The Augusta daily herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1908-1914, January 11, 1914, Image 1

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GENERAL NEWS VOLUME XIX. No. 11. Those Who Control Big League Base Ball Clubs Are All “Se/f Made Men” With Hardly an Exception All Started From the Bottom Rung of the Ladder and Accended Step By Step, History of the Climb. (By Monty.) New York. —With hardly an excep tion, those who head the big league baseball clubs of today are what could be termed "self-made men.” Nearly every one of them started well down on the ladder of life and, though didn't of his own persistent effort and ability, climbed up rung by rung to a position where his name Is knuown now throughout the country. In the list we have a milk wagon driver, a bar tender, bank clerk, a lumber salesman, a small coal dealer, a whiskey drum mer, a civil service employe, a small ■nard politician, a hotel bellboy, a soda water clerk, a baseball ticket seller, a dry goods salesman, a baseball play er, newspaper reporter and the origi nal maker of baseballs as a business. The System. On the system that "the last shall be first,” it is now in order to con sider Benjamin F. Shibe. Thirty years ago. when the game was just begin ning to amount to something, Ben Shibe thought he saw good prospects for a man who would make baseball as a business. So he "went to It” and began to supply all the baseballs used by the National League. Then, when the great firms of Spalding and Reach were organized, he obtained the contract to make all the baseballs for both. He was taken in later as a partner by both companies, and he continues to make all the baseballs sold by them and used officially by the National and American Leagues. The latest recruit to the ranks of club owners is a shining example of the self-made man. Joseph J. Lan nln. who now controls half the stock of the Boston Red Sox, began his ca reer as a bellboy in a hotel, of which he became owner by saving his tips. He also is now the proprietor of sev eral other hotels including the big Garden City Hotel on Long Island, one of the best hostelries in the East out side of New York City, and he also is well endowed with real estate in an around Boston —all bought with mon ey earned from the nest-egg of his bellboy's tips. Varied Career. James E. Gaffney, head of the Bos ton Nationals, has had a varied ca reer. He began as a milk wagon driver, later became a policeman, worked up in the force and then resigned to be come an alderman. He now is one of the ruling spirits in New York Democratic poltticial affairs. The soda water clerks on the list is Charles W. Murphy, president of the Chicago Cubs. He ’tended fountain in Cincin nati during the years of his youth, and then drummed upon the side a lucra tive business selling moderate priced jewelry to his customers. Harry N. Hempstead, president of the New York Giants, was a salesman In the late John T. Brush's enterprise in Indianapolis known as "The When Clothing Store.” He sold overcoats, trousers, vests, overalls and jumpers, hater he married a daughter of Mr. Brush and was put in charge of the store, where he showed so much ability that his father-in-law bequeathed his interest in the Giants to him at his death. Charles H. Ebbets, "knocked around” Brooklyn as a boy and finally landed the position of head ticket seller in the grandstand of the Brooklyn base ball club twenty-five years ago. From there he worked up by gradual steps until he now is president of the club, a position he has held continuously since 1898. Had Civil Service Position. William F. Baker, owner of the Phil adelphia Nationals, held a position in the civil service in Brooklyn when a young man. Later he was civil ser vice commissioner of Brooklyn and then became Deputy Police Commis sioner of New York under Mayor Mc- Clellan, subsequently being promoted to the position of police commission er. Besides his basebal venture, he also is interested in a big wholesale millinery establishment at the present time. Bahney Dreyfuss used to be a whis key drummer in Louisville. Ho made so much money that he was able to buy stock in the old Louisville club of the National League, of which he be came president in 1899, the last year the club was in the league. He went to Pittsburg club as its president and owner in 1900, and he has been there ever since. August Herrmann, president of the Cincinnati Reds and also chairman of the National Commission, was