Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-20
Eoaching a Big Part of the Ma
@<s tional Game.
poor JUDGMENT COSTLY
Local Team Heavy Loser Along This
Line Last Season.
MANY FLAGRANT CASES CITED
,ueffries Fears Colored Fighter john
son-Good Races at New Orleans
Bowling Battles.
MANY FLAGRANT CASES CITED

closes which result from poor coaching
are the most aggravating defeats that pos
sibly can occur, and are responsible for
more mental soreness than anything else
on the ball field
Stahl found that he voiced the thoughts
of a dozen other noted players, who were
assembled for the meeting, and all agreed
that capable coacheTs were a mighty scarce
article.
1.-The toughest game the Washington club
ever lost said Stahl," happened over in st.
Louis, and one bad break by a coacher at
third base was responsible for the whole
business.
I'VE were playing bitter, see-saw game
with the Browns before a big Sunday
crowd The score was a tie when we came
to bat in the eighth inning. There was one
out when my turn came, and with nobody
on the bases i had the good fortune to get
a long clean hit to deep center.
Coacher Errs in Judgment
"Of course, / put my head down and
began to dig around the bases. When 1
turned second looked for my instructions
from the coacher on the third base line.
About twenty feet from third 1 saw him
put up his hands as signal for me to
stop. OF course, l slowed down, and then
he shouted to me to come on and try for
home.
well. they threw me out ON close play,
whereas had the coacher shown better
Judgment and sgnaled in the first place
for me to keep on to the plate l would
have scored. FUN then would have de-
cided the game as We shut the Browns out
in the eighth inning and also in the ninth
so the game should have closed with us
one run to the good in the regulation length
OF time. But of course. having lost our
golden opportunity through a piece of bad
coaching, we lost the game. as st. Louis
h
ting us out.
That was a little thing for the coacher
TO do-stopping me for the fraction Of a
second-but You can see what damage 1t
caused to the Washington team"
Tinker Loses a Suit.
Joe Tinker had a still tougher hard luck
story to tell, for such piece of coaching
beat him out of suit Of clothes, and the
funny part of it was that Joes hard luck
story was put-up job by John Killing.
"A few seasons ago." related Tinker
"some clothing firm of Chicago offered a
suit of clothes to the player on our team
who made the most home runs in the sea-
son. We were playing the last series in
New York and Johnny King had one more
home run to his credit than 1 had, and it
looked as though L would have to do some
long distance smuggling in the final series to
tie Killing for the suit.
Late In a game, which Mathewson was
pitching, / came up to bat and lifted a
ball into deep center. Killing was coaching
near third base. My hit was easily good
for homer. but just before 1 reached
third l noticed King waving his arms
frantically for me to stop at third. 1 didn't
think of the close race for the clothes
Killing and / were having and naturally
obeyed my instructions TO slow up.
No Chance After Stopping.
II pulled up at third and looked out In
The field and there wac no hal ust haip
thrown in to the shortstop. who had gone
out to help the center fielder in with the
ball. OF course there wasn't chance for
me to make home then, as Dahlen had the
ball and could have thrown me out a
block.
Killing backed away from the base line
laughing like maniac, and then 1 tum-
bled to his plot. Had been coached to go
home 1 could have completed the circuit
with ease but by stopping at third lost
ell chance for that SUIT.
king thought he had a fine joke on me,
nut, as l remember 1t now / don't think
he ever got the clothes. anyway"
We'll, did Kings stopping you have any
effect on the gamer asked "Jiggs" Dono-
hue who was one of the tanning party.
No said Tinker, Johnny wouldn't
nave dared to spoil our chances OF win
ming had the game been close. AS 1t was
we had the game won by a Anile, and l
scored anyway on hit a moment later
30 the only one to suffer was mel lost
credit for home run, and at the time
Thought was losing a suit of clothes but
J guess 1t didn't matter long as the
ciothier didn't make good with King"
Coacher Must Think Quick.
Joe Canullon, who was mixer in the
gabfest, gave it as his opinion that one of
fhe hardest things in base ball Is for
coacher on the third base line to be able to
tell whether base runner should be
coached to go home or to hold third when
the ball is being handled in the outfleld.
That's certainly splitting hairs" said
Joe, when a runner is reaching third and
an outfelder is just scooping In hit The
coacher must make up his mind in the frac-
ton of second. The game may be de-
pending on whether he signals a runner to
keep going or to stop He must take into
consideration the throwing power of the
helder. The speed of his team mate on the
bases and dozen other things. 1t requires
the quickest thinking that comes up in the
whole game.
When McAleer Got Sore.
Talk about freak coaching" resumed
Jake Stahl, you ought to have seen what
Jimmy McAleer did one day at ST. Louis
ths last season. We were having an
Other hot game down there and his team
came ZIP in the last half of the ninth with
tie score tied. Stone led off with a hit and
Was caught off first. McAleer fumed.
second later Niles also got hit and was
Thrown out trying to steal second You
ought to have seen McAleer. There was q
fine mesS-two men getting to first on base
hits and both getting caught.
We'll, Tom Jones came along with an
other hit OF course. that hit ought to
have about driven in the winning run had
there been any one on the bases, but Nc
Aleer in rage said to Jones: Well now,
jets see just how bad you can be on the
bases. Start right OF for second while the
pitcher is holding the ball.
when McAleer said that he was really
fooling but was just that disguised that
he didn't care what happened. Jones,
though. thought he meant 1t and actually
broke for second while our pitcher, Charlie
Smith, was looking straight at him.
Pitcher Gets Excited.
smith was so dumbfounded he lost his
noodle for a second and thought he must
throw to first base or make balk, 50 he
nred the ball to me- BY that time Jones
was almost to second and my throw was
600 late to get him. Wallace came up then
ami made the fourth hit of the inning. win
ping the game. But for that kidding
sork OF McAleer's we would have blanked