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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 1914)
M'GREDIE FADEAWAY CURVE President of Portland Teams Was First to Use Famous Trick Ball. LOCAL MAN TELLS TALE Ball Magnate Declares Christy Matheweon Wan Not Discoverer of Curve That Has Fooled '.So Many Clever Batters. BT ROSCOB FAWCBTT. Christy MatheWson has been given credit for unearthing; and fostering the famous "fadeaway" curve and "Big Six" Is entitled to all the boosts that have been penned. But. for a" that, the fade away Is no new pitching parabola. It was discovered and pitched some 30 years ago by none other than our W. W. McCredie, president of the Portland baseball teams. So there you are: W. W. McCredie, the Columbus of the fadeaway; next a schoolteacher, then a lawyer; Superior Court Judge, United States Congress man and finally president of two base ball teams In two of the strongest mi nor leagues. In America the Pacific Coast and the Northwestern circuits. The Portland mogul supplied a por tion of this information. "Yes, It la true that I pitched (Tie fadeaway curve back as early as 1883," admitted the 240-pound Portland mag nate, as a former Iowa classmate re called early Hawkeye state anecdotes at baseball headquarters a day or two ago. "It came about in a peculiar way and may be of Interest now. Started at Cornoll. "I broke In at Cornell College, lit Vernon, la.. In 1879, and remained there for six years. First I played second base and then switched to backstop ping when our catcher broke his hand. Then the curve ball began to make its appearance. Finally a fellow came along and I caught him one game. In those days the backstops used only or dinary lnfielders' gloves with the An gers out, and the new curves almost choppedi my hands to pieces. "I began experimenting," continued Mogul McCredie. "Finally I mastered the ordinary 'out' curve and then fol lowed the 'In' curve. That set me thinking and I reasoned it out that if the balls could be made to curve side ways they could also be made to curve down and at various other angles. "The 'down' curve or present-day 'drop' accrued from that set of experi ments, and the 'fadeaway' a. cross be tween an outcurve and a drop, soon fol lowed. Then I was converted into a pitcher and twirled with good success at Cornell for two years. "I have fanned as many as 25 men in one game while pitching." So much for Mr. McCredie'a pltohlng. In 1886 the future magnate threw his arm out while playing against one of the big professional teams, and gave up active mound duty. After four years as school superintendent at Parkers burg, la., "Judge" entered the Uni versity of Iowa law school, graduating the following season. He held down tirst base for the varsity team the sea son of 1890. "When I entered Iowa," explained "William Wallace McCredie, "I found there another Cornell boy, E. A. Wis wall, and we became quite chummy. In fact, when we had completed our law i-ourse the two of us headed westward and located In a partnership at Astoria, at the solicitation of a friend named McCaustland, now in Seattle. I believe. He-turned to Portland. "Vie remained at Astoria, only a. week "f two and. then retraced our steps to Portland, and finally, two or three months later, settled at Vancouver, Wash." Oddly enough, both boys later were elevated to the Superior Judgeship. Wlswall became Judge In 1892. He was drowned several years later in the urf at Seaside. Attorney McCredie plugged along alone In his law practice until 1904, when the voters honored him with the same ermine worn by his former "pal." After four years on the bench he was re-elected without opposition In 1908, but resigned In 1909 to go to the United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Frank Cushing. The term lasted until 1911. In the meantime, back In 1905, to be exact. Lawyer-Judge-Congressman Mo Credie had become interested in his fa vorite pastime, baseball. The year prior to that Walter Mo Credle. son of W. VT.'a eldest brother, had come West to play ball with the Portland team, and with things In a terrible mess here In a baseball sense, the nephew finally Induced the uncle to KO halves on the purchase of the Port land Coast League franchise. Inasmuch as the team had lost 133,000 In 1903 and nearly as much In 1904, it was a hazardous venture, but both saw the possibilities of the National frolic on the Coast. Hence the experiment. The