employ ed in a minor way in political affairs in Cincinnati before he became head of the baseball club. He was a sort of a canvasser or agent of political leaders in certain phases of the w’ork. Built Up Coal Business. Charles W. Somers, owner of the Cleveland Americans, built up his coal business until he now is a millionaire besides being head of the Naps. TYank J. Harrell, a number of years ago, was a bartender in the famous saloon of Jimmy Wakely at the cor ner of Forty-second street and Sixth avenue, New York City. He saved his money and invested in real estate and race horses, becoming a partner of Davy Johnson In owning a big stable of thoroughbreds. The star of the stable was Roseben, holder of the world’B record of 1:22 for seven fur longs. Farrell also was paired up at one time with Julius Fleischmann, of Cincinnati in proprietorship of a rac ing stable. Finally he turned his at tention to baseball and bought the New '■or' • >Tlcan League club in 1906. .... >■ Gordon, then was presi dent. Farrell spent 1130.000 before a single gan e was played by the team lunder his ownership, paying out this sum for the creation of the old park at 168th street and Broadway. He has THE AUGUSTA SUNDAY HERALD been the president of the club ever since. Only a Figurehead. Frank Navin, though the president of the Detroit Americans is only a figurehead for IV. H. Yawkey, who owns the club. Yawkey, through keen judgment, built himself up from a lum ber salesman to owner of a tremen dous lumber business, now valued at several million dollars. General Charles H. Taylor, father of Connie Mack, of the Athletics, and John McGraw, of Giants, Differ in Managing They Are As Widely Separated in Temperament and in Their Managerial Methods As the North and South Poles. Rank As the Greatest Leaders in Baseball’s History. (By Frank G. Menke.) New York. —Connie Mack, of the Athletics, and John McGraw, of the Giants, as widely separated in tem perament and in their managerial methods as the north and south poles, rank as the greatest leaders in base ball’s history. But which is the greater? It’s a natural question that follows such a situation, and it’s a question that at first seems hard to answer. Yet, after studying the records of both men, It seems that the honor of being the greatest leader must rightly be given to McGraw. This staement is made in face ol the fact that Mack has won as many pennants —five in number—as has Mc- Graw end that Mack has grabbed three world series chmpionships in four starts, while McGraw has won but once In four starts. Ability of Players. The success of the Athletics has been due mainly to abilty of the play ers; the success of the Giants has been due mainly to the wonderful un canny power of McGraw to weld a bunch of mediocre ball players Into a pennant winning combination. In 1913 Mack won the American League pennant because his team as a whole ranked as not only the best in that league, but the best In The world. With McGraw It was differ ent. He entered the race In the spring of 1913 with only one reliable, brainy pitcher—the wonderful Mathewson— and with a team that, on paper, and In actual natural strenght, ranked be low three other teams in the National League. Yet the Giants won the pennant by a wide margin. Why? The answer is, McGraw! He took his ordinary, mechanical ball players and made them into a machine. Then he oiled the machine with his own wonderful fighting spirit supplied the brains that his men lacked, thought for them, act ed for them and did about everything but play the game for them. Couldn’t Have Been in Race. With any other manager but Mc- Grw at the helm, the Giants never would have been In the race last year. When the team crumpled up early in the summer and seemed to have gone to pieces utterly, other manages would have felt that there was no chance to finish in the lead. But Mc- Graw was different. He never gave in and he never let his men quit. The more they were pummeled and pound ed around by their rivals, the faster he sent them back at their opponents. The situation in 1913 was no ex ception to what it has been in other years. Fate seems to have ruled that each year Mack Is to have a wonder ful galaxy of brainy players, and that McGraw is to have nothing but me chanical men. Look over the list of the men who have played on the Giant teams since McGraw took charge back in 1903. Excepting Mathewson, there never has been one man on the Giant roster who compared