Evening star., 1952-07-11

in the morning selee manager the Boston
Nationals
having Tenney playing for Brown. "Can you
Boston?" he asked the collegian in Providence, R. I.
I be there the morning promised Tenney his tongue
thick with champagne He kept his word, too, although he
didn't go to bed until 4 o'clock.
TENNEY WAS NO STAR at the outset but he became one
later hitting 42 325 and $50 in against
good pitchers bad baseballs manager,
only but of the first players stock
unusual he held his stock in the Boston Club
during years he played with the New York Giants
When he blossomed STAR Tenney played for perhaps
the National League team in Bostons history not excluding
the miraculous 1914 Braves under George Stangs These
the 1878 Boston Nationals Tenney Love- Long
ined Duffy Hamilton and stahl in the outed
and Kid Nichols heading the pitching staff This was the club
that humbled the storied Baltimore Orioles.
any recounting Tenneys career,
players his the largely unremembered Frank
selee must be Not only seee who signed Tenney
but Selee who finally sensed that Freds natural position
not behind the plate in the outed which he also
, played, but on first base
THIS WAS EARLY in 1897 a time when seee dis
satisfied regular baseman Tommy Tucker Dis
regarding thny yelled resentment of the older players
Tenney 1.-The Soled Coegan Selee moved
protege first Late19o2 to be exactselee exeed
this nearmysc evauation of ski while managing the
Chicago White Sox
This time he converted
Chance into first baseman who became of the early
the position Ironically selee succeeded the
manager pupil Tenney and Chicago Chance
critics claimed built by Selee.
Once installed as baseman, Tenney displayed not
natural aptitude but inventive mind 1t was the
Georgetown product who set the style for modern first
baemen reaching forward for ined throws with only
tip his touching the bag In his day. other first
basemen simply caught the ball in upright position.
THEM ONE DAY batter hit ball toward the right side
of the ined with first base Bobby Lowe,
the baeman ded and the batter at first base
the runner advancing. Later Tenney said to Lowe:
that hall Pohhv co1Id have t0
second base for force out And sharply
might double play But can't hug first base to do
that"
It sounds so fundamental now baseball crude in
1897 play far off first base in the present
style and shortly his talk with Lowe Cincinnati batter
slapped grounder him. Tenney threw to shortstop Ger
many Long first bae and received Longs relay
in time for double play.
ut seemed you could hear pin drop for 10 seconds,
Tenney in later and then the crowd just let
out roar 1t had something new"
TENEY BECAME MANAGER of the Boston Braves in 1905,
also buyng into extent that he second
largest stockhoder wasn't successful manager and
his begun to player He transferred TO
with whom he spent 1908 and 1909 and Wen ne
to Boonsti stockholder but now anxious
to sell his shares-he was just another ball player
Then 1911-his final year-Owner Charles Soden asked
him to manage. Tenney declined.
"If You'll manage" Soden him. "Iu buy your stock
you've got ball club Tenney replied but you We
got a manager"
It wasn't spectacular ending for Tenney. He was only
drawing player Soden pnchng pennies offered
no more for managing WE'LL Soden did that II the
club didn't lose money Che didn't where the Braves
finished apparently Tenney would get bonus.
Tenney didn't exactly himself to the Boston fans
As the story goes spent deal OF time scrambng
into the pursuit of foul balls in order to cut expenses
Those the days.