Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-22

well as TO be able 10 curve or shoot over any
particular corner of the plate. A game fire.
quently turns on just this point. For ex-
ample, there are three men on bases and
two out, with one run TO tie. A base hit
means victory for the other side. A good
hitter IL up-a man who In formidable 70
the best Of them. but who has one vulner-
able spot Perhaps this spot II low drop
on the inside corner, possibly high inshoot
"around the neck" possibly fast straight
directly over the middle Of the plste-not q
few Of the best batters In the country ars
weak on this. IL the man In the box has
found that weakness and has control, the
game Il safe. IL he trusts TO luck, chances
are against him. And 20 trust 70 hard
work and skill rather than to luck Is what
the professional coach IL hired to teach.
The cyclonic pitcher does good grand stand
work, but In the long run he n lost He
fails IL he relies on Drawn, while his oppos-
ing twirler is cultivatina both Drawn and
brain.
Fielding groundsrs, the second of the spe-
cialties taught In the cage, Is comparative
ly easy work. Quick eyes, quick muscles
and practice are the principal requisites,
but they may be best acquired under the
watchful supervision Of the captain and the
coach.
More attention than ever before Is being
paid to base running among college players.
This is distinotively Yale innovation, OF
rather Stage innovation. Amos A. Stagg,
Yale's greatest pitcher. brought his alma
mater TO the forefront In this. He began
his work at Q time when Yale's basel ball
stock was below par. Though his candi.
dates were very ordinary ball players, they
were speedy sprinters, and he concluded
that he must find some way TO utilise their
running abilities. He soon brought out a
''sliding machine" for cage work. The ma
chine consists Of framework, stoutly made,
with covering OF canvas sailcloth. which
Ia In turn covered with soft brussels carpet.
The canvas and the carpet are stretched on
the frame pretty much after the style Of an
old fashioned rope bedstead.
This machine is set In the ground at one
end Of the Gage so that its top 10 just level
with the floor. The candidates start Al the
other end and sprint down. Just before
reaching the machine they plunge forward,
sliding headlong and reaching for an imsg
mary base. The knack Of sliding success
fully and safely is rarely Unborn. The nov
ice would frequently bruise and akin him
self beyond endurance II he practioed on
the hard ground. The machine saves any
such torture, but az It Is candidates dread
this feature Of training aud many are the
men who fail to learn sliding we'll. Almost
every man has raw knees, hips, elbows and
wrists. Until the exact form OF slide Is at
tained, friction, even on the emollient car
pet, often burns" the skin of, particularly
from the bare wrists.
Once In awhile man Is found who can
not learn the trick, and he is not always a
poor player either. The thing looks easy
but every beginner forgsts some important
prerequisite for success. The arms must bs
kept straight and stiff, the body must be
gin to bend at such distance from the
mat, and side and legs must hit the mat
with the least possible friction. Most im