in brains with Eddie Collins, Danny Murphy, Harry Davis and the other hea/dy men that Mack has had. Noted for Brains. Mack started in the American with a team noted for its brains. And' it wema that each year when some star has droped from the Athletic firmament another has risen to take his place. Always on the Athletics’ roster have there been men of brains, men who could do their own thinking, who could plan their own actions. In McGraw's case he has had under him year after year only men who were mechanical baseball stars, with Mathewson the exception, of course. Yet he ha« taken these men, lent them eorne of his own brains, aroused their latent fighting blood and has kept the Giants at or around the top for ten years. How many will dispute us when we say that Mack, at the head of the 1913 Giants, would not have breezed home a winner? Mack would have been a failure as manager of the Giants, and would be a failure as the manager of any team numbering on its roster men of such calibre as thj present day Giants. Driven, Not Led. The Giants must be driven, not led. Mack can lead, but he can't drive. The Giants must be nagged, scolded, abused, almost maltreated to get them to do their best work—and to keep them keyed up to the highest tension. Can anyone who knows Mack, kindly, gentle, fatheTly Mack, imagine him driving his players, abusing them, call ing them names and threatening them with everything short of assassina tion? Mack directs his men from the AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 11, 1914. John I. Taylor and a partner of Jos eph J. Lannin in the ownership of the Boston Red Sox, was once a news paper reporter and advertising solici tor. He now is the owner of the Bos ton Globe, besides being a big figure in baseball. Charles A. Comiskey, who is now touring the world with his Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants, was one of the greatest players of baseball in the olden days. He was first baseman and manager of the old St. Louis Browns that won four straight American Association pen nants in the late eighties. He saved his salary and joined hands with Ban Johnson in forming the American League in 1900. Robert E. Lee Hedges, owner of the St. Louis Browne, was a bank clerk in Cincinnati once, and later cashier. bench, uc'ing a score card, a lead pen cil, his fingers, his logs as the means of importing signals. But he gives sig nals, directs his men in this fashion only in a crisis. At other times he lets them think for themselves, act for themselves. And his men have shown through the years that they are capable of doing it. Hopelessly at Sea. But if Mack adopted the same tac tics with the Giants, what a sorry spectable would be presented. With out McGraw on the coaching lines, shouting orders, mapping out their plan of battle, the Giants are hopeless ly at sea. They play a.>» men in a daze; as men without the power to think or to act Intelligently. Mack and McGraw are alike In one respect. Both are believers In the theory of keeping promising recruits on the bench for one season, or more, if necessary, boforo putting them In the game regularly. Mack kept Col lins under cover for nearly two years, while the Philadelphia fans wondered why he cluttered up his payroll In stead of farming out the eollegion. Mack’s wisdom .soon became apparent. Collins, on the bench watching the veterans perform, learned more about the major league game in two years than he would have learned In 20 years In the minors. McGraw kept Marquard on the pay roll for two years while the Giant fans were dubbing the Rube a “SII,OOO lemon.” They figured Marquard was a bloomer. But McGraw figured that he merely was blooming and that some day he’d rise up In his full bloom and look like the rarest flower In the major leagues. Ranking next to McGraw and Mack as successful managers are Hughey Jennings of the Tigers and Frank Chance, former Cub manager, now leader of the New York Yankees. Chance resembles McGraw In temper ament and in methods. He Is a driver, a man W'ho Is feared by his players. No man ever worked under Chance to love him as the Mackites love their leader. Yet Chance drove his men to the top of the National League in 1906,1907, 1908 and 1910, and annexed three world series titles. Jenning.s is another type. He Is a driver, yet he tempers his driving with words of kindness. He makes his charges realize that he Is boss and what he says must go. But his men do not fear him. They know that