The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-08-24
-FOUR BAD BALLS.

An Error That Pitchers Make in Giving
First Base As n Present.
It VIII lee remembered that after &C.
cent game with Austin In which BhlHz
Was ga the box fcr Houston, che Post.
In reporting tho defeat Of Tho BuGalocs
had ms to say in regard to givine bases
on balls,
with TWO mon covering bags Ealsz sent
Badgor down on four bad balls, II was
a dangerous thlrY 10 d. and a riichsf
ought to be able 80 avoid nlling bases In
such y'ny II wo, ID appear 70 an oh,
server thtl II would hc better To put II
straight over the plate, allowing = hit,
with seven II an otINidc to go after the
- ere. than to take chances with curves.
There is no possible chance TO stop man
when ho gets iirst on balls, but a hit Is
ufto. nppcd IN the bud
rhs same matter has been the subject
of discussion In the Sponirg News. the
to say;
II pitchers were well vcrscd I'm book
makers cenlages bases on balls would
bc rare Making prcScnis Of first base 80
opposing batsmcn Is The most serious
flu, a pitcher can have. The ptchft
that rs successful nowadays Is the on"
that can get 'cm over when he has %.
Command Of the ban Ia ms essential to
the success Of a good pitcher IN .caguc
company "a either speed or curry =.
glnucc At the pcrceutlpe win show that
Il decciv ug thc batsmHn ana cNert HIM
self simply to "cut the pate' with the
bail win fare better than the pitcher who
VIVA and walks" batsmrn to first base.
The eight ohcr men IN The game are
there for the purpose o. helping to"
pitcher They cannot help him II he is
going 10 send batsmcn TO iifst on presents
The other day Dusty Miller. the crack
r ght fielder OF che Reds, was taking 10
Harry Weldon of the percentage there
Was AGAINST batsmln There H. no
,,fp an ~. Cincinnati
10 see It haisman walk down 10 nrst as
cordially as Dusty. Every tine one Of
first you VIII hear "A Rrowl from right
neld. Dusty never fails to show his dis
approval OF this IN shap n u not his place
70 criticize an: he leaves that part Of
the case OF base on balls. then he Is al
ways sure 10 be heard from
81 don't know what pitcher Is think
ing about" said Miller not long since to
Woldcn Just look ,he field over and
see what opportunities he y throwing
away when he let's a man 90 - first as
a est Now the very best batters in the
loseur do not bat much above .3Sl cip,
At this average a bma-J nd woman
Al thiG average a b. s.nar must average
tnr season through ono M out or tNrTN
thrce lines at the bat, Now. this mans
mat there are throc chances Of putting
', ha very best bafsmen IN the hague ont
II he Is allowed 70 nh ihc ban to On"
mai ne viii hi, q safely Now isu't thrco
10 one pretty good odds? oughtn't
ni,cber "a take chance % che short
md of that proposition rather than 70
VII Of ali chrnccs by making bn'smln
, prcscnt Of = bese? The chance agalnS'
20 PER cent ba'sman r. even better
4 two-nfty batter 10 MAINTAIN mat pet
"c-f u.ust hi the ball on an avcras" 81
80 In four times Now II Is four - one
orsifst him Fu't ne FIRST n the pNchtf
sdnds the tsn across ihe Plate. Agllns; G
"a rer cent batter e. is i've 10 one Now
yth am this percentage AGAINST "A hits-
nan hitting the hall safely do"su' n
ic"k suicidnl for 4 pitcher ~ allow
i.,srnan 10 walk dawn 10 nra. b1tr7
,btnk 80. II II is three 10 one against
he Iesi Of hitsmen and from I'VE TO siA
- one against the poorer hntsman get
ting a hit, even II the ball 10 put right