Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-31
ATTITUDE OF BATTERs.
The Right and wrong Way of Handling
the Ash.
Post Dispatch

POBt-Dlspatch.
There are batters and batters. Book.
have been written about pitching, bu
never word has been published abou
batting. II seems to be the general i'm
preston somehow that strong arms ant
weak head are more desirable than
weak arms and a good head. A captain
eXpends q great deal of his time instruct
ing his men in base running, and even In
such a small thing as the manner of catch.
ing ball, but good-sized chrome is
awaiting that head OF a nine who has
given any particular attention to the way
of batting There is tradition among
captains that batter was born with the
idea of how to stand at the plate firmly
implanted in his mind, and this accounts
for the failure of SO many physically able
players from amounting to anything as
hitters. little advice scattered along a
young players road to fame would make
many such Journeys more pleasant and the
stay at the end of the route much longer
and securer. But 1t is equally true that
the players are a great deal to blame in
the matter. OF course they think if the
captain doesn't point out their defects
they ought not to trouble about them; but
in this day of averages and of glory in
leading the batting list such an excuse
must be thrust aside by every
ambitious young ball player.
The batsmen divide themselves natu-
rally into two classes-the erect and the
spraddled represented respectively by
the captain OF the Chicago League nine
and the captain of the St. Louis Browns.
view from the grand stand presents a
fine study when this subject is borne In
mind. AS each man steps to the plate
observe his attitude while waiting for the
ball. If he is heavy hitter, nine chances
out of ten, yes, every time, he will prove
to be one Of the first class, standing
straight, with his feet close together. II
he is a weak batter his attitude will re-
veal it. He evil spread his legs apart
and get into such an awkward position.
Not that every "spraddled" batter Is a
weak hitter by any means, but that he
could be improved 90 per cent. or more,
! if he would but correct ibis attitude and
place himself in such way that be could
| Increase his power to make heavy hit.
! One would scarcely believe that such a
veteran player as Capt. Comiskey OF the
/ Browns had failed TO observe this fact,
but the more he is watched at the bat the
more the conviction comes home that he
has neglected very important part Of his
base ball education. And the easier 1t Is
TO account for his inconspicuous place at
the bat among the big first basemen OF
the country, in which class he is properly
placed, when once this deficiency In mis-
requirements is carefully noted. Comisky
is tall, big. boned, powerful young fel.
low, clean-limbed and built with every
qualification for great batter He has
reach, height, good legs, quick
eye, and sufficient weight, But never
theless he fails to do what one thinks
him capable of doing, and he has an ex-
asperating way Of going out on strikes
and disappointing his admirers that Is
especially annoying TO those who know
his physical excellencies and can't find a
reason for his failures. Not that Comls-
key doesn't do some good batting once In
a while, but he is simply taken as type
OF a batter whose example should not be
followed by recruits, even II he Is cap
tain. The secret OF bis comparatively
poor hitting lies in his failure to stand
right. When he takes his position oyeI
the plate the irst thing be does Is TO lei