Show Speaking king of 0 Sports Sports- Baseballs Baseball's Best Pilots Played A By ROBERT McSHANE l ANOTHER A MOTHER major American crisis crisis cri- cri I. I 1 sis dev developed loped not long ago go when Columbia Lou Gehrig benched himself after ater establishing what may maybe maybe maybe be an time nil record for tor consecutive consecutive consecutive tive games Plainly the iron man was nearing the end of the traiL Huge salty tears were shed over GehrIg's impending doom What did baseball intend to do for Cor the man who has done so much for Tor it Who would reward him with a manageri managerial al at job Forgotten was the fact that Gehrig hasn't yet retired that ho he Isn't a decrepit individual requiring a guiding hand to steer him to the closest relief agency But the American 2 sports-loving sports public is like that Let one of its heroes start slipping and the hue and cry is nation wide He must ii OSCAR VITT VITI be rewarded What can we do for tor him The fact tact that the big sports figure may make more in a week than the average person does doe in a year is seemingly beside the point It was a black mark against baseball baseball baseball base base- ball according to calamity howlers that Babe Ruth wasn't given ghen a managers manager's managers manager's man man- agers ager's job when he retired He was the games game's most colorful figure packing the stands wherever cr he appeared appeared appeared ap ap- ap- ap and giving the best years of his life to the diamond wars Ruth was the highest paid baseball player play play- er in history signing contracts at a atop atop atop top price of per year That total didn't include income on royalties royalties royal royal- ties tics and syndicated newspaper sto sto- sto- sto ries Yet Ruths Ruth's failure to find an executive position caused widespread widespread widespread wide wide- spread wailing Unsung Heroes I I Overlooked is the fact th that t each p year a lot of fast smart ballplayers go o by the boards They too have devoted their best years to the I game ame but when the final day rolls around they cast an agonized eye I over the bank book and wonder where herc they're going to open a filling station or lunch counter They did dida didlot a lot for tor the game ame but they weren't heroes There seems to be some good reason reason rea rca son why great baseball stars arent aren't usually picked when I managers are arc appointed Some of them have such as lS Tris Speaker er Cobb and Walter Johnson But they didn't last The most successful managers seem to tolie he lie those men who were good players players players play play- ers but not great ones Connie Mack the most widely known mown was once a catcher catcher and and a good one But experts dont don't rate j him with Kling ming Bresnahan and Archer Oscar Vitt Cleveland manager was formerly a major league infield- infield er He isn't remembered for his outstanding ability as a player Rather he was a reliable performer who played a steady game So was as Fred Haney manager of ot the he Crowns also a former Cormer infielder Joe McCarthy the most successful success success- ful Cui manager in in baseball could never make the grade as a 1 league big-league player A second baseman McCarthys McCarthys McCarthy's McCarthy's McCarthys McCar McCar- thys thy's fame tame as a player never spread past the minors and his ability was never tested in time big big competition Success Stories Casey Stengel and Jimmy Dykes were ere cre better than the average ball p payer in their best years but neither neither nei nei- ther her of them were world beaters k Since Ince they shed their uniforms I they've been doing better belter than all ri right ht Del Baker of the Tigers was wasa a catcher in his bis day but didn't do doso doso doso so well in the majors That didn't prohibit him from Crom becoming a good manager With so many players of average ability making the grade as managers managers man man- agers it seems more than coincidence coincidence dence that the stars fail tail in an executive executive exec exec- capacity It seems though a waste of sympathy to shed tears over a great man whose playing career is drawing to a close He has made money has nas a host of at friends and admirers and has led the kind of an existence he wanted Because baseball doesn't offer otter him hima a managers manager's job it doesn't mean that moguls of ot the game are hardhearted heart hard I ed wretches casting of off of a man when hen his usefulness is over A man may maybe maybe be a great ball player but lack the essential qualifications of ot a good manager Fortunately ball club owners realize realize real real- ize tha that t. t |