The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-04-11

game TO keep up the average for his
position. | discover that the chances
per team per game are 4ois, divided
as follows put-outs, 25.4; assists, 12.a;
errors, 2.s. While these figures practi.
cally agree with the season records an
announced by the secretaries of the big
leagues, they differ in some respects
from those figures. and to ascertain
THE same procured the rerosds Of 81
games, played in four minor leagues in
two seasons, and discovered to my sur
prise that the rule Of chance runs about
the same in the small leagues as the
large, regardless Of the speed OF the men
or the caliber Of the league
All OF this goes to show that what
Is called place hitting Is, to say the
least, unreliable Possibly a dozen men
can, under certain circumstances, hit the
ball in q general direction that they
decide upon beforehand. but the great
majority Of players simply rap the ball.
The deeper I got into the figures the
most interesting they became. X really
IA an astonishing study tn see how the
right wing OF the defense Il kept busy
field BY another. The majority of balls
pitched BY speedy pitchers are driven
toward right field, the majority of slow
balls are hit to the left OF second base.
The majority OF safe hits off left-handers
40 toward right, but the majority OF
balls are hit toward left. Another pc
eliliar thing discovered i that the ma
jofity of third outs--that il, outs that
end an inning-sre driven almost straight
toward center, showing that the pitcher
with two out, pitches straight balls and
relics on his supports. Nearly third
OF the center aeldef's chances are from
third outs.
This IL the way the ball goes, 50 far
as chances are concerned. OF course, the
first baseman has more chances than any
other player. regret to state that the
figures win not decide the relative i'm
portanee Of shortstop and second base
their average chances figure so closely
together that they practically are equal.
The average number Of chances per game
by each player il as follows: first base,
1916, second base, SIS; third base, 80;
shortstop, 81; catcher, ST; pitcher, 90;
center field, 80; left field, -; night field,
I'll
Among All the pitchers whose aver
ages are included in the grand total, the
left handlers furnished the surprise II
is generally conceded among baseball au.
thorities that left chambers are not strong
in the field, yet It is remarkable fact
that on number of chances per game the
left handlers more than hold their own.
II Is a close race between "Jess' Tame
Hill and nick" Altrock for honors as
to the number of chances per game. They
seem always in the path Of the ball.
whether because Of some popularity Of
pitching or extraordinary quickness, or
both. Altrock, | know, when things are
going wrong, pitches to make batters
hit at him, and I believe Tannehill does
the same. Lee Tannehill probably win
lead in number Of chances per. game
among the third basemen. Laioie leads
the second basemen, Herman Long led
all the third basemen, Bid" McPhoe
and FIRED Pfeffer were almost tied among
the second basenen and Chance led the
first basement This does nos include
Comisky was unable TO get hold OF
the figures, but | believe he had more
chances per game than any first basenan
that ever played the bag, and his chances
were assists more frequently than any
other first baseman, although Tenny
runs him a close race.