results of that partnership are too well known to need repetition. Portland has since won four pen nants in the nine years, and Manager McCredie has sent enough talent up Into the major leagues to produce a world's championship team were the men herded together on one club. Among these stars might be mentioned: Sweeney, Mitchell, Gregg, Steen. Sea ton. McLean, Kuhn, Olson, Peckln paugh. Graney, Groom and a host of others. Had Portland been ' exempt from major league drafts. In other words, had the MoCredles . been afforded the same opportunity under which Connie Mack and Muggsy McGraw have been laboring, Portland would now boast of a team fully as strong as either of the big league champions. While, by the same token, the Macs would now find themselves enscrolled In history as among the greatest greats of the base ball firmament. These four Pacific Coast pennants adorn the walls of baseball headauar ters in the Yeon building, and, for fear some one may forget the dates, they are: 1906, 1910, 1911 and 1913. "I ran across an old family Bible a iew years ago, saia tne local magnate, when the subject was broached, and this I found scribbled across the fly leaf: " 'William Wallace McCredie. born Sunday, April 27, 1862, 10:10 A. M.' "So. you see," added President Mc Credie, "I arrived Just in time for church and that's why I have always held that the church people are entitled to their Sunday mornings for worship, and why I have always opposed Sunday morning ball games." Four boy8 and one girl, the latter now Mrs. Brcckon, of Portland, com posed the McCredie family. W. W. Mc Credie saw his father but once. His father was a member of the One Hun dred and Fifty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers and died with thousands of other brave soldiers in the terrible clash at Gettysburg, July 1, 1863. Mr. McCredie was married on August 23, 1888. to Miss Alice Hlggins of Ue "Witt, la. They have no children. INTIMATE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE POWER BEHIND THE A A 5 " FANS CAN MAKE OR BREAK BALLPLAYER Pitcher, Failure in Hostile City, Proves Star Where Spec tators Cheer. LEFTY LEIFIELD EXCEPTION Billy Evans Says Many Games Are Decided in Grandstand and Com pliments Help Always. Bender Best in Pinch. ' BY BILLY EVANS CLEVELAND. Jan. 10. (Special.) How many games are decided in the grandstand? That is perhaps a rather unusual question. By It I mean what part does the rooting of the fans play In the result of many games. Concerted rooting really narrows itself into a battle between fans and the pitcher, for nine times out of ten the pitcher Is the target for the verbal volleys -of fandom. - - k Players, pitchers in particular, will Insist that they pay no attention to what is being said to them. Players are human, although many fans seem to think otherwise, and there Is no getting away from the fact that the concerted rooting of the home fans In the pinch has Its influence On nine out of every ten recruit pitchers the influence is very marked. That Is one reason so many of the youngsters blow up In their early try-outs. Veterans, in spite of their years of experience, which Is supposed to take the sting out of the attitude of the fans, feel keenly the effect of adverse' criticism or com pUsnentary applause. Every player will admit that good loyal cheering, when things are break ing toughest, will spur him on to greater efforts. Severe criticism at such a time, unless the player has a heart of oak, will create a desire on his part to seek the shower bath. That Is one reason why college cheering spurs on the varsity men to do their best. Often a college team, apparently beaten, has taken new life because -of the encouragement given them by the student body, and attained & glorious victory. A desire to quit and give up the game as lost by the fans helps create a similar desire in the players. Criticism Spoils Star Pitcher. There Is no doubt that some players pay more attention to the attitude of the crowd than others. It would be possible to cite a dozen cases of play ers who failed, dismally in certain cities and were stars in others. Why? Simply because the attitude of the fans toward them was entirely different. I know one pitcher who shuddered every time the manager selected him to start a game. The pitcher was game enough. but for various reasons the fans had taken a dislike to him. and the very mention of his name stirred up a