Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-25
CALIFORNIAN IS
GREAT At FIRST
HAL CHASE CALLED PREMIER
FIELDER
Regarded as Best Pinch Hitter on the
Diamond and Wonderful Judg-
ment Places Him In a Glass
by Himself

To one familiar with the personality
and temperament of Hal Chase, the
greatest first baseman that ever stood
at the initial station, 1t seems difficult
to picture him as the marvellous per-
former he is.
Bat Masterson, in recent article,
says
"Chase off the field is big, care
free, llght-hearted boy, playful as
kitten, mischievous as a young fox and
active as a ferret. He Is the best ex-
ample of human perpetual motion ever
known, and If by chance he happens to
sit still for a few seconds the other
players regard him with alarm, fearing
that he must be i'll, or that he Is plan
ming some new scheme of torment for
his unwary teammates.
Nothing affords Chase more delight
than to play practical joke on a fell
low player, and he shrieks his pleasure
IL he is successful. To his credit, he
never. attempts any tricks that are
apt to result in injury to the victims,
his capers being of an innocent nature.
He is always. the same in the hotels,
on the railroad trains, or wherever he
may happen to be. There is always a
smile on his face and laugh in his
tone.
"He moves about with a quick,
springy step, and is in constant con-
dition of activity, both mental and
physical.
"He seldom refers to the subject Of
baseball when off the field, his thoughts
running to the subjects about him, and
he is always as delighted as a boy at
circus when he goes to new town.
"As he goes about he never seems to
I. poh In G
the general impression of him is that
he is boy out for good time.
Fond of Animals
"Chase is very fond of animals. and
the writer had the privilege of taking
a snapshot of him on the grounds OF
the Atlanta baseball club last spring
while he was holding three little cocker
spaniel pups in his arms.
"a very warm practice game was In
progress at the time, but boylike,
Chase could not resist the temptation
to gather these pups up in his arms
and fondle them while the other play
ers were bowling and rushing about
the field in the heat of the battle.
"It Is therefore puzzling. when these
qualities of boyish gayety are consid-
cred. to understand how he changes to
the serious, almost stern demeanor that
chara cterizes him when in action on
the ball field.
fThe smile disappears from the
Youthful face the light blue eyes snap
with the fire of anticipated combat, and
the 1.-the, muscular figure is drawn up
and braced for the efforts that have
set the cranks to bowling with frenzied
delight so many times this season.
When at his position at first Chase is
picture of catlike activity. His body
sways from side to side like that of a
tiger, and in starting for the ball he
has the spring of panther.
"How he covers SO great stretch or
ground in so short space or time mas
always been mystery to the cranks
The ball is barely on the gronud when
Chase has pounced on 1t. he seems TO
spring out of the clouds and grasp the
ball before the runners get started, and
his throw to the proper base is always
effective in putting out the man he is
after.
"Best of all. he never makes mis-
take as to the proper point to which TO
throw the ball. 1t would be useless TO
attempt to coach him on that point, as
he has the ball away before player
could yell at him.
Nothing more marvellous than the
manner in which he handles bunts has
ever been seen on ball field. He
seems to know by intuition just where
the bunter will send the ball, and he is
OH top of the sphere the instant 1t hlts
the ground. His grasp is so certain
that a. tumble or a juggle is a rare
thing for him, and his snappy left
handed throws to the bases are nearly
always so far ahead of the runners that
no close decisions are required of the
umpircs.
cit is ir the matter of thinking that
Chase excels all other first basemen.
He seems to have the play all figured
out the instant the ball is hit, and he
carries out the plan without any or the
hesitation that mars the work of SO
many other basemen.
"In the early days of the game first
baseman considered himself a very
nifty performer If he caught and held
all the balls that were thrown into his
hands. If the ball were thrown high or
low or wide the first baseman looked
reproa chfully at the thrower and
chased after the leather.
I'm the case of Hal Chase if he fails
to get a ball that is thrown on the
ground or over his head or wide, he re-
proaches himself.
Wonderful Stops
MANY is the error he has saved to
the other infielders by his wonderful
stops, and, best of all, the other play
ers know that II 1t is possible for a
ball to be caught he will do so. Under
standing that the other fielders are en-
abled to take greater chances after
making hard stops. 1t frequently hap
pens that when fielder has difficult
chance he is unable to get his balance
In time to hrow carefully, and with an
uncertain man at the first bag there
would be a lack of confidence and fewer
efforts to make put-outs on hard
chances. But with the incompatible
Chase at the bag the fielders turn loose
the ball on any kind of chance, knowing
that it will be stopped somehow
I'm addition to his fielding, which will
eventually revolutionize the playing of
the bag (as other teams will demand
that the high standard set by Chase be
at least attempted by their men) the
wonderful youngster has got to be q
hitter of the first rank He did not do
much with the stick last season, owing
nrincipaIlY to an injury to his wrist,