Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-26
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ), FRANCO, ,1.pp
Brennan of the RedIeqs
BY FRANCIS sTANN

TAMPA, FLA, FEB 26.-Terrence Patrick Brennan pale
from the winter in the west suited up at locker near
Manager Mayo Smiths in the Cincinnati clubhouse Some
of the Redlegs curious gances in BrennanS direction
but when they took the field the veterans and rockies
alike dutifuly fell into formation similar to football
squad for pre- game calisthenics.s
visitor put asduestion to Smith: ITO your knowl-
edge has any other ball club hired football coachn
Brennan's case an ex-coach-to help condition ball
club?" ~aTr
81 hadn't heard of it, Mayo replied, "but can ap
preciate Gabe Paus theory Terry prevent charley
horses and shin spnts ball club will be ahead of the
game" Paul is general manager of the Redlegs
At the start of workout day, the young ex-Notre
Dame coach is given perhaps IS minutes He leads the
players through series OF bering up exercises which
is what team captains do in football At first blush it
looks like quite comedown for head coach of the Irish
Paul doesn't think it is.
81 WAS GOING TO HIRE football coach this spring
in any event." Gabe said Originally thought OF Paul
Brown Not to actually lead the calhenics as Brennan
is doing but to direct our conditioning program. Them
after Terry was fired by Notre Dame approached him"
Some years ago the Dodgers hired Les MacMitchell
the NYU miller to try to develop speed on the club
The Indians did the thing, using Harrison billiard
81 remember the experiment with MacMitchell very
we'll" said Dick Young who used to cover the Dodgers
when they represented Brooklyn. "Rube Walker, the
catcher was one the Dodgers wanted to run better
All MacMchell proved that if guy wasn't born with
speed there's nobody in the world who can give 1t to him.
"Ours is general conditioning program" Paul cor
rected Football coaches know much about condition
ing"
.T've heard it said that ball players the worst
conditioned of all athletes man remarked He put it
to Smith as more less of question.
"WELL BALL PLAYERS are specialists" Mayo said.
II wouldn't say they're badly conditioned But will say
this-I never saw ball player who ran too much Most
don't run enough and that's where Brennan can help.
The most important thing to ball player is his legs,
and most PLAYERS don't realize it until too late Naturally
they hate running They'll take batting practice, even
fielding practice by the hour But they hate to run And
the whole game is based legs The rest OF the body
that is from the waist up-wi take care OF itself
pitchers especially, need awful lot of running >
Smith went on You veteran pitchers with the begin
ming of paunches-Early Wynn of the White Sox one
but that's all right It's when they get heavy in the chest
up near the shoulders that they're in trouble Running
is the best preventative of that kind OF heavineSS
IN HIS CINCINNATI UNIFORM Brennan looks like
ball player but Terry is the first to admit ne isn't and
never was
where I grew up in Milwaukee" Terry smiled I'VE
played nearly every game except baseball We just didn't
have the facilities We played football and turned out
for track but not baseball But Mayo and had long
talk and I think know what he wants me to do"
DO football players have to be better conditioned than
baseball players?" Brennan was asked Are you going
to condition the Redlegs as you would football team
"Il in this way" Terry said. Football players
lot than ball players They may not like it.
They'll squawk and grippe But they know that in order
to stay alive they have to be hard and tough.
"You wouldn't handle ball players as violently It's
different game. Later on understand, Mayo will turn
individual to Each one may have to
be conditioned differently"
Watching some of the Redegs hufhng and putting in
green rubber sweat shirts, camp follower mused Per
sonaly think big league basketball player is the best
conditioned of any athlete"
You know" Gabe Paul said, you could be right"