bad feeling. Often before the pitcher would throw a ball, hundreds of voices would be yelling for the manager to take him out. If he happened to pass a man, and allow a hit, everyone in the ground it seemed was demanding such action on the part of the manager. As a re sult of this feeling, the pitcher never walked to the rubber in the proper mood or spirit. He was simply waiting for a signal from the bench that would finish him as a performer for the after noon. This pitcher was sold to another major league club and has been highly successful ever since. Instead of be ing hooted and Jeered at as he steps on the field he is usually greeted with a round of applause. He thrives on such & diet There are, I believe, a few pitchers who are absolutely indifferent to the attitude of the crowd. They might be classed as great money pitchers, fel lows who appear to get at their top speed when pressed hardest, and when most is at stake. Christy Mathewson is one of the great money pitohers. Fer years he has been the mainstay of the Giants when a great deal was at stake. Chief Bender, of the Athletics, is another such pitcher. Connie Mack has often said that Bender was the man he always called upon in the pinch, and that the big " Indian had never failed him., ' , -Bender Best In the Pinch. t have -worked many games back of Bender and know for a fact that his greatest exhibitions have been against the crack clubs, with much depending on the result of the game. Against tail-end clubs . I . have seen the Chief perform very ordinarily. Perhaps no pitcher is Joshed and kidded more than Mack's famous twlrler. The fact that ha is an Indian causes spectators everywhere to greet his appearance with a bunch of wild war whoops. THE SUXDAT OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, which is usually continued through out the game. ' Such a reception doesn't seem to bother Bender in the least. The louder and the more they yell, the better he seems to pitch. The line of talk intended to disconcert him simply makes Bender smile the smile that is all his own and work all the better. . Occasionally one runs across a player who really is actually indifferent to the roasts or applause of the fans. "Lefty" Leifield, who for years was J siar on tne PittsDurg staff of twlrlers, was always looked upon as such a player. Such was probably the correct size-up of the southpaw. Leifield hap pened to be one of the group of players holding a post-mortem on fandom and he remarked thusly: - "I can truthfully say that the atti tude of the fans toward me when pitching has neither helped nor in jured me. I really believe I am an exception to the ordinary run of fel lows, and I have often wished that I was differently constituted. Detriment la Felt "Perhaps after all It is probably Just as well that I was deaf, dumb and blind to what was happening in the grandstand and bleachers. Most of .my career has been spent In Pittsburg! I have given some excellent exhibitions during my career as a Pirate, and have been liberally applauded. Such ap plause might have stirred me to greater efforts if I was susceptible to praise. On the other hand, if I had paid any attention to the roasts that have been passed me. I would be In the minors at the very best, if not in a padded cell. My styfe in the box has always been rather shiftless, indifferent. Just as though I didn't care whether I won or lost, when It reality no fellow ever lived who liked to win any better than me. A fellow simply can't change the style that nature has given him." The American League for several years had Just such a player in Art Griggs, who started with St. Louis and then was sold to Cleveland. Griggs had a wonderful amount of natural ability. When I first saw him work I was positive that he would soon de velop into a star. Nothing worried Griggs; even the taunts of the St. Louis bleachers never phased him. His appetite was Just as good after a game in which he had made several errors that lost the contest as after a game in which his hitting had been the de ciding factor. I figured the attitude of the fans in St. Louis was responsible for Grigg's failure to show to better advantage. I felt sure he would pick up Just as soon as he hit Cleveland, where the crowds were not likely to be as critical. Griggs was warmly re ceived in Cleveland, but his style was Just the same. Never in his career did he doff his cap to the crowd. He walked to