Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-24
Coaching Has a Lot to Do
With Winning Games.
Good Judgment and Quick Think
ing Are Requisites.
Jimmy Barton Tells About Two Dr.
ferent Kinds Of Nerve.

ers we're in session. And" continued
the former Washington manager,
closes which result from poor coach
ing are the most aggravating defeats
that possibly can occur, and are re-
sponsible for more mental soreness
than anything else on the ball field
Stahl found that he voiced the
thoughts of a dozen other noted play
ers. who were assembled for the meet
ing. and all agreed that capable coach
ers were 2 mighty scarce article
1.-The toughest game the Washington
club ever lost" said Stahl. happened
over in st. Louis. and ole bad break by
coacher at third base was responsible
for the whole business:
I'VE were playing a bitter. see-saw
game with the Browns before big
Sunday crowd. The score was a tie
when we came to bat in the eighth IN
ming. There was one out when my turn
came. and with nobody on the bases
had the good fortune to get a long
clean hit to deep center.
"Of course l put my head down and
Logan to dig around the bases. When
l turned second | looked for my in
structions from the coachcr on the
third base line. About 20 feet from third
] saw him put up his hands in signal
for me to stop. or course. ! slowed
down. and then he Shouted to me to
come on and try for home.
well. they threw me out on a close
play whereas had the coacher shown
better Judgment and sisnalcd in the
first place for me to keep on to the
plate | would have scored. \ run then
would have decided the game. aS we
shut the Browns out in the eighth in
ming and also the ninth. so the game
should have closed with rs one run to
the good in The regulation length of
time But of course. having lost our
golden opportunity through il piece of
bad coaching we lost the game. "a st.
Louis made a run in the 10th inning af-
ter shutting rs out.
"That was a little thing for the
coacher to do-stopping me for the
fraction Of sccond-but you can see
what damage it caused to the Wash
ingtOn team"
Joe Tinker had still tougher bard
luck story to tell, for such a piece Of
coaching beat him out of sui Of
clothes. and the funny par: Of / was
j :
job by John King
"A few seasons ago related Tinker.
"some clothing firm Of Chicago offered a
suit of clothes to the Ilayer on our team
who made the most home runs in the
season. We were playing the laTt sercS
in New York ard Johnny King had one
more home run to his credit that | had
and it looked as though | would have
to do some long -distance smuggling in the
final series to tie King for the s;ht.
Late in a game. which Mathowson
was pitching. I came uo to bat and lift
ed ball into deep center. King was
coaching near third base. My hit was
easily good for a homer, but just before
l reached third I noticed Killing waving
his arms frantically for me to stop ut
third. I didn't think of the close race
for the clothes King and I were having
and naturally obeyed my instructions to
slow up.
81 pulled up at third and-looked ont IN
the field and there was the ball inst being
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 Dahlcn
out a block.
killing backed away from the base line
laughing like n marine. and then tum
bled to his plot. Had I been coached to
90 home I could have completed tho cir
euit With ease. but by stopping Mt third
lost an chance for that snit.
"Kling thought he had a fine joke on
me. but as l remember it now. ! don't
Af,,Ir l.. II.
''Well. did Kings stopping yon have
any effect on the game" asked 'Jiggs'
Donohuc. who was one of the tanning
party.
No." said Tinker. Johnny wouldn't
have dared to spoil our chances Of win
ming had the game been close. As it was.
we had the game won by mile. and J
scored ANYWAY on a hit moment later,
80 the only one to suffer was me- lost
credit for a home run, and at the time
thought I was losing suit of clothes
but l guess it didn't matter as long as
the clothier didn't make good with
king"
Joe Cantillon. who was mixer in the
gabfcst. gave it as his opinion that one
Of the hardest things in baseball is for
cOacher on the third base line to be
able to tell whether a base runner should
he coached to go home or to hold third
when the ball is being handled in the
outfield
That's certainly splitting hairs said
Joe. when runner is reaching third
and an outflelder is just scooping in Il
M The coacher must make up his mind
!" ne fraction of a second. The game
may ne depending on whether he signals
runner to keep going or to stop. He
must take into consideration the throw
ing power of the fielder. the speed of his
uem mate on the bases and q DIXON
other things. 1t requires the Quickest
thinking that comes up in the whoIe
game. "h'ie
Iaik about freak coaching. ,esrr,oa
JAKE stahl. "you ought to have coon
what Jimmy McAleer did one d,v a. Z.
LOUIS this last season. We wers ha,;nn
another hot game down there .rd r;,
team came up in the last hair ~ .sa
hinth with the score tied. STONE 1ad an
WIN hit and was caught off fret ,1nl
AIeer ruined. A second later NiIes o,so