Show I Speaking of 0 Sports Baseballs Baseball's Best Pilots Played Average Game By ROBERT McSHANE A A NOTHER major American cri- cri crisis crisis crisis sis developed not long ago when Columbia Lou Gehrig benched himself after establishing what may maybe maybe maybe be an time all-time record for consecutive consecutive consecutive tive games Plainly the iron man was nearing the end of the trail Huge Duge salty tears were shed over o Gehrig's impending doom What did diet baseball intend to do for the man who teho has done so much for it Who would reward him with a manageri managerial al job Forgotten was the fact that Gehrig hasn't yet retired that he isn't a decrepit individual requiring a guiding hand to steer him Wm to the closest relief agency But the American sports-loving sports public is like that Let one of its heroes start slipping and the hue and cry is nation wide He must 1 jq t x f l lx dal OSCAR VITT be rewarded What can we do for him The fact that the big sports figure may make more in a week than the average person does in a year is seemingly beside the point It was a black mark against base base- baseball baseball baseball ball according to calamity howlers that Babe Ruth wasn't given a man man- managers manager's managers manager's agers ager's job when he retired He lie was the games game's most colorful figure packing the stands wherever he ap ap- appeared appeared ap- ap appeared and giving the best years of his life l e to the diamond wars Ruth was the highest paid baseball play play- player er in history signing contracts at a atop atop atop top price of per year That total didn't include income on royal royal- royalties royalties royalties ties and syndicated newspaper sto sto- ries Yet Ruths Ruth's failure to find an executive position caused wide wide- widespread widespread widespread spread wailing Unsung Heroes Overlooked is the fact that each year a lot of fast smart ballplayers go by the boards They too have devoted their best years to the game but when the final day rolls around they cast an agonized eye over the bank book and wonder where they're going to open a filling station or lunch counter They did dida a lot for the game but they weren't heroes There seems to be some good rea rea- reason reason reason son why great baseball stars arent aren't usually picked when managers are appointed Some of them have such as Tris Speaker er Cobb and Walter Johnson But they didn't last The most successful managers seem to tobe tobe tobe be those men who were good play play- players ers but not great ones Connie Mack the most widely known was once a catcher catcher and and a good one But experts dont don't rate him with Kling 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 Fred red Haney aney manager of the Browns also a former infielder Joe McCarthy the most success- success successful successful ful ul manager in baseball could never make the grade as a league big-league player slayer A second baseman McCar McCar- McCarthy's McCarthys McCarthys McCarthy's McCarthys McCarthy's thys thy's fame as a player never never spread past the minors and his ability was never tested in time big-time competition Success Stories Casey Stengel and Jimmy Dykes were better than the average ball ballplayer ballplayer ballplayer player in their th ir best years but neither nei nei- neither neither ther of them were vere world beaters Since they shed their uniforms they've been doing better b than all allright right Del Baker of the Tigers was wasa a catcher in b his s day but didn't do doso doso doso so well in the majors That didn't prohibit him from becoming a good manager With so many players of average ability making makin the th grade as man man- managers managed managers agers aged it seems more than coincidence coincidence coincidence dence that the stars fail in an exec exec- executive executive capacity It seems though a waste of sympathy th to t shed tears over a great man m n whose playing career is is' is is drawing to a close He Hc h has S S' made mad money has a host of friends arid friends and add admirers and has led the t kind kf d of cf an existence he h wanted Because Bei Bec tise baseball doesn't offer olTer him hima I a managers manager's job it doesn't mean that moguls of then the game are heart hard hardhearted ed wretches casting off of a man when his usefulness is over A man may be a great ball player but lack the essential qualifications of a good manager Fortunately ball club owners real real- realize ze ize ze that |