The Lincoln times., 1955-01-27
Baseball Mgr's
Value To Club? 7
To 10 Wins-Smith

Mayo smith, mas some pretty Qel-
mite ideas on what a manager
should mean to his ball club. In
cold figures. he says, pilots val
ue should mean seven to ten vic
tories a season. Smith explains his
reasoning in an interview in the
current issue of The Sporting
News.
"A manager can account for
seven to ten victories" he says,
mot in tactical moves, but in get
ting that much more out of his
players. It's the same as any other
business. The head man has to in
spire confidence and make his men
want to do better.
From the tactical standpoint,
| Smith told a writer of The Sport
ing News. 80 per cent of the man
ayers are about the same. The
real test of the pilots ability, he
said. is when he can take a club
that isn't too good and can instill
winning spirit with the result
that the team finishes notch or
two higher than expected.
The club Smith is taking over
hasn't had much success since it
won the 1850 National League PEN
nant and then took a four
straight beating from the YAM
KEGS in the Worlds Series. But he
knows what he is up against. He
has spent long hours going over
/ the records of the players he'll
/ have in 1855. From these studies.
! and from talks with General Man.
ager Roy Hamey and others in the
| organization, he has formed opin-
! ions as to what he has to work
with. He admits. says The Sport
inc News. that these opinions may
| have to be tossed out of the WIN
dow once he sees his charges at
work in spring training. And he
saws he intends to use the human
touch. approaching the players as
Individuals instead of considering
them only units in machine.
Smith himself has had little ma
ior league experience. He had only
one year of major league playing,
and six years of managerial en-
uerience in the minors. He was
boss of the Birmingham Barons IN
the Southern Association before
making the Jump to Philadelphia.
As for plans for his club, Smith
considers pitching rs per cent OF
winning combination He plans to
have five starting pitchers because
he believes Murry Dickson needs
extra rest. He'll have Curt Sim
mons. Robin Roberts, Herman
Wehmeier, Dickson, and perhaps
Lack Never or Jim Owens who
came up from Syracuse. Smith al
so saws that development of one
or two standout relief pitchers is
must" He feels that second base
and right field are the clubs two
weak spots. With a second base
man. he could bolster his infield by
shifting Gran Hammer back to
shortstop. He has second base
prospects in Luis Ortiz from Ro-
chester anu DCll IoiAPNAAAS
Syracuse. A. third base, 1t flgures
to be a fight between Willie Jones
and Bobby Morgan. Two outfleld
spots are well filled with Del En-
mis- in left and Richie Ashburn IN
center. Mel Clark, after a knee
operation. may be all right Tor
light field, and Danny Schen ana
Bob Bowman are prospects, Earl
Torgeson will have competition at
first base from Marvin Blaylock
of Syracuse and Jim Westlake, a
brother of Wally, from San Fran
cisco. Most of the catching Will be
done by Smoky Burgess and Stan
Lopata.
AS to stepping up from the min
ors to the majors as a manager,
Smith said he anticipates no dill
ficulty. "This is my twenty-thlrd
wear in baseball" he said. If you
don't know anything then, you're
| in the wrong racket"