the bench with the same slow stride after driving out a home run as he did after making an error. "You're a dub today and a hero tomor row with the fan," I once heard him remark, "and I don't Intend to be either." Griggs and Leifield are the exceptions to the rule, however, as the attitude of the fan makes or breaks the average athlete. (Copyrirht, 1914. by W. G. Evans.) Coast League Gossip JIMMY LEWIS. Sacramento outfielder, will be seen in the Northwestern League next season. Harry Wolverton haa, traded Lewis and a boot, consider ation said to be S1500, for Catcher Han nah, of the Spokane Indians. Hannah, who is a tall, loose-Jointed chap, did not look very good early last year, but Fielder Jones Is authority for the statement that he developed fast and finished like a 2:10 pacer. Alva Glpe. Seattle pitcher, wants to be sold to the Venice club of the Coast League, but Dug says if he is good enough for the Coast he is good enough ror tne Kortnwest. Thus Is registered another knock on the Northwest League. Glpe is a Redondo boy and broke In with Hogan two or three years ago. The Athletics drafted him and after being shot all over the map, he Anally wound up at Seattle last Spring. Happy Hogan is broadening his vo cabulary, for he swings some big words in a series of articles in a Los Angeles newspaper. In one of his stories he tells an interesting tale of the difficulty Hal Chase had breaking into the Coast circuit. In 1903 he re ported to Happy when Hap was with Sacramento and asked for a recom mendation to the Senators, but the Solon s turned him . down cold. Two years later he was with the New York Yanks and heralded as the greatest first baseman In the world. Within a day or two an announce ment of the purchase of Rube Gardner, of . Oakland, by the Los Angeles club. Is expected In Inner baseball circles. Devlin and Ness are on hand to care for the Oakland Initial sack, but ats Los Angeles Dillon and Berry are in a quandary. Evidently the Angels do not figure strongly on Charley Moore for 1914. Gardner Is a southpaw throw er and batsman and was secured by the' Oaks last season from Topeka. He batted .285 last year and fielded .983 In 134 games. Ha likes a shoulder ball and. usually hits to left field. . . Joe Giannini, former St. Ignatius College 8 tar, and Mike Cann, Kansas City southpaw and a St. Mary's prod uct, have been bought by Harry Wol verton for Sacramento. Cann worked out against the Beavers at Visalla last Spring. THRONE IN PACIFIC COAST AND PAT CONLEY REAL FIND FOR DUGDALE Seattle Magnate Gets Crack Fielder and Ciean-Up Hit ter From Montana. CONFIDENCE PUT IN MARTINI Walla Walla Outfielder Will Get Thorough Tryout in Left Field. Pirates Place Dependence on , Pitcher Kantlehner. BY r)PORTT.'8 BAXTER. SEATTLE,' Wash.. Jan. 10 (Spe cial.) The unusual good nature of President Dugdale Just now, despite the trials and tribulations of baseball, may be traced to the discovery that he picked up a better prospect than he Imagined when he signed Outfielder and First Baseman Pat Conley, of Lewis ton, Mont. Conley is not an inex perienced hand right from the bush. He has played ball for several years and in 1910 led the Central Kansas League with a batting average of .352. The showing he made that year gave him an opportunity to go farther up the ladder, but he did not like the of fers made and finally dropped out of the game. Later on he took up inde pendent ball, finally, landing in the same section where First Baseman West, of the Taooma team, played. He was a cleanup hitter over there and, Judging from reports, got around the bases in good shape. Mr. Dugdale U hoping that Conley will prove to be the man he seeks for right field, a position that was filled well by Charlie Fullerton toward the fag end of last season, after Lester Wilson blew up. Charlie would be all right in the outer garden for the com ing race, but President Dugdale Is fig uring on having him back on the pitching staff. In th old Yesler Way Park Fullerton lost a good many games on. one hit over the right field fence with a man or men on the bases. In other words, he would pitch eight In nings of shutout ball . and have the game go against him in one spasm. If the Seattle team made an average number of runs Charlie was fairly safe, but often the team did not give him more than the narrowest margin, which a hit could overcome. Dug: thinks that on the new field, where the gardeners can roam