Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-04-09

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THAT nine will never win the pennant,
because they do not pay the slightest at
tention to team work"
How often we hear this remark, or one
substantially like it. during the baseball
season Men hear it and repeat it. Indeed
have heard the charge made against
losing team who were noted among the
initiated for excellence in team work.
There has been so much talk about team
work that the term is common, and is used
as an excuse TO cover many defeat that
has no connection with it. The term is
much misunderstood.
Team work cannot win pennant. but
club in which team work is not prime
factor seldom wins one. About the only
instance recall was in 1887, when Detroit
won the championship with a team that
were almost strangers to team work. They
simply "slugged" the ball. They began
batting terrifically at the start and kept it
up pretty much all season.
The two main principles of team work
are absolute obedience to the orders of the
captain and strict attention to the mot
to, "All for one and one for all" lndivid-
nal preferences must often be sacrificed for
the sake of Il possible chance of victory.
There is no question but it is much easier
to score and the men play with more conf
dence after they have made one run. A
GOOD captain will work hard from the start
to get that one run.
The first object is to reach first base. IL
the pitcher starts in with good command
the first man up is told to shit her out" If
the pitcher is wild a signal from the cap
tain, although tits seldom needed, in
structs him TO "play the limit" for no
matter how good batsmen he may be, his
chances for a base hit are only about one
in three, and base on balls in the early
stage of the game, particularly TO the first
batsman, who is generally good base
runner. is Just as good as base hit The
following batsman should endeavor to so
hit the ball ms TO give the base runner an
opportunity to reach second base in safety
even though he himself is put out But
there must be perfect understanding be-
tween the two men. The runner must
know when the batsman Is going 10 bit the
ball, and have "a move on him" in advance
of the hit, for the "sacriiicer' may, II he
can turn the ball toward right field, make
a safe hit that will enable the runner, II he
has a good start, to make third base.
To return to my subject. 1t Is something
of an open question whether a runner
should be sacrificed to third base from sec
ond. Fielding has been reduced 10 such
science nowadays that none but the heetest
runners can score from second base on an
ordinary base Lit, and only then when they
have n good start. Even hit to right field
must be "a corker" TO accomplish the de
sired result. or course the play is TO sac
ridce. should there be no one out, and it is
! best done by bunt which may go safe.
The runner should have due notice, how
ever. SO as to prevent the pitcher or catcher
: from cutting him off Mt third. There are
a GOOD many IFS too. Much depends on the
efficiency of the pitching, the score and the
inning. and it is in deciding these questions
tbnt the uuickness and Judgment OF the
captain comes into play, and many game
il lost by errors made at just such stage.
With man on third and one hand out q
! sacrifice will nearly always result In run
and even a ''slugger" should attempt "a
make IL. for it Is an easier thing by
far than base hit, which i rs nothing
10 a run. Over and over again IN close
games have seen base on balls stea
a and two sacrifices score run, and some
times it is done without steal by SLOW
ball toward first base.
Rase stealing is "A distinct science almost
by itself. but it is connected most closet,
with team work No player should under
take TO steal without orders. and when HI
starts. If possible, the batsman must hit a
the ball Ewing is remarkable IN TINS re
spect by poxing high bad balls into righ
field. OF course in all cases the player
. must be alert to take all chances that can
not be known in advance. One desperate
case of base running and team work wa
In 1850 when John Ward aud Roger Con
II. .lsl.r II oh a IN
ebint TO New York. The score was Brook
Iyn I. New York, 0. Ward was ut tn
a hat with two out in the last half OF tn
- ninth. He made base hit. Before tn
: hail had left the pitchers hand Ward wa
OF for second Aided By Corners bluff a
the ball. which baked Bushong, who ha'
sore hands, and great slide, Ward sue
ne ceeded. On the next ball he stole third Il
the same way and tied the game on Con
II per's single Conner also stole two base
under the excitement, but was left In tn
eleventh a base on balls "A poor throw ant
a scratch hit won the game.
An understanding between the captai
and his men, and the men with each otheI
L. when in the field, is quite AS necessary
wien the nine are at the bat. The secon
- haseman and shortstop signal each oUhe
,rben To cover second base, and in doubl
ID nlavs this understanding must be abs
W intelv complete. for delay of second 9
two is often fatal. Every iniielder and out
selder. too, must know when a ball Is {
ne thrown his way. This information Q
Il. warning is communicated by the catehe
"a the inhelder, and by him TO the ou'
fielder. All the players must be famiiia
with the multiplicity of signs necessary
and what is more, they must a,so lila ,A
,rhat may be called baseball understud,
In other words there are often several sign
meaning the same thing. The necessit
for this is that your opponents quite fr'
I. onently discover the signs, PARTICULAR
y those used by catcher and pitcher, and
!, a suspicion Of this the signs are change
- AZ once. Some pitchers change their sign
= every few games, and nearly always afte
q game when their fast or slow straigf
\ halls are pounded with ease. A book ca