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THREE CLUBS INSTALL NEW LEADERS AS MANAGERIAL VACANCIES ARE FILLED
Dervisevic to Guide Cubs — Pinnow Takes Helm in Pittsburgh — Boston Entrusts Smith with Red Sox
By Charles H. Wentworth, Sporting Times
October 25th 1917
The reshaping of front offices, begun with notable departures earlier this month, has now reached its conclusion. The three vacant managerial chairs have each been filled, and with them comes renewed speculation as to what fortunes the 1918 campaign may hold.
The first club to secure its man was the Chicago Cubs, who have elected to place their confidence in experience, appointing Bryan Dervisevic to the post. Long respected as both a hitting and pitching instructor, Dervisevic has lent his services over the years to the Philadelphia Athletics, the Brooklyn Robins, and the St. Louis Browns.
Though this marks his first opportunity to occupy the manager’s chair, his reputation as a teacher of the game precedes him. The Cubs, whose recent struggles have been attributed in no small part to a want of top-flight talent, will look to Dervisevic’s steady hand to coax improvement from the material at his disposal.
In addressing his new charge, Dervisevic remarked, “I see in this club a foundation upon which we may build. The game is won by attention to detail and steady application. My aim is to bring discipline in practice and confidence in play, so that the Cubs may advance together.”
Shortly thereafter, the Pittsburgh Pirates followed suit, likewise choosing experience in the person of Patrick Pinnow. Pinnow brings with him seven years of managerial service with the Cincinnati Reds. His tenure there was marked by a pennant-winning campaign that carried the Reds to the World Series in 1910, though they did not emerge as champions, and it concluded less auspiciously with two successive eighth-place finishes.
Supporters in Pittsburgh will naturally hope to witness a revival of Pinnow’s earlier success rather than a repetition of his closing chapters in Cincinnati. Pinnow himself struck an optimistic tone, stating, “The Pirates possess spirit and potential. My task is to harness both, instill order, and press forward with purpose. We shall strive for consistency, and from that, success.”
The final appointment has come in Boston, where the Boston Red Sox have ventured into less certain waters. The club has engaged 49-year-old Skyrocket Smith as manager, a man without prior big league coaching experience. In this selection, Boston has opted for a fresh slate—a complete blank sheet upon which a new chapter may be written.
Among the faithful there exists understandable apprehension, for the Red Sox have endured trying seasons of late, and the introduction of an untested leader offers no guarantees. Yet Smith appears undaunted by the magnitude of his undertaking. “I come to Boston with clear eyes and firm resolve,” he declared. “Improvement will come through hard work, accountability, and a belief that no club is beyond redemption. We shall address our shortcomings directly and grow stronger for it.”
Thus, with three new men installed in positions of command, the stage is set for a season of fresh beginnings. Whether experience or novelty proves the wiser course will be revealed when the clubs next take the field.
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