Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-01-11

Way. but Buck" Is More Reckless
Than KEEL"
The query was made to me the other
day, who is the trickiest catcher in the
baseball business;" The answer led to a
long discussion, and there was much in II
which may prove quite as interesting to
Others as II did 70 US. Probably no two
men who meet casually will agree on the
subject Of tricky catchers. named Ewing.
and my friend stood out that Mike Kelly
was entitled to the honors. Now, both
men are pretty fast. but there are other
catchers who can do cert ain tricks aud get
away with them easier Than either Buck
or kel. For instance, hey seldom get a
strike by pulling in tn. ball. while Glenn.
ents, thinner and Ben EFT viii get lots Of
them, because they Do &c siicler thar the
two great stars and a e. not watched half
50 closely. Let a cat Ter once get a reputa-
ton as a trickster and every umpire
watches him with a leenness that quieter
men seldom experit &c.
Ewing will do an thing TO make a point.
IL has frequently Zen said that Glasscock
Is 50 tricky that e must be watched all
the time. but ella -scock does not need half
as much watching as Ewing and Kelly.
The difference il that Glasscock does his
tricks when carried away with excitement
and 1t Is anything 10 win, while Ewing and
Kelly are perfectly aware of what they are
doing. and they do il so slick thai they sell
dom get a call down and hardly ever get a
hne, and if they do it never goes. This
may be due to the fact that umpires fear
70 fine them, but, whatever the reason, il
remains hat they seldom do.
Ewing does most Of his tricks-and many
Of them are very trying even to his friends
sometimes-under cover of a cloak which
appears to be good nature to the crowd.
and it generally is, which make amends
Tor many shortcomings, and Kelly apes
him as far as he can. But Mix has not
got so sweet a disposition as Ewing. and is
somewhat at a disadvantage in conse-
quenee. Ewing's success with his tricks
behind the bat largely depends upon his
success in getting the umpire slightly rat
tied, and in a condition where 20 save him.
self from complete bewilderment he is apt
70 favor Buck as much a. be can in order
60 keep that -exasperating individual as
quiet as possible. There are no atchens
in the business who are dreaded worse
than Ewing and Kelly, and when both
men are in the same game they make the
umpire's lot distinctly unhappy. Both
men are very annoying to the umpire, and
when either is in a losing game they are
querulOus and go as near TO the verge of
insulting the unfortunate who is the UNI
pire for the time being as they dare. and
frequently make no bones about doing it.
II depends largely on who the official is.
/ think there are but two men in the
Empirical business who can manage Ewing
and Kelly, and both Of them are hot
blOOded Irishmen, and always come out Of
a game where either Ewing or Kelly are
playing in a high state Of excitement best.
described a. warm under the collar" r
have seen the two umpires referred 10 lose
their temper TO such an extent as 10 inn
pair their work in a marked degree. One
would think that Ewing would. by reason
Of his acts, always get the worst Of il, but
be seldom does at home, and really gets
frequently better treatment away from
home than one would expect. Once in "A
while a long suffering official will run
across Buck in the west and bring him up
with a round turn. Buck tries TO sweeten
his cracks at the officials by excessive good
nature and a free use Of blarney. and man
age generally 20 keep on pretty good terms
with the corps Of umpires. Kelly uses
the same kind Of bl~andShments. but not
with the success that attends Bucks efforts
TO square himself.
Ewing keeps up a constant fire Of com
ment. generally directed at the umpire,
though not always to him. Frequently
Buck takes the grand stand, or the lower
rows Of the bleacheries, into his conf
dence. and by so doing manages often in
bringing O. storm Of abuse on the poor um-
pife by the process known "a getting the
crowd onto him" Bucks foot is always
in the way Of the incoming base runner II
anything is 10 be gained by il, and il is his
invariable custom to throw his mask down
an che linz 80. aa o 30 aamn.a 81 80 armnaHaa
home TO slow up or be impeded and 10 dis
courage any ATTEMPT at sliding home.
Ewing is probably the only catcher in the
business who can drop a ball purposely
and then throw a runne out at second
base. It will be noticed that he seldom
does this act with any other pitchers than
K-efe or Welch. lie will be able 70 do il
with little Sharrott next season, as that
rising ~yOungster watches the bases like a
lynx.
The only man ever in the business who
could get more sore fingers or lame backs
thar Buck. Intended 20 give pitchers a
rest, was that retired veteran, silver"
Flint. Buck can get hurt to order on the
slightest provocatiOn, and he can manage
todelay a game by stubborn kicks longer
than any other captain OF catcher, except
possibly Arson, and. as a rule, Anson's
kicks have more real basis in them than
those Of Ewing. Ewing is very successful
in making bluff plays 70 cover his real OBJ
ject, and in this he is greatly aided by his
ability 70 throw quick and hard, which Is
not excelled by any, and only equaled BY a
few. Kelly is daring in his throws, but he
isn't in Il with Ewing on that point.
Mix Kelly can do all the tricks that
Ewing does, and some Of them were ong-
nally his inventions, but he cannot get
away with the umpire 80 wellas Buck, and
il Is tha. which makes me class Buck above
him. Kelly was the inventor Of the mask
trick. but he rarely resorts to il since the
great hue and cry against il made BY the
nress last ummer- and in this -eznect