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Show Muggsy McGraw Is Greatest in Business - : r '; v "" " " "- ' ' se . vo--- j lr -.f . ,i Jjaaata-BaaaBaa JOHK J. ("MTJOQ8Y") M'OBAW. , " i. '. BT UB BOOEB BBESNAHAJf. 8T. LOCia, Mo-.tMareb 21. MrOraw ia tbo greatest maaagsr th world has ever haoara. I have always contended that a good player manager excela a bench hose. The former type of leader hia a diatinrt advantage ad-vantage over hi noncombatant rival In the fact that he can show his men their weakness by personal instruction aad by tbia become acquainted with their every whim and vagary. Thia ia the method employed br Me Oraw. Each . spring at the training camp Mae breaks into th gam again. Her be displays the qualities that make him the greatest haadler of ball players in either .league; one man is deficient in buntino-. to. him McQraw pennant contenders aa he bast What leader has molded hia fighting machines in flag chasers year ia ana year out with the same consistency aa haa Me-Grawt Me-Grawt If there ia the record book fails to show it. Thea take the individual stars be has developed. Mathewson, Mcdinnity, Ames, Wiltse, Crandall, MrOaan, Mer-kle, Mer-kle, Doyle, Bridwell, Devlin, Dablen, Meyers, Murphy, Saodgrsss. Donlin. Iievore this is but a partial list of tbs baseball luminariee who have become twinklere of first magnitude under his tutorship. Is there another manager who ran boast of such a galaxy of eighteen karat players for almost every position of the diamond t Merkle is a good example of the Mc Grew avstem of development. Not so pereonally demonstrates this art: aa-other aa-other is a poor base runner, be is shown hia deficiencies, aad is corrected by personal per-sonal superviaion. And that is the way it goes during the entire training trip. Each player with the team receives the benefit of MeOraw 'a knowledge of baseball. base-ball. " Ha knows how a batter should bat, how a fielder should play each ball, how base runner should lead off and how h ahould elide, how a pitcher ahould pitch and how a catcher should eatch, aad, what is more, ke raa impart this knowledge to hia underlings. There are, ae doubt, many managers who kaow and understand baseball, mea who have studied tbe game -from the primary grades to the poetgraduate courses, but are miaua the great asset of being able to instill om of their lore into tbe heads of their mea. A glance at the results achieved by the auay big: leagae managers will bear me out. How many ef tbem have been active ia base ball for as long a period ae haa MeOraw f Several of them have evea eeea longer service oa tbe greensward. green-sward. Yet their records fall far abort of the feat of one J. Mugge. Ia there a manager ia either of the biglesynes whoJiarmiMjrjnaB manv long ago Kred Merkle was a member of the Toledo high athletic team. MeOraw Me-Oraw 's attention was attracted to him, and aoon the youngster waa a member of the gianta, playing the role of utility man and pinch hitter. Thia green nnd inexperienced "husher" bad the ill luck to pnll off an unfortunate play which coat the giants dearly, and elicited much wrath from their supporters. Did MeOraw heed the wishes of th papulae who desired the immediate dismissal of the youngster f Not much. He had appraised Merkle aa a future star, and retained him on his staff despite de-spite the turmoil of raostie comment that bused around his ear. Result. Twa years later Merkle waa hailed aa the greatest first basemen in the eeua-trv. eeua-trv. There Is aot a plaver who covers first base todav who is the equal of tbe yonng Toledoaa, either as a batter or a fielder. He has taken his enure ia MeOraw Me-Oraw 'a school aad has acquired the honor of past maater. This is bat one iastanee out of many. Now, can any one wonder why MeOraw Me-Oraw should be claimed aa the greatest leader in the world, a manager who knows basebsll, caa teach baseball aad can bundle hia pupils to the beet of effect. |