The San Francisco call., 1898-06-16
SAND CRABS
 WEAKNESSES Base-Running and Bat ting Prime Causes. CHANGES IN BASEBALL PLAYERS MUST TAKE THEM ON
 BASES. A Team Fielding Perfectly, Yet Un- able to Run Bases or Bat, in
 Reality Is Not
 Team.
CHANGES IN BASEBALL
PLAYERS MUST TAKE THEM ON
 BASES.
BY JOE cORBETT.

solidation and I must say that outside of the Gilt Edges there Is not team that I have seen play as good game of ball in the field as this team. That they should meet with so many. reverses is bothering a great many of the fans, the majority of whom have pinned their hopes on their being near the top when the season Is finished. To do this, how ever. the Sand Crabs must change their style of play, especially at critical stages, and they must also devote a great amount of their spare time to batting. This lat ter weakness appears to be their great fault, yet they are by no means whirl- winds on the bases, and it would not be @ bad idea for them to study up on this very necessary qualification. In fielding they could hardly do better work. In fact, they have given the best exhibition of steady playing l have seen thls season so in that respect l will say that there Is hardly any room for improvement. But how is it that these Beachcombers, hay ing as good a fielding team as any III the league, barring Sacramento, should lose so many games?
 The question is a trife puzzling, and while I have not had an opportunity to witness their defeats away from San Francisco, still, from what l have seen of their work, it is very evident to me that inability to hit, combined with poor base-running and an occasional stupid play, such as Balsz's sacrifice last Satur- day with a man on third, are the prime reasons why they are so often defeated although playing superb game in the field
 It is possible that they have not had an equal share of luck (and luck, by the way is a factor in baseball not to be des- pised). but this scarcity of providenuaI good will would not, l am afraid, III up the base hit column. The boys will nave to hit the ball and hit 1t when hits are absolutely necessary, if they expect to De in the race at all. Then, again, it Is most essential to the teams success that base running be encouraged among the pay CTS Outside of one or two who do not get on the bases enough to display their ability in this particular line there IS a sad lacking of this art True, DaSe-Steal- ing in these days of advanced baseball IS a very difficult matter, yet the player should remember that in plays where two distinct throws must be made the chance for one of them being wild is always m Tn his favor and he should figure on this chance when attempting to steal.
 In one game the Sand Crabs lost by the almost usual margin Of one run Inree opportunities to score were offered them, bilt they failed to take the chance. In each instance the play was Identical: :: 4 man on first base and one on third The one on first attempted to steal, ana the catcher threw clear to second III the hope of catching him. Here was chance for that man on third to score: It was only chance, yet baseball is largely a game or cldnCes anu pldHSio must NLS II they expect to accomplish things. That runner on third should have been pre- pared for just such a play. He could have done this by securing fair lead, ana on seeing the ball go to second, dashed for the home plate. His chances of scoring were very good. To catch him the back stops throw to second had to be perfect and likewise the return throw to the plate. The play being so close and rapid and the ball handled so quickly, there is no time for aim, and the chances of the throw from second to the plate being wild are never better.
 This is just an instance of where chances for runs have been thrown away because a player is either afraid to take a chance or does not know now 10 run bases Once again l say players to be successful must take chances, especially when on the bases.
 The Beachcombers are not the only players deficient in this line. There are any number of them visible al Recreation Park on Saturdays and Sundays. and 1 would suggest that they, too, learn to appreciate what it is to take chance in baseball.
 Another point the Sand Crabs are ap- parently very weak in Is the proper thing to do when the situation is critical. In last Saturdays game MT. BalsZ made a play in the last inning with a man on third and one out, which should have lost, instead of winning the contest. He sac rificed with the infield playing close, and despite the fact that he disclosed his in- tention quite time before the ball was pitched, the play proved successful, sim ply through the inability of player to move or throw rapidly. Because this play turned out according to calculations, II does not necessarily follow that it was the correct one to make under the cir cumstances. It was not. and very far from it. If Schultz, who received the ball had not lost so much time pulling himself together the runner would never have scored, and the chances are that the game would have been lost, or at any rate should bPpn a chance | win was not properly taken care of. Bear fin mind, ye unfortunate Sand Crabs, when the infield is playing in, the chances for hit are never better Do not sacrifice under such circumstances, as the proper and only play is to hit the ball.
 Outside of base-running and batting they, as far as 1 can See are great team. Their fielding has been much ad- mired by all lovers of the game in this city, but fielding alone cannot win games Runs are the little points that count and 1t takes batting and base-running to score them. Really team that does not bat and run bases in one sense of the word is not team. The Sand Crabs however must not be looked upon in sucf a light, for they have the material and the making of championship club pro. viding they improve in the two depart ments I refer to. I understand that last year nothing in the shape of a baseball team could touch these, Sand Crabs One might infer from this that their slide down the toboggan this season is due tc hard luck. They certainly are having their share of it yet they are not play ing the game at bat and on the bases Until they improve their batting optics run bases daringly and do the proper thing when the game depends on that particular play, I cannot see how they can hope to be near the top unless some of the hard-hitting clubs drop dead.
 I have overlooked MT. BalsZ. How sucl a mistake could have been made I am al a loss to know, for Mir. Balsz is tn, greatest throwing pitcher l ever saw. anC l have seen some good ones. l do not wish to speak disparagingly of this gen. tleman's ability as a pitcher, for I believe him to be second to none on the coast that is, when he refrains from going UT in the air. It is very bad form. this as tension business, especially so when ther, is really no occasion for it, and LoI should endeavor to work up some feelng for mother earth. A good way to do thi. would be to throw all balls to bases un derhand. In this manner wild throw' over the bleachers may be done away with and the ascension postponed indef initely. This wild-throw art of Lou's i. beautiful wren the score is tie a man or third and enc run needel 70 win tn, game. It is then that Lou breaks al long-distance records and scares Manager Futile out of a years growth. Cut ou those wild, unnecessary throws, Lou, 1! the prayer that majestically wends it! way "Friscoward," emanating, no doubt from the baseball headquarters of tn, Sand Crabs.