The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-29
HURST ON BALL TEAMS.
Talks on the Difference Be-
tween College and Pro-
fessionaI Players.

II there's one man in the base ball
business who should be able to tell
what the college ball players are able
to do compared with each other and
with professionals, that man is Tim
Hurst, who umpired the Holy Cross
Georgetown game at the college
grounds Saturday.
Hurst has off1ciated in the National
league and has been regarded as enc
of the best in the business. This sea-
son he failed of an appointment for
reasons which had nothing to do with
his ability with the indicator, and he
has OBLIGATED in many of the importsnt
college games.
Hurst remained in Worcester after
the game until the midnight train. He
talked interestingly with The Spy man
on base ball in general and on the
playing of college teams in particular.
When asked which college team he
considered the strongest, he said from
what he had seen, he would place
Georgetown at the head of the list NJ
to Saturdays game. He said he
thought Holy Cross entitled to consid-
GRAFTON after beating out the blue ard
gray as it did
Hurst spoke at length on the diff
ference of the game as played by pro-
fessionals and college men. He believes
that professionals play much
faster game than any of the
college teams. One reason for
this" he said, ''is because pro-
fessional players are at it day in and
day out. They learn the science of the
game by constant playing and TIE
daily practice which is needed 10 de-
velop that science. They know all tie
tricks of the game and take advan-
tage of points which college men can't
see. Take the base running depart
ment, for instance. Professionals male
a base where college men are put out
easily. College men neglect to slide. or.
if they do, they don't slide right They
can be easily touched by the baseman.
But with professionals it IS different
Sometimes a baseman may have the
ball waiting to touch the runner. but
the latter slides under him and reaches
the bag safely. That is only one in
stance.
In every other department of the
game it is the same. In batting, pro-
fessionals are much superior They get
the benefit of greater practice, and
they are able to guage the ball bet
ter They select a better ball to hit, and
let the bad ones go by. College men
are more nervous and more anxious
and hit at anything that looks GOOD.
The consequence is that professionals
hit harder and hit more on a line,
which is the best form Of batting. In
the field, professionals move faster.
and they are free from any false moves.
Every portion of their play is toward
the right end. College men are too
anxious. They make false motions, and
although they may appear to be NOV
ing faster than professionals at times,
they are not. for much of their work
is misdirected.
"A point which makes the work Of
professionals much better than that Of
college players, is knowing what to do
at the right time. In every came there
are situations on which much depend
Professionals know exactly what to do
under all circumstances. College PLAY
ers don't always know what should be
done. and often make serious mis-
takes. Those mistakes are not easily
apparent, except to a person who thor
oughly knows the game. and as col
lege men don't always have the benz
fit of professional coaching, they
might go along making mistakes With
out being aware of the fact. The con-
slant practice is what makes the pro-
fessional superior to the college man
on the diamond. for he thus learns the
game from start to finish"