, 1888-06-17
HOW THE BOYS BAT
Some Rely on Chance, but Gel
There Just the Same.
OTHERS BAT BY RIGID RULE

Scientific Batting VIII Win in the Long
Run, but n Combination of Struggling
and Science Is a Good Thing-skesches
of Three Big Datsmen.
There arc two distinct classes of batters-
the singers and the scientific hitters. The
slugger bats as the Celtic gentleman played
the hddle-by main strength. There are
more sluggers in the professional clubs than
there are scientific hitters. 1t is difficult to
determine which is the more valuable to q
team, but the team which has two or three of
each is the one which will make the best rec
ord for a season. The slugger depends
largely on chance. He is likely 70 mako a
brilliant and astonishing record in one game
and do nothing worth noticing for several
succeeding games. There are some pitchers
who are pie for him and there are others
whom he could not bat if they pitched foot
balls for him. When the slugger faces a
pitcher he understands he waits patiently for
a ball to suit him, then concentrating all his
strength he describes a long circle with his
bat, and il it meets the ball at the proper
point, which is a matter of chance, he sends
it flying far out into the outfeld, and per-
haps makes the circle Of the bases amid the
widest applause.
The purely scientific batter rarely makes a
long hit, but he manages to get In a rap on
the most puzzling pitcher. He knocks
''liners" and ''grounders." He chooses n safe
place, and drops the ball there and begins q
race for life with it to first base. Sometimes
he hits for two bases, when there are men on
the bases, in order TO help them around and
clear the way for himself, but he seldom
wastes muscle in trying to make a long hit
under other circumstances. To reach first
base is his great object, and so long as he
does that he cares little whether the ball goes
out of the line of bases or not. John Ward
is one of the most scientific batters in the pro
lesson. When he faces the pitcher he knows
just what is wanted, and he aims to do that
very thing even IL it is TO sacrifice himself in
order to advance a runner. II there is q
man on first Ward tries to hit the ball far
enough to give the man timo to reach
second base. II the bases are clear and he
sees the field very carefully disposed to head
off the ball he makes one of his favorite
hunts, and he is generally successful in beat
ing it 10 first and the object is gained.
Conner and Arson come nearer, perhaps,
than any Others to combining smuggling and
science. When circumstances are favorable
they try for long hits, but they intend TO hit
anyway, either long or short, and there are
few .tchers who can prevent them from do
ing d. a. Kelly and Herman also belong to this
class. Many people contend that it is an i'm
DD0olbllitN u u bubbtT 10 III n Dali 10 my
particular part of the field he chooses, holding
that be simply bangs away without any idea
where the ball win go II he hits 1t, md this
theory holds good, no doubt, with a great
majority of batters; but those who
have been mentioned and a few
others, notably Irwin, O'Rourke, Hines,
Glasscock, Morrill,, Rowe, Caruthers and
Latham, can pick out the part of the field
they think safest and drop the ball there in
n majority Of n given number of times. II
there were one team in the League composed
entirely OF scientific hitters and another of
sluggers, there is no doubt the former would
win by far the greater number of games,
and show the greatest record of safe hits
during a season; but as that can hardly be,
it is a good thing for n club to have at least
ono scientific hitter TO two sluggers, and a
very fair average will DO kept.up. The
League teams most evenly supplied in this
particular are Boston, New York, Chicago.
Detroit is a slugger team, and Philadelphia,
Washington, Pittsburg and indianapolis are
largely chance hitters.
Dan Brouthers, who guards first base for
the Detroit team, is the largest man playing
baseball. He is o feet Q inches tall and weigh
200 pounds, his form being symmetrically