Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-02
SPRING PRACTICE IN BALL,
Some Rules for Enthusiastic Willow WELD.
ers-Sunny Days for PLAY,

With the first warm sunshine that comes
after the frost is out of the ground, there stirs
in the heart of the baseball player an intense
desire to get into the field and begin playing.
remember young man who used to work in
clock factories in Connecticut Although an
excellent workman. he never seemed to secure
any permanent position, but drifted from one
town to another. Early one fall he applied to
me for position, and as he showed that he
knew his trade, he obtained employment He
worked admirably and well, through the win.
ter and even into the spring. One day-and it
was beautiful day. everything just turning
green and the'sun shining as bright and warm
as in midsummer-I missed him. and asked the
foreman of the room what had become of him.
'oh. he's of, was the reply; hell get his kit
tomorrow, and you won't see him again till
next fall" took pains to meet the young
man the next morning when he came to take
away mis- traps whats the matter ?" in
quired. Nothing" said he. "'cept Yesterday
l heard n bluebird singin', and 1 don't do any
work IN shops after that"
A similar yearning to be out of doors tennis
the ball player. Many times the fine weather
is treacherous, and premature practice is cut
short, or even rendered detrimental to the
welfare of nine by damp, chilly WINDS As a
rule, il is wise to take advantage of only the
very warmest days, practising in the early af-
ternoon, until the weather is fairly settled
The New York nine were once obliged to take
a vacation, after a few weeks of practice in a
cold spring, because so many of the men had
lamenesses of one kind or another from expos-
ure in inclement weather When a college
nine goes the field for the first time there is
usually superhulty of enthusiasm. which
leads players to practice too long or too vio-
lently. Captains have learned this, and, un-
less they are carried away by the same tend
ency, do not encourage any long practice dur
ing the first weeks. After thai, as the men be-
come broken i'm and the weather improves.
the players are allowed to do more work All
gether, as the work of the three fielders is
much the same. These men take positions in
the outneld in something of a cluster (not so
near, however as to interfere with one another)
while a batter knocks fly balls out to them,
which they take turns in catching.
most important preliminary to this prac-
tice is the selection of an experienced man to
bat the ball. There are many men who may be
good players but TO whom knocking flies to an
outfield is an utter impossib;lity. Such men
may have to hit the ball half dozen times be-
fore sending fly ball near any of the feders
Again, it is not advisable to select a man who
knocks only the simplest kind OF flies every
such a man is to be preferred
TO the wild hitter who sends the men chasing
half dozen failures in order to receive one
catch. The batter should be able to knock
high flies. line hits, long flies and occasionally
a sharp, hot grounder. His object is to give
the felders as much ptactice of every kind as
possible, and good man will gauge the ground
the helders can cover, and, while avoiding
running them to DEATH" will occasionally
give each man an opportunity to make a
proves the candidates SO much as keeping their
ambition thoroughly aroused during the en-
tire time of Walter Camp, in st.
Nicholas for Nay.