Milford chronicle., 1948-09-10
Popular Chapman
Likely To Return
To Baseball
BY FRANK Eek


AP NeWsfeatufes Sports Editor
PHILADELPHIA - Now that the
political conventions are gone but
IOt forgotten, the big question
around town is: who's going to
manage the Phillies? ?" In other Ma
tsonal League cities baseball men
wonder: What's going to happen
to Ben Chapman
William (Ben) Chapman was
we'll liked by almost everyone in
baseball. He even got along well
with Leo DurOcher when Chappy,
once q stormy petrol himself, pitch
ed for Brooklyn. AS a Yankee,
Chappy says he never had trouble
with Joe Mccarthy, as is the COM
mon belief. He once had a run in
with Joe CrOnin, now Boston Red
Sox general manager.
Chapman is a keen student of the
game, On the road he would hole up
IN his hotel room for hours and talk
about nothing but baseball. And
anyone was welcome.
He'd talk about his team and
about the other fellows team. He
was always on the ball
Early in the season his attention
was drawn to the Brooklyn box
scores. He noticed that DurOcher
was shifting his players around, US
ing a left-handed batter to face a
Tight-handed pitcneP wherever ne
could. If the opposition pitched a
sOuthpaW, Durocher would use all
the right-handed hitting power at
his command. Then when the foe
tossed a rightly, the Brooklyn's
left-handed swingers would go into
action. Nobody was sure of a full
same, nobody but maybe Pee Wee
Reese.
What's Leo trying to dO?" Chap
ny would ask Its all right to play
percentage but Leo plays it to the
bilt I still insist if a player is a big
Lacquer he should be able to hit
both right and left handed pitch
ing"
Chappy, a man who loved his
family and his players, was of the
Mccarthy mold He was a crack
Yankee eutfelder for six years,
hitting .S15 in 1881 and leading the
American League in stolen bases
with 81.
Like DurOcheT, Chappy, too sat
out full years suspension. That
was in 1943 after he had assaulted
an umpire in the fall of 1912 while
managing the Richmond Colts in
the Piedmont League. But when
Chappy came back he mellOwed
somewhat.
In 81 games in 1914 he hit .3O3
for Richmond then Brooklyn signed
him. He pitched, played some third
base and the outfeld for the DOdg-
ers.
On June Is, 1945, he was traded
to the Phillies and two weeks later
replaced Fred FitzsimmOns as Phil
lie manager.
When Allen DUSTY Cooke, his
roommate and sidekick of 20
years standing, recently replaced
him as temporary Phillie manager.
1t was the first time since 1928 that
Chappy was out of a Job. You can't
count his 1941 reease by the Wash
ingtOn Senators because three davs
later he signed to a Chicago White |
SOx contract.
Following the All-Star game in
st. Louis where Chapman was told. |
in effect, "It's time for a change" -"
even the Cardinals were stunned. /
Terry Moore said he lost a close
friend. He sure was a fighter" +"
said Harry Brecheen.
Ron NOrthey, ex-Phillie Outfeld-
er. said: Il never got along with
Chapman, but he's a great baseball
man" Manager Eddie Dyer then
stepped up to console his plavers
with these words:
Don't worry about Chappv. He'll
De back. There are too many own |
eTs who know what a fighting
smart guy he is"
TO William Benjamin Chairman /
all these glowing words NAV sOund .
like an obituary But Chappv will
just sit back, light his pine. and
watch the bowling balls roll down .
bis alleys in Birmingham. Ala /
He'll be back. Dyer is ony one of the
baseball men who say so.