Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-26
BOSTON'S SCIENTIFIC PLAY.
The First Ball Club to Introduce Team
Work at the Bat.
Schemes and Tricks-Ward Has Made
. Study Of the Champions and
How They Are Winning.

From the New York Sun.
The wonderful playing Of the champion
Bostons this season is attracting attention
| everywhere. Although their pitchers are
| no more effective than those Of other teams,
the Hub nine continue to win games from
every club in the league.
The Bostons have played consistently
| from the start. They have not won by
spurts, but they have resorted to the same
| successful methods away from home that
have made them almost invincible on their
own stamping ground. The players of the
Boston team are probably the most scien-
tific In the land. They not only use their
bats and hands cleverly. but they use
their brains, too. They have always been
expert in what is known as team play In
the field" but they are the first base ball
nine In this country to employ successfully
what is known to them as team play at
the bat and on the bases governed by sig
nails. In fact, the Bostons must receive
credit for introducing new style Of play
That bids fair to revolutionize base ball all
Manager John NJ Ward Of the New Yorks
Is the first player to discover the Bostons'
new system, and has made a careful study
Of 1t, until he has become familiar with
the various tricks and schemes which alone
are winning games for the champions.
bat and on bases has been q revelation
to him, and he claims that no team has
ever dared to try such methods since the
game was first born. Ward says that the
Bostons' work will soon put sacrifice hit
ting on the shelf and that every team in
the league will sooner or later fall in line.
perience on the diamond" said Ward the
other day, seen such skillful playing. The
Boston players use more headwork and
signals than any other team in the coun-
try. and that alone is the reason why they
can win the championship with such ap-
parent ease. Mccarthy is the chief schemer.
Ia tc fhav 10 &v,&
style Of play into the team, and he has
been ably assisted by Nash. Duffy, Long.
Lowe and Carroll. These men have the
to carry out instructions, and they work
Team work in the feld.' used to be
but now team work at the bat is the lat
est wrinkle. and the Bostons have 1t down
nne: One thing that has facilitated their
and run bases more swiftly than plyers of
other teams. But to this ability must be
a a;SnsIs he ad n complete system Of
one another 1 have made a study OF the
play of the team and find that they have
as many runs as they made hits. 1 also also
learned that II they got a man on first
base. with no one out. the chances were 10
do not get him around to the plate by sac
rihcing. No. 1 have observed that they
do this by team work at the bat that will
amaze close observers Of the game when
Now. I'll be explicit Say, for instance
that they have a man on first and nobody
rif1ce would be the proper thing. Then the
man on first would reach second while the
batsman was put out. The Bostons, how
makes bluff attempt 70 steal second. but
runs back to first. By this it becomes
known whether the second baseman or
the shortstop Is going to cover second for
the throw from the catcher. Then the bats
man gets a signal from the man on first
ed bali. re moment he starts for s esS
the batsman just pushes the ball for the
place occupied only a moment before by
base. That is. II the second baseman COW
ers the bag; the batter pushes the ball
slowly to right neld; II 1t is the short stop.
1t takes a skillful batter TO do this, but
they have such hitters on the Boston nine.
Now. when that ball is pushed to the out
steal second Just keeps right on to third,
while the batsman is safe at first Then
the trick is tried over again and in most
another blum to steal. and when the bats
man learns who Is to cover second base he
pushes the ball out again. the man on
third scoring, the man on first reaching
third. and the batsman gaining first They
keep this thing up until there's a slip, but
the opposing teams. strange to say. do not
Then there's another play. with a nan
on first and another on third. with two out
on first. Duffy takes ground. while Long
watching the signals, moves away from
third Suddenly Duffy plays away or from
first baseman. But Long, having received
the signal before Duffy is purposaly caught
on nrst. makes dash for the plate and gets
there In nine cases out OF ten before the first
baseman sees him or can put Duffy ont
That's one way. Another scheme with wen
say Long on third and Duffy on first, with
and then makes a dash for second whfln the
pitcher has the ball in his hand The
pitcher is taken SO unawares that of course,
he throws the ball to the second basement.
Duny then stops short and runs back to-
ward first, but before the opposing feeders
can get the ball to the plate, Long, who
second: has scored. Then Duffy allows t,m-
SELF to be put out, as the run has been made.
Then they work another trick under the
same circumstances; Duffy takes a great
deal or ground. at the same time giving a
signal to Long to watch the catch
been Waiting for n puy 'ce te get w6 o d ha,
base little further, throws the ball to the
first baseman. Long rushes for the plate
hrst baseman. as rule. not expecting snch
play, Is bewildered Just long enough TO
let Long cross the plate.
ol Ihere,s an old play too. that they work
second bases is the time for IL. Let's nut
Mccarthy on second and Nash on first
to draw throw to first from the catcher
The moment the catchers arm is drawn
back to throw. Mccarthy dashes to third
and Nash allows himself to be caught be-
tween first and second. Mccarthy, having
reached third, edges toward the home
first throws to fielder near second TO run
Nash down before attempting to score OF
course there are more chances in Nc
Carthy's favor when the ball is thrown
to the plate from second than there would
be II the first baseman threw it The
Brooklyns tried this trick on the New Yorks
last Tuesday. Foutz was on second and
Burns was on first. Burns took ground Off
first. but, when the throw was drawn.
Foutz didn't start quick enough for third
and was caught.
LAS 1 said in the first place II takes
speedy base runners and clever hitters to
work these wrinkles. but Long, Lowe Nc
Carthy, DUFFY, Tucker. Nash and Carroll
are just such players. and they have per
fected this style Of play until they are well
nigh unbeatable" Ward said that next
year he would endeavor to introduce these
plays into the New York team.