Evening star., 1947-08-20
Lack Of Leadership,
Diplomacy Charged
By Eight Players
By Burton Hawkins
Stor Staff CORRESPONDENT

Sfor Stoff Correspondent
CLEVELAND, Aug. 2o.-What's
wrong with the Mats? The answers,
from the Mats, range from con-
demnation of Manager Ossie Bluege
and hotel arrangements to the more
obvious protracted batting slump
of the club and virtually COM
plete collapse Of spirit.
IF Bluege is managing next year
I don't want to play with Washing
ton," says one regular. -Four other
regulars and three reserves among
those who expressed opinions were
critical of Bluege but insisted on
anonymity due to possible reper-
cussions.
Baseball is my livelihood and II
I said anything for publication I'd
be branded" said one veteran. Wed
be labelled crybabies and we
wouldn't look too good, anyway,
beef1ng about Bluege the way we're
hitting. But the fellow is not a
good manager"
There is little criticism Of Bluege's
application of baseball knowledge.
Most players feel his tactics on the
field generally are correct, but when
talk turns to handling his men,
some of the players become bitter.
Ferrell Declared Embarrassed.
There was story out Of New
York few weeks ago saying Bluege
would be fired at the end of the sea-
son." said a Nat, land it speculated
that Rick Ferrell would be named
manager. Shortly after that Bluege
called a clubhouse meeting and IN
front Of the entire team turned to
Ferrell and said And it might in
terest you to know, Rick, that I'm
going to manage this club a long.
long time
What kind of diplomacy is that?
Ferrell is the last fellow in the world
to cut another persons throat for a
job and he has been loyal to Bluege,
but he was embarrassed by that in
cident and there was no excuse for
it. Rick didn't say anything, but if
it had been me, Bluege would have
had fight on his hands.
George Myatt was good utility
infielder and a good man to have
around for his spirit alone. He was
a better player than some we have
on the club right now. Know why
he's gone? He popped off in the
clubhouse. Called Bluege a 'front.'
running (four words deleted)' be-
cause Ossie came in the clubhouse
one night patting everybody on the
back after he won one.
BIuege Glum in Defeat.
"Myatt had seen Bluege's glum
behavior after defeats, too, and I
guess he just got too sore to hold
back any longer. Anyway, I went
away from the ball park that night
feeling Myatt was not long for the
Mats. Sure enough, a few days later
he was unloaded to Jersey City. He's
hitting .315 there.
1--WE seen things on this club that
are disgusting and which wouldn't
be tolerated by a good manager.
Players with their feet propped on a
bat rack during game in Phila-
delphia, just waiting for the end and
nobody roofing for anybody else. In
Boston recently we even had a player
lying down on the bench in the
midst Of game. If player Is that
tired he ought to be in bed, but he
was in uniform and he was playing
so he should have had fine slapped
on him. He didn't even get a harsh
word.
Some Of the fellows have spirit.
Know how that spirit is encouraged?
At Boston Chick Pieretti got up
on his feet and yelled to one Of
our fellows, Come on, get a hit
Bluege turned to him and snorted.
sit down and shut up We were
losing, 100, at the time, so I
guess we're supposed to be meek
about it,"
Wait for Rooms Irksome.
"We're supposed to hustle"
chimed in another player, "but how
do you think we feel about club
which lets us wait around hotel
lobbies for three hours trying to
get rooms as we did here yesterday
morning? That's bush league stuff,
particularly with twilight-night
double-header coming up the same
afternoon and some of the fellows
needing rest. I'll say this for
Bluege-he had a room, but gave
it up so a couple of players could
rest"
There is no open rebellion against
Bluege, nor will there be If for no
other reason that too many Mats
are afraid of losing their jobs If
they assert themselves. There is
considerable resentment, expressed
individually and anonymously by
many members of the club, regulars
and reserves.
Many of the complaints can't be
printed because 1t would reveal the
identity of the Mats involved
Ninety per cent of the criticism
leveled at Bluege is due to his
handling of men. with his accusers
claiming he is no leader.
Bluege is finishing the second
year of a two-year contract, with
no word yet from Clark Griffith
whether it will be renewed.
Johnny Baker 10 Coach