far and wide, Fullerton should be one of the star twlrlers of the league. It was fig ured a cinch last Fall that the Coast League would draft both Fullerton and Catcher Cadman. So certain was Dug that Cadman would go up that he drafted Catcher Huhn from Adrian, Mich. , Martini to Gt Tryout. Martini, the outfielder from Walla Walla, in the Western Tri-State League, will get. a thorough tryout In left field. Judge McCredie had. Martini looked over carefully last Summer and he might have, taken him in the draft if Martini had not eventually purchased his own release and later signed on with Seattle. The Judge's scout told him that Martini was a long hitter, but uneven Sometimes he would clout them a mile and the next time he would strike out. Being pretty well fixed for material, the Judge did not become a strong competitor for the "dry vintage" boy. Martini's work In the Northwest ern last Fall was marred by nervous ness, but he put a lot of energy Into his efforts and the 'fans took to him. He is one of 'the youngsters that de serves, to succeed and there are some things about him which argue for his eventual success.- . He is a big fellow, has a good arm, covers considerable ground and throws well. Martin Klllilay seems to be " the choice for center field, but if both Con ley and Leo Tognerla, a recruit . from Arizona, make a good showing, the Jobs of Martini and Killilay will be in Jeopardy. It is not President Dug dale's Intention to stand pat on, any position this year. - The newcomers will have every opportunity possible to show whether they are capable of be coming regulars. - ' Pirates Depend on- Kantlehner. Pittsburg Is placing considerable de pendence on Kantlehner, the left hander they purchased last Fall from the Victoria club. In securing First Baseman Konetcliy from the St. Louis Cardinals they Included a good south paw, figuring that Kantlehner would make up the loss. Irrespective of ability, it is a good deal of a gamble whether a young pitcher will make good with the majors. The best left hander ever sent up from the old Pa cific Northwest was Jack Hickey, and yet he did not stick. Relatively speak ing Hickey waa a tetter pitcher when he went to Cleveland than Vean Gregg was when Cleveland paid Spokane 14000 for his contract. Few people would have classed Tom Seaton. the former Portland right-hander, as a bet- JANUARY 11. 1914. NORTHWESTERN LEAGUE BASEBALL IN PORTLAND W. W. Jt'CREDIE, PRESIDENT OF PORTLAND COAST AND NORTHWEST BASEBALL ASSOCIATIONS, AND MRS. MTHEDIE. ter prospect than Jack Hickey, yet Sea ton has advanced steadily until he is now one of the leading twlrlers In the National League. Kantlehner has a good many things in his favor and his success or failure will depend a good deal on how he gets off the mark. Physically be is all that a big league club requires or has any reason to expect. His speed is as good as the best. Very few in the big show will have anything on him In this re spect. He haa both & curve and fast ball, but I do not recall that he gave any indications of having developed a good change of pace. His record last season waa excellent and would have been better if he had not suffered from overwork at one period.. College Hen to Play Leaguers. The University of Wasnlngton base ball team will have an excellent chance to prepare for the regular intercollegi ate battles to decide the conference championship. The college boys will play at least five games with the Northwestern Leaguers, and in all probability this number will be in creased to seven. President Dugdale has promised Graduate Manager of Athletics Ralph Horr three battles with the Seattle club, while Joe McGinnlty, of Tacoma. and President Wattelet, of Victoria, nave each agreed to put Washington on their preliminary sched ule. Manager Horr has had correspond ence with Rob Brown, of Vancouver, but there is little chance that the game will be arranged. Clarence Rowland, who will be re called as the manager of the Aberdeen club. In the Northwestern League, is now the owner of the Dubuque fran 'chise in the Three Eye circuit. Row land waa responsible for giving the fans of the Pacific. Northwest a chance to see Sheldon Lejeune, the world's champion long-distance thrower, in action. Lejeune was more than an ex hibition heaver. 'He could catch a ball at an awkward angle while moving rapidly, and without losing hardly a fraction of a second get it started back to the-home plate to shut off a runner. His Judgment of distance and direc tion were almost uncanny. 