The Washington times., 1906-07-08
Good Individual Material Co
ing to Waste Because of
DiSOrganiZation.
SIMPLE POINTS NEGLECTED
No Backing Up and Batter and Runner
Don't Work Together-Time
TO Protest.
BY THOMAS S. RICE.

disorganized to a certain extent is a
fact that cannot be denied
There Is a lack of uuanimity of action
on the field that is painfully apparent at
times and causes It 10 lose games which
ii should win. The failure to act IN uni
son Is noticeable both at field and at
bat. 1t may be that the individual mem
bers OF the organization DO not know
enough about the finer points OF base
ball 10 know how 10 act together. If
they are thus ignorant of primary prin-
, ctples il is a sad confession for men al
legtng that they are major league tim
Der. If they are sufficiently well inform
cd and do not do better then IL Is OBJ
vious that they are laying down on their
jobs. In either case radical action on
the part of the manager and owners is
necessary.
Playing Is Mechanical.
Visiting players who have regulations
for foXiness in baseball openly rldicule
many of the plays of the Nationals
They. describe the team as mechanical"
lacking headwork and showing no abil-
ity 10 take advantage OF unexpected op-
pOrtunities. In this they are right There
Is no team in the league which so easily
becomes ratified and falls INTO lUdlcrous
and embarrassing situations. Some OF
those seen on the local grounds this sea-
son wound have been extremely amusing
had IL not been that they saddened the
fans who early in the season expected
the team TO accomplish something.
Some Of the men seem to think they
have done their fun share If they stop
the balls that come their way and let II
90 at that II never seems 10 occur to
them TO back up somebody else who is
receiving a BAH. and by taking a little
extra trouble also take chance OF cut
ting OF run. / have pointed out over
and over again In these columns that
the team does not back up Leng throws
are constantly being sent TO third and
the plate without the pitcher or any
body else running behind the catcher or
third baseman to get the sphere IN case
ii is missed by the man 10 whom IL is
thrown. To support another fielder in
this way is absolutely elementary in
baseball and when a team does not do
what can be seen in any OF the amateur
games every day in the week then it is
time TO protest.
Lack Inside Work.
The inside work between batter and
runner, which is such an essential in
major league ball nowadays. is sadly
lacking in the Nationals. Their base
running is an open book 10 the other
side, and the opposing catcher can tell
almost to dead moral certainty ex-
actly when a steal is 10 be attempted.
The fact that the Nationals do steal
Is more directly attributable to the poor
throwing of the opposing catchers than
70 the good judgment Of the local play
ers
II cannot be said that second and
short are anywhere near perfect in
their understanding Of what is TO be
done in particular cases. The playing
there all season has been or a hap,
hazard sort, brilliant one moment and
off-color the next. 1t can best be de-
sCribed as unreliable, and the fans can't
tell whether they are going TO see some
thing worth remembering or an error
of judgment.
Good Material There.
Washingtons victories are nearly all
due TO heavy hitting. The team wins
occasionally by main strength and awk-
wardness and not through the finesseI
and clever manipulation of fine points
which have made some lamentably
weak-hitting team pennant winners.
on the other hand. all the competent
judges who have seen the Nationals
are agreed that they have the making
of a good bah team. Taking them man
for man, there is no reason why they
should not do well and make a better
showing. More than one club of play
ers far inferior 10 the Nationals in hit
ting and fielding has stood much high
In -r
full clubs have used their brains and
conducted their operations on careful
ly and skillfuIly laid lines, and have
practiced al their system until they
have developed superior team work
Need Science of Baseball.
With the individual material among
the Nationals the team has little ex-
cusc for dropping a number of games
that have gone by the board this season
What is needed is a greater apprecia-
ton of the value of the science OF base
ball. Any team can go in AT times and
pound out a victory when the opposing
pitcher is haUooninE. but there is little
credit In that What is wanted is a
set OF nine men who. with the other
pitcher going strong. can mix their tao
tics and change their style of action
the other side is deriving from the
twirlfng. a more conscientious attempt
TO ACQUIRE these necessary tricks of the
trade while pracucing at home would
he a big help and smooth over many
of the rough spots With the excep-
tion of Cross and Kittredge, there is
not a really expert inside" man among
the Nationals, and IL is up TO the others
10 get next 10 what these two men
know.
This is not intended as roast in any
sense OF the word, but is a plain state
ment of fact based on personal Observa-
tion and the opinions Of players and
critics from other cities who have calm
IL and dispassionately sized up the team
about as II is given here. Without
single exception. every one of these
competent judges has noticed the lack
OF team work and sscribed TO it the
fact that Washington Is now In seventh
place and may go 10 eighth.