Evening star., 1963-03-07

Cubs Now Talk
OF MethodoIogy
By MORRIS sIEcE

MESA AFIZ, MAR. bob Whitlow who represents
p wgeyS latest concept Of what 1t takes to produce
a winning team, has his unusual idea about why
Wrgeys Chicago Cubs have been failures at it lately
According to whitlow, who is the games first and
probably last athletic director the Cubs have been left
to do their thinking too long 1T has not been
made clear to players what was expected of them
says Whtlow personable 43yearold former Air Force
colonel who hired last November to tell the Cubs the
facts Of life
The Cubs, owned by wrigIey, the chewing gum mag
nate have been stuck in the second division for l6 straight
years This record surpassed only ny the Senator'S who
have avoided the first division II in row and are
favored to do it again this season.
1t is whitlows thought that each Cub, from the
freshly bonused phenom down the farm at Wenatchee
to the letter winner at Wgley Field, should do things
the way-by the book. To propagate the idea he
has composed several textbooks aimed at brainwashing
the Cubs and Cubbies Of the nasty old habits responsible
for their behavior t, ss
ONE OF THE TONES authored by Whitlow is a bound
text called The Chicago Cubs System of Defensive Plays
With cooed diagrams and supporting instructions 1t tells
the Cubs their defensive assignments bun situations
on pop fes where they should be fly balls hit down
the right and leftfield foul lines, etc"
From his textbook and personal lectures the subject
Whtow doesn't seem to be too concerned whether the
players catch the ball He is mainly interested they be
in the right place at the right time when the right play
comes up.
whitows inexperience a rookie braintruster shows
up quickly in his book All of his instructions and dia-
grams based playing conditions and dimensions
Of Wrgey Field. He failed to take into consideration the
team will play as many games on the road as at home
Apparently the players will have to shift for them
selves in road games until Whtow finds time to author
another defensive textbook to take Of problems
encountered on trips.
Each Of the So players in the Cubs camp here has
copy Of the Chicago Cubs System of Defensive Play"
Each of the little Cubbes who reports at the minor league
factory later on also will be given copy
What we doing" Whitlow says, "is establishing
n of North
be interested in system to get their favorte team
out Of the second division. ~
saRa
wHITLowS APPROACH to the game is no more
unusual than the way he got his job. On visit to
Chicago last winter he called old friend Bud Ofeld
nephew Of Owner Wrigley, who asked him to come
down to the Wrigley Building for lunch Mr. wrigley
would dine with them, offield told whtow.
When the last pack Of after-dinner spearmint had
been packed away the conversation turned to baseball
Wrgey asked Whitlow he would be interested in reading
series of training camp suggestions Of the Cubs
coaches had sent in.
retire after 20 in the Air Force said he'd like to read
the material wrgley also invited Col whitlow to send
him any suggestions of his own.
Whtlow did. Two months later wrigley, who had met
Whitlow only at lunch hired him and made him basebas
first athletic director whilOws previous experiences in
baseball were not quite responsible his current job
second only to Wrigley in Cubs authority
49,
no 1OONGoIEh around Los Angeles, WhitlOW
pitched batting practice for the Wrgley-owned minor
league Angels Whitlow also pitched for Southern Cal and
later at West Point At use the Detroit Tigers offered him
contract, but he decided to embark AT career
instead.
He was the first athletic director at Air Force Academy
Explaining his textbook approach, whitlow said "The
basic Job at the Air Force Academy is instruction ANY guy
who comes along well at the Air Force Academy as an
instructor should know how to get his ideas to the
people"
In the Cubs table Of organization whitlow's title Is
athletic director He's strapping sfoot4 specimen who
weighs around 24S He works out here daily with the
troops and wears uniform No. l. appropriately enough
because next to wrgley he is the supreme commander
The Cubs stin don't have manager in name Bob
Kennedy, the former Cleveland White sox and orioe
has been designated head coach of an
n-man coaching staff assembled here. For practical
purposes this means Kennedy is the field manager
II Whitlow has instituted slight change in the Cub
practice OF rotating head coaches Apparently to show he
isn't making complete break with baseball tradition
Wnitow won't rotate Kennedy to the minors he fails as
head coach.
Instead hen fire him, in the prosaic baseball manner