European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 24, 1945, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Tom Shehan yank staff writer All the hundreds of players this writer has he would rank ahead of Ben Chapman As impossible managerial material Only those characters obviously disqualified on account of constitutional that the Way de Veteran sports columnist of the Cleveland who knew Ben when he was with the summed up his feelings when general manager Herb Pennock picked Chapman to succeed Fred Fitzsimmons As Philly manager Early in and practically every other sports commentator at various times while he was playing with the Yan red indians and White Ben Chapman had been tabbed As a clubhouse a fainthearted Guy in the clutch and a Handy fellow with his spikes and his but maybe Chapman Ever suggested that he might make the Grade a manager of a big league Ball has two years As player manager of the team in the class b Piedmont league have made a new Man of but he Doest try to Alibi i  play baseball except by fighting for every he if i had to do it Over id do and say the same things because the same circumstances would gang up on me after two years in the Chap Man does have a different a certain humility has crept into his baseball observers remember his rages and when his club was losing he used to rant and kick Bat Racks and water snarl and nag and quarrel with now he says if every player who had two years in the majors had to go Back to class b for a few there would be less griping and More Hustle in the Ben even thinks he might still be with the Yankees if they had Farmed him out in such a i know he says that a few months of Riding those busses and taking care of my own wet uniforms would have Given me a greater appreciation of a major league and i would have done anything to keep of managing the Phillies is not the of t most permanent Job in the Chapman got the Job after returning to the big leagues As a Pitcher with the dodgers last three years after drawing his release As an outfielder from the White sox at the end of the 1941 he was with the Philadelphia club Only a couple of weeks when he was named and Gen eral manager Pennock indicated that it haunt been decided whether Bens tenure would continue through 1946 or but Ben has a habit of coming through with an outstanding performance when least and he May survive As the Phillies manager just because nobody expects him managers used to be none too unhappy to let Chapman go because he always did what he wanted regardless of their even in his when he first came up to the he showed he was Al ways ready to swing his and he got plenty of opportunities when other players accused him of using his spikes on his fights with buddy Myers of the senators and George Birdie tebbets of the tigers garnered the most pub nor was he popular with the umpires after he threw a Ball at Byron when that Veteran made a ruling that didst Appeal to but Ben also had the fast on his he had a habit of overrunning slow rollers and when he didst overrun a Ball he threw it into the he could hit and he could run the he looked like a big league Ball Joe Mccarthy solved the problem by making him an Ben was Only 21 when he clinched a regular Job for himself in the Yankee that was in and Chapman was hailed As another Tycobb that year when he stole 61 he never equalled that Mark but neither has any one when he left the Chapmans troubles with managers really while he was playing with the red he came up to Bat with the score tied 2 to 2 and the winning run on Sec Ben was batting at the time and had driven in the two red sox but Herb pen who was coaching on received orders from manager Joe Cronin and flashed Chapman the take the pitch was in and Ben swung and popped when he got Back to the Bench Cronin asked him if hed seen the most players probably would have pretended they but that want Bens Way of doing he admitted that he had seen the signal but had swung be cause in sick and tired of taking Cronin was forced to punish him and Ben got a 10day vacation without Bens stubborn honest Streak colors most of the tales about he has always spoken his when Ben was still with the a new York sports writer took a poll of babe ruths team mates to see whether or not they thought the who was slowing should Bench Ruth heard about called a clubhouse meeting and demanded now you boys who popped off to that writer about say it to my face All was silence except for the irrepressible he spoke up ill Tell you what i i told him that if i was As old As you and had the Money youve i  risk my health and id get out of the that what i Ruth patted Ben on the shoulder and said but the rest of you so Andros Haven got the guts you were born it is partly because of this characteristic that Chapman remains the Only member of the famous Cleveland cry the group of play ers who went to Alva Bradley and protested the Way Oscar Vitt was managing the who has retained Pitts in Vitt offered to recommend Chapman for a managerial berth in the Pacific coast league when he was released by the White another Story in which Bens honesty figures con Cerns his appearance be fire judge William head of the National association of professional baseball to answer accusations of having slugged Umpire Case during the 1942 Piedmont league playoffs at Chapman told Branham sure i slugged he deserved it Branham thanked him for telling the truth but suspended him for the 1943 that plus hard work has further mellowed he has worked at being a his original Choice of the Richmond As against an offer of the Toronto Ball club resulted from the advice of his former teammate Tony Tony said id learn to handle and if i made any mistakes in handling them they  leave the Mark against me they might in double a Ben explains with his usual Ben found that it want Only a question of handling had to get in there and pitch in one of his Richmond games his team was in the second five double headers were coming up in six and rather than waste one of his pitchers on what he thought was a lost Ben took the Mound he held Portsmouth to one Homer Richmond tied it the game was called in the tenth from then on Chapman pitched every fourth Day and played third base when not after he won 13 games against 6 lost in five big league clubs tried to buy the dodgers won during the remainder of the 1944 season he won 5 and lost traded to the he has won 3 and lost 3 this Chapmans Credo As a Pitcher put pm where they dont like them and dont forget to Pray the infield is v e phils