The Washington times., 1905-05-28

Often when you go TO bali games nowa-I
days you hear some such expression as
this:
THE day OF the home-run hitter Is
overl''
This generally comes from one O. those
heavy thinlxin' guys with wrinkle in |
mis- forehead-the kind that run ball
teams I'm the grandstand, announcin'
the play that's comm next TO the poor,
henighted ones alongside OF en-, and
who howl with joy at a base on balls
an fall into a fit applaudin' a sacrifice
hit. They're the guys who invented
what you'd call scientific baseball and
INSIDE play and "headworlx' They
all amount to the same thing-simp1y a
confession that a feller can't bat the
ball hard enough to get out of the reach
of the felders.
Lined EN- Out
Fine thing for baseball. amt it, when
a combination o bad eyes an weak arms
an laziness is maxim it so there's no
more slashin' drives ike they used TO
be-drives that visited as they went
for the fence. an made the outielders
hump themselves an the pitchers shiv
er? There was a time when a fe1ler' d
make all sorts O. efforts to stretch a hit
into q homer, an the audience would
applaud an give him credit for it, But
now IL amt scientific 10 make homers,
You make q homer an these heavy
thinkin' guys up III the grandstand turn
up their noses an say dumb luck or
"a horrible exhibition o brute force;
wy amt he made TO play the game sci
entific? His play then was a sacrifice,
prettily placed between first and sec
ond." All this CUFF, mind you, when the
batters home run has sent in two men
ahead O. him an cleaned the bags.
Yes. the day o. the home-run seems to
be over; the day o. the three-bagger hit
ter is most over; the day o the two-bag-
ger hitter is about over. and soon the
day O. the one-base hitterH be over,
too, an then ball games'u be one grand,
sweet song o bunts, an force outs, an
sacrifices, an bases on balls-an' strike
: outs. Why. I heard a guy say once
that he'd rather see man put out at
temptin' scientific play than see him
make a home run. What do you think
o tommy rot like that? He'd rather see
II. maybe, hut l wouldn't have it on any
team O. mine, especially IL runs was
scarce an We needed the money.
Real College Team.
All O. which reminds me O. the Ser
rybellum College team. the time 1 took
the Aifalfas up there to get some early
practice. There was a big crowd around
an the Serrybellum nine, all guys with
long hair an glasses, were practiein'.
We were bein' directed to the dressin'
room by the manager an captain W en-
a long-legged idjit, with a rubber band
round one wrist an leather ankIet
round a leg. an a slidin' glove strapped
TO his belt. comes ronnin' up with a
book in his hands,
Look here, Cap he says, very ex-
cited 'Rufe has just thrown the ball
TO third base instead of to the plate
with the bases fun an nobody out On
page &C of The National Game by Ole,
il distinctly says. in treatin' of sit
uation exactly analogous, that the throw
must be TO the plate
Here Rufe. a guy who looks like he'd
just got down ofn a cat thrasher, he
butts in an says:
81 couldn't ketch the guy goln' home,
so I throwed 10 git the guy 1 could
ketch Amt that right2''
The guy with the book slapped 1t shut
an laughed The captain he give Rnfe
very indignant look an says:
Follow Instructions.
Two hundred times runnin' round the
bases tonightL improve your memory
I thing, Rufus. Who taught you 10
play ball that you think are greater
than Ole anyway? How many times
have I taught you 20 follow his lnstruc-
tlons rather than depend on your own
frail Judgment? You'll never learn 10
play ball scientific if you don't play 1t
according TO Oile-
hi 7
guy with the book chased back TO the
sxanona. I says to the captain:
''Funny. but I ben playin' bali for some
years. an never heard O OiIe's The
National Game Wot does it teach %
"Au the fine points. Elucidates them
all. with photos shown how eacn play
should be made. includin' the position or
the arm an the poise or the body, at
each stage o the play. Very fine book
He has a series o. chapters on the posi-
ton O. the feet during a nine-inning
game w'ei is very helpful. But you
pfessionals rarely discover the hne
points o the game. You have a few
standard plays which go very Wei. but
in MITIGATE or tickIish situations you
have no guide 10 fail back on. Now
.Dooley OF Double Plays is very
good book: we use it quite frequently
Browning 'Bunts' Is a delightful little
brochure: you viii find ii interesting. ]
am sure. The same authors Sacrifice
Hitting is a gem in its way. ], should
be IN the hands o every batter in the
country
Clout 'Em Out
I've always thought "a like 10 write
a book. an now I've decided on H."
says /. IN send you a copy as soon
as we go back 10 Alfalfa. i'm be call
ed 'Hagserty On Homs Runs: How to
Clout En- out I'm sure y0un like il, 90
Say. that guys eyes bulged out as they
pushes the glasses OFF his nose His face
looked horror-struck $50 Reggie said 1
though he had sudden pain in his in
sides. His voice was tragic when he
says.
Don't dare send il here. III burn
every copy of it / get. I worked with
this nine TWO years now, an I've got
them playin fairly scientific. and !
don't have any gItlCgeTs brea kIu' in an