14 Race Meets on Card. There will be 14 race meetings in the Canadian Northwest this coming season in which the harness horses will be the central attraction. The first series of races are scheduled for Calgary, com mencing May 16. Early harness racins throughout the Pacific Northwest is what C. A. Harrison, of Seattle, has been hammering on for some time, his contention being that there Is no neces sity to wait until half the sunshine season is over making a start. Tradi tion, however, is hard to overcome. After the Winter, which is a period of rest or easy jogging in the colder sec tions, horsemen have been in the habit of putting in a long period tuning up. It will probably take some time for Mr. Harrison's idea to become firmly root ed, but there Is merit In it and it is certain to gain friends and adherents in the long run. A string of horses from Calgary has made a successful Journey across country to Toronto in charge of Trainer Smith. Among the racers are Merry Direct, 2:11, a pacer; Grattan Boy, a green trotter, and Cye 2:22, a pacer. A report comes from the East thai; Dan McEwan, a well-known Canadian trainer, was recently quite seriously in jured at London, Ont, when a horse that he was Jogging reared and fell back on him. He will be confined at home for some time. EDWARDS FINDS BERTH JTMlSiSTILLE CATCHER TO PLAY WITH SEATTLE IN 1914. Brlnker to Coach Washington Team In Place of Ln Nordyke Horr Is After Soccer Games. SEATTLE, Wash., Jan. 10. (Special.) President Dugdale, of the Seattle club of the Northwestern League, announced today that L. J. Edwards, a catcher of McMlnnvtlle, Or., had accepted terms from Seattle. Dugdale now has four backstops, Cadman, Wally, Huhn and Edwards. Dode Brlnker will coach the Univer sity of Washington baseball team if Vancouver will give him permission. Lou Nordyke is out of the running, as he will manage Edmonton in the West ern Canada League. The varsity team will take up soccer immediately, according to Graduate Manager Horr. He hopes Oregon will do the same, and thinks it possible to play the first annual game this Winter. Sullivan to Umpire Federals. ROCHESTER. N. Y., Jan. 10. "Big Bill" Sullivan, last year one of the Federal League's umpires, and prior to that an official or both the American Association and Eastern League, has been offered a contract by the Fed erals for 1914. Sullivan has been re quested to negotiate with Tom Kelley, the veteran International League um pire. bolan Goes to Outlaws.' CHICAGO. Jan. 10. A. J. Dolan. third baseman of the St. Louis - Nationals, has signed to play with the Baltimore Federals, It was announced today. by Manager Knabe. of Boston. Knabe said he had telegraphed an offer to Pitcher Zabel. of the Chicago Nationals. Knabe expects to, leave for the East this after, noon. . ' AMATEUR TEAMS EXPECT BIG YEAR Semi-Pro Baseball Receives Boost in Northwest When tBushers Step Up. OREGON BOYS BACKWARD Better Organization for 1014 As ' sured by Go-Operat ion of Teams With Portland Branch of A. G. Spalding Company. While it Is too early to make predic tions regarding baseball, amateurs and the "semi-pros" in and about Portland and the Northwest ln general are look ing forward to the best season in the history of the game. There are several reasons for the ad vance in spirit of the game. The big gest factor probaDly Is the fact so many of the "bushers" from Oregon towns entered professional ball last year. Many of them made good and more will have a chance next season. There seems to be no logical reason for the fact that a majority of the boys taken on the Northwestern League and Tri-State come from California and the South. Oregon boys have been a bit backward In putting themselves to the front A more thorough organization of teams, so that more games can be played Is one of the needs. This feature will be taken care of by the A. G. Spalding Company, of Port land. This company has opened a cam paign to further the game and has re ceived pledges of co-operation from 27 baseball teams. The Portland branch'of the Spalding Company also will" have posters made up for the benefit of the managers. These will he printed on the date that the weekly schedule is made up and sent to the manager of outside teams early enough ln the week to advertise his game. Booking and general management of the league will