came to the Owls direct from
the Hagerstown High School team,
although a real baseball prospect,
needs quite a bit of experience yet.
It's too early to get line on the
pitchers yet, as the late Spring
training start, plus the cold wealth
er, has held them at decided dis
advantage.
It is my understanding that both
manager Brett and owner Sterling
are on the lookout for more play
ers (if they can get what they
want), as both men are determined
to give Hagerstown the best ball
club possible.
Are you taking advantage of the
Special books of general admission