Page "Nap Lajoie" Paragraph 26

Lajoie's dissatisfaction with the Naps ' play worsened.

" You can't win in the major leagues unless you have players who know the game.

We don't have time to teach and train youngsters up here.

Our job is to win pennants, not run schools ," he said.

Franklin Lewis, sports writer and author, wrote " Lajoie, in spite of his marvelous fielding and tremendous batting, was not exactly a darling of the grandstand as a manager.

" Lajoie recommended to Somers on August 17, 1909, he find the team a new manager, although he wanted to remain on the club as a player.

Somers responded to Lajoie by giving him more time to finalize his decision but when Lajoie came back days later and announced the same decision, Somers acted quickly to find a replacement.

Lajoie later described the decision to take on the added duties as a player-manager as the biggest mistake of his career as he felt it negatively affected his play.

The highest-paid player in the league, he also offered a $ 10, 000 reduction in salary.

Somers promoted Naps coach Deacon " Jim " McGuire to manager .< Ref name =" Schneider " /> The team finished 71 – 82 while Lajoie's. 324 average was third in the AL and 33 doubles second.

The Naps finished 1910 71 – 81 but Lajoie had one of his better seasons statistically as he lead the majors with a. 384 average and 227 hits, both categories bettered only in Lajoie's 1901 campaign .< Ref >< ref name =" Title "></ Ref > His 51 doubles, a career-high, and 304 total bases led the majors, the fourth and final time in his career he would lead the majors in the latter category .< Ref name =" Complete " /> Lajoie missed significant parts of back-to-back seasons, the first in 1911 when he appeared in just 90 games.

Stovall, the former Naps first baseman, replaced McGuire as the club's manager and the Naps finished 80 – 73.

Lajoie was forced to sit out six weeks of the 1912 season when he sprained his back in May during a practice session in Chicago.

He played in 117 games on the season, an increase of the 90 he played in one season before, but Cleveland, who had hired Joe Birmingham as the team's fifth manager since Lajoie gave up the role in 1909, finished 75 – 78 .< Ref name =" Complete " /> Lajoie and Joe Jackson tied for the team lead with 90 RBIs.

He finished fourth in the AL with a. 368 batting average .< Ref > In 1913, Birmgingham and Lajoie had arguments in the open, including one incident in June when Lajoie cursed Birmingham openly to reporters after being benched during a batting slump.

Lajoie hit. 335 on the year, the last time he would hit over. 300 in his career.