be taken care of by James Richardson, Beaver scout and ex-umpire of the Tri-State League. Full reports of all games will be mailed to the league directors so that complaints of any nature can be given full consideration by the heads. Dis putes will be handled fully and teams that have not acted in good faith will be put on a black list, from which they will not be removed until such a time as they have proved or given assurance that their offense will not be repeated. Manager Spangler, of the Portland Spalding store, will handle the entries for the time being and all managers wishing to become part of the league are requested by him to send in their applications. Some of the managers who have sig nified their intention of being in the combine are: Harris Robinson, Con don, Or.:' Charles Barr, Estacada; A. J. Quay, Pleasant Home: E. W. Morrison. Fairvlew; R. C. Baker. Salem; Biddy Bishop, McMinnville: Perle White, Sher wood; Sam Leonard, Sheridan; J. L Hardy, Beaverton; Joseph Carson, Hood River; Harry Morgan. Astoria; H. R. Edmonds, Tillamook; W. Wengenroth, Woodburn: Joseph Ktnzer, Mount An gel; A. G. Senders, Albany; C. W. May. ger. Hubbard; J. B. Milne, Corvallis; Frank Ballou. St- Helens: Ralph Hoi man, Molalla; Joseph Thompson, Rai nier; Lieutenant A. F. Applln, Fort Ste vens; Sergeant J. H. Hall. Vancouver Barracks; M. R. Cox, Camas, Wash.; Harry Griesen, Woodland, Wash.; Guy Spalding, Goldendale, Wash.: A. J. Quil lan, Wlnlock, Wash., and A. C. Baker, Olympla, Wash. CONTRACTS TO BE RESPECTED Federals Hot to Sign Men Who Have Agreed to Play Elsewhere. CHICAGO. Jan. 10. Because he Is under contract there is no possibility of Jake Daubert, first baseman of the Brooklyn National League Club, being signed by the Pittsburg club of the Federal League., according to James Gilmore, president . of the Federal League. Reports from New York last night stated Daubert had been ' ' offered a berth with the Pittsburg club at a salary of 30,000 for three years. "My statement that no contract play ers will be signed by the Federal League stands," said President Gilmore, when told of the Daubert report. "I have no objections to my managers go In p after players who are merely held by the reserve clause, but as to sign ing a contract player, that is a dif ferent matter. "AH managers of the Federal League mast look to me for orders and I must pass upon any contracts they sign: and if I learn they have signed a player who is under contract. I shall imme diately refuse to accept such a con tract. As soon as any manager learns that a player Is under contract, he must drop all negotiations with him." STRAIN HEAVY ON PLAYER-MANAGERS Effects of Worry Over Playing Position and Directing Game Is Told by Christy. FAILURES LAID TO TASK Hcrzog Worries Over Criticism, la Fig-liter and Mathewson Predicts Many Unpleasant Experiences as Leader of Reds. BY CHRISTY MATHEWSON, The Olants' Star pitcher. LOS ANGELES. Jan. 10. (Special.) There is one phase of big league base ball which many fans and ballplayers overlook ln their calculations of a man's ability. It Is the big strain of the game and this. I believe, is re sponsible for the failure of so many playing managers. For, In the case of a playing manager there is the strain of playing the position and the added one of trying to manage the club and worrying about it when it is losing. And those who know from actual experienco tell me that this worrying is some strain all by itself. Chance and Fred Clarke have been the two big successes of recent years as playing managers. Stahl was suc cessful for one season, when he won the world's championship for the Bos ton Red Sox. and I believe he would have put it over again If they had given him time and a chance, but they fired him as soon us the club began to go a little bad the next Summer. It takes a certain delicate compound of temperament for a man to be a success as a player and a manager at the same time, and even then the Job is liable to put a fellow crazy. Chance, Stahl and Clarke all have even dispositions, but it wore on every one of them. Cubs Esoogb to Worry. Chance showed it by being forced to quit the game actively earlier than he probably would have done if he had been only a player throughout his career. The great strain of leading the Chicago Cubs a fighting, "crab bing" crowd, and a hard bunch to manage was enough to give anyone a chronio headache. The players were always scrapping