The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