this read-headed, nervous, energetic Irish man Is their friend, and that although he is a .ytern taskmaster, he appreci ates good work and always Is ready to reward It. Jennings’ skill as a leader has been tested perhaps more than has that of the other three. Time and again there has been internal dissension *n the Tiger ranks. Jealousy caused squabbles that would haved lsruptod a ball team with only an ordinary manager. But Jennings proved himself a dip lomat as well as a manager. He made the warring players patch up their differences; he cemented breach es that .seemed almost beyond cement ing, and he restored the Tiger gang to a peaceful, happy family after a fiercely contested feud. 200 TANGO STEPS TAUGHT BY PARIS DANCE MASTERS Paris—Parisian dancing masters are now teaching 200 steps of the tango, and many of the more difficult steps are being tried at the public resorts. Afternoon tea dances are numerous, and In the evenings restaurants which allow the tango are crowded with dancers. American dance tunes, some of them of not very recent origin, are played to a considerable extent. One song containing the strains of Dixie is often heard. Occasionally, the one step, and "fish" walk, and of course the waltz and two-step are danced, but prefer ence is given to the tango. PRESIDENTIAL* MANDATES ONLY LAWS PROMULGATED Peking—Since the Chinese parlia ment ceased to exist, the presidential mandates are the only lawn which are being promulgated. According to Western Ideas they are often curious documents. The picturesque Oriental phraseology of former imperial edicts Is largely retained, but they are gen erally more accurate In statement of facts, and they hear evidence that the man behind them is a stronger character than the ex-Prince Regent, who, two years sgo. gave up his son’s throne with very little fighting ANDREWS BROS. CO. SVO Broad St. B Augusta, Ga. Dining Room furniture Greatly Reduced Furnish vour Dining Room now, while the prices are down and pay for it on Our Club Plan. The terms are so easy that you will never miss the money , and before you know it yon will own a handsomely Furnished Dining Room. $40.00 Mission Sideboards, extra heavy, for .$32.50 $25.00 Mission China Cabinets, full size, for $19.98 $20.00 Mission Table, 48x72 inches, extended, for .. $16.49 $2.50 Mission Chairs, leather seats, for .. $1.98 $22.50 Gpi den Oak Buffet, 44 inches wide, for'.. $16.50 SIB.OO Golden Oak China Cast', with rounded sides, for $14.98 SIO.OO Golden Oak Table, 42x72 inches, extend ed, for $8.49 Mission Library Furniture ■>p| ugw tyiw’r ?W | jjj’ihui p— pnm P~JJ jjpnnro jpmra li ; ! l im I piwn wire tjj 8 §3 am $25.00 Mission Hook Case, Fumed Oak. . $19.98 SIO.OO Mission Rockers, leather upholstered, seats $7.49 $5.00 Mission Stools with leather cushions, for $3.95 Cane Couches in Mission or Natural Finish $12.00 Couches for $9.98 $16.50 Couches for $14.00 SIO.OO Couches for $8.75 GLOBE WERNICKE BOOK CASES While we cannot reduce the prices on Globe Wernicke Book Cases, as the manufacturers fix the prices on these goods themselves, you can save money by buying now before the new prices go into effect. On and after February Ist there will be an advance of 10 per cent on these goods. Tops $1.75 to $5.50 Book Units .. „ $2.50 to $5.50 Bases $1.75 to $3.50 OUR HOUSEFURNISHING CLUB PLAN Enables you to buy the same as for cash with a small fee for carrying. This is entirely offset by the Purple Trading Stamps which we give on monthly payments. See Dry Goods A«f On Page Two, Society Section Telephone Stands $7.50 Telephone Stands with stool, for $5.98 $6.00 Telep ho n e Stands, with stool, for $4.98 $2.00 Golden Oak Cane Scat Chairs, for $1.74 Bed Room, Parior and Sewing Tables $7.50 Mahogany or Oak Tables, with 24x24 inch tops $5.98 $5.00 Mahogany or. Oak Tables, with 20x20 inch tops $3.98 $2.50 Mission or Oak 'rabies, 24x24 inch tops.. .. $1.98 $2.00 Mission or Oak Tables, with 20x20 inch tops $1.74 $25.00 Solid Mahogany Sewing Tables, to go at SIB.OO $22.50 Solid Mahogany Sewing Tables to go at. $17.00 SIB.OO Solid Mahogany Sewing Tables, to go at $16.00 SIO.OO Solid Mahogany Sewing Tables to go at $7.98 $8.50 Solid Mahogany Sewing Tables to go at $6.74 Library Tables in 4ff the Leading Woods $30.00 Tables, now .. .$25.00 $25.00 Tables now .. .$21.00 $20.00 Tables now ~ .$17.00 $15.00 Tables now .. . sl2 50 $12.50 Tables now .. ..$9.98 SIO.OO Tables now .. ..SB.OO DAILY AND SUNDAY. $6.00 PER YEAR, GENERAL NEWS