among themselves, and also always scrapping for them selves when they were playing the game. The old Cub machine waa one of the most peculiar ever put together in the big leagues. It was a team with a great amount of "color." nearly every man having a remarkable per sonality. It was the clash uf these personalities that made the club a hard one to manage, but the Chance of old had the iron personality of them all. and he managed with words or fists or fines, whichever he thought could be applied to the best advan tage. There are many interesting "Inside" stories of the old Cubs that I am going to tell some day when they won't hurt anyone's feelings. Chance has a nerve of tempered steel. He won with this nerve, but the great strain of playing and managing wore on him. Perhaps the many times he was "beaned" helped to affect his head, but he told me that he believed the years he passed both leading a club and playing on It were largely responsible for making tli" . recent operation necessary. "This Job of managing and playing Is a tough one, Matty," ' Chance said to me in the season of 1912, when he was trying to work through games in the heat of mid-Summer at first base, wfth his . head splitting open with pain. Clarke Affected by Strain. Fred Clarke has a more even tem perament than Chance, but he has not the iron-driving methods. Neverthe less, the strain of the game began to show on him three or four years ago, and he has now become a bench man ager, pure and simple. Clarke rlimbu all over the bench during a game, too, because from it he can see the mis takes of his men more plainly than when he was looking after his own Job. and because they have made a-plenty in the last couple of years. Stahl was not a playlng-manager long enough for the Job to tear his nervous system limb from tree. Up to this point I have been speak ing of playlng-managers who led win ners. Look at the strain on the losers. Miller Hugglns was flirting with the fringe of nervous prostration last Summer because he is excitable by nature, and he was losing and his play ers were sore and the owners were sore. I heard a story recently that applies to the manager of a losing team. It may be an old one, but it has the virtue of being brief. The Inebriate, after gamboling with Bacchus all night, awoke and saw a monkey sitting on the foot-rail of his bed. It had .deserted an organ grinder. "If you are really a monkey," said the man. drawing a bead on the ani mal with a revolver, "then you are In a heluva fix, and, if you are not a monkey, then I'm ln a heluva fix." Any manager who is running a los ing club and trying to work ln the lineup, too. is in a "heluva fix." Criticism Worries Hrnog. All this discussion was to lead up to the personality of "Charlie" Herzog, who is preparing to manage the Cin cinnati Reds. Herzog is the sort of player that the strain of the season wears on greatly, and that, too, with out carrying any managerial cares on his shoulders. He worries if there is any criticism of him ln the newspapers. McGraw was after him continually to quit reading the newspapers. "Don't pay any attention to what they say, Herzie," "Mac" would advise. "I don't care what they say about you; they can't manage my club for me." When he was with the Giants for the first time before going to Boston, Herzog got in a Jam with old "Joe" McGlnnity, who had made some crack about a play that Herzog had pulled off. The words began to fly thick and fast until fists were substituted for the words and the two had to be torn apart. This, I have always believed, was one reason why McGraw let Her zog go from the Giants to Boston. Famons Play Weighs. There is a famous play, which many will recall, which worried Herzog for a long time, although none of the Giants, not even McGraw, ever said anything to him about it. This was in the play-off game ln 1908, when the Cubs met and defeated the Giants in the one extra battle that was to de cide the championship. Of course, everybody was high strung that day. In one of the early innings I think it was the first or ' second things began to look good for the Giants. Herzog was on first base and Kling pulled an old trick. He dropped a -strike and the ball rolled only a little way from Kling's feet. Herzog grabbed the bait and made a break for second, only to be nipped by a mile. He fretted over that play for a long time. (.Copyright. 1911, by the Wheeler Syndi cate, Inc.)