Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-18
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW b. FRANCIS .,.uu
The How and Why of Hutch


ever win pennants The last time the trick
the American League in 1901 when Clark Griffith man.
aged the Chicago White Sox Back in 1918 Fred Mitchell
who had been both pitcher and catcher his playing
days won for the Cubs in the National League.
AS the man who hired the only exptche among todays
16 major league managers General Manager
the ST. Louis Cardinals asked why this There
had to be behind the choice Freddie Hutchinson
field boss of the Redbirds than unfolding reputation
nonconformist
I had my picking Hutch" Lane said in the
owners box at Lang Field For thing Freddie
a-around type When he up the majors he was
pitcher who really wanted to catch But Detroit paid lot
of money for him to pitch he did He good
at the plate too, to pinch hit on occasions
I hired two managers while general manager
of the White Sox One catcher Paul Richards The
other shortstop, Marty Marion. I'd never hired
pitcher to manage, and I wouldn't unless he were an
exception. think Hutch is"
THE BIG RAP AGAINST pitchers, Lane thinks, is that
they are specialists They work every fourth fifth day.
he explained and when they pitch practically whole
ball game back of them Everything except catching
end is done behind their backs.
When they not pitching they are sitting on the
bench or in the bullpen and watching the game
of how to get the batters out the time they
BY and large pitchers do not make good managers
Il recall that Chrsty Mathewson good manager
Neither was Walter Johnson. probably could
others I'll come back to them later because that another
story"
Lane began to tick off the 1856 managers ct make it
nine ex-nfelders four excatchers and two ex-ouede
he said mot counting Hutch
THE outfelders, until Casey stengel began to blz
everybody, weren't hot, either" Frank pointed out
although Billy Souhworth Fred Clarke were winners
and Burt Shotton and iris Speaker they
accomplished nothing beside what ineder catchers
did when it came to winning pennants."
1T is LANES STUDIED opinion that catchers make the
best managers, as rule They the quarerbacks'
explained THE whole ball game is spread in front
them. Other baseball people must think the same way
because according to ratio of four infelders
catcher per club the catcherRchard Tebbets Lopez and
Bragan-are well represented.
There's another angle to managing" Lane went on
that is worth considering mentioned Mathewson and
johnson. They were than ex-pitchers who tried
running ball clubs they stars.
When you make manager out of great star you
could be asking for trouble Cobb didn't win any pennants
Hornsby knew baseball few others did, Rogers wasn't
what you'd call outstanding True Speaker
the pennant for Cleveland in 1920 but also to recall
that he played centereld oo and bated 1888 that year.
A FRONT-OFFICE WHEEL at Cincinnati Chicago and
now St Louis well former president of the American
Association Lanes of the is not loose
I've watched the big stars try to ball clubs"
said They have patience with average ball players
They use their own ability to evauate Others Shucks there
are more average players than any other kind manager
has got to be patient It's the lack of sympathy by the stars
that is their undoing managers"
The record book deals unkndly with stars who became
pilots whereas the little for want term have
scored Joe Mccarthy for example, played in the
majors He was 240 hitter at best in the minors Yet he
won eight pennants for the Yankees and the Cubs
Connie Mack, who nine remnants, barely rated
billing as big league second-srng catcher Other top pilots
of the past, Miller Higgins Durocher and Bill
McKechnie, were not top stars by any
ITO THAT LIST" Lane suggested, you might add the
of Chuck Dresser who had major league arm
You've got Mayo Smith of the Phlies who played little
bit in the of 1945 There Aston of the
Dodgers, who to bat only big league game
and struck out You've got Bobby Bragan of the Pirates
regular
Years ago." Frank concluded "I worked for the
Cincinnati organization The manager was McKechne for
whom had great admiration. One day said to him. Bill
what makes you good manager?'
"McKechne kind of smiled and said Frank, when
played ball had to exercise all my imagination and
ingenuity to offset my lack of ability. doing well now
it's because of that training
Il picked Hutchinson because he had to magma
ton and ingenuity to be pitcher Other things
hitting, fielding easier to him. noticed what he
done in SO and "a with Detroit that had been
in last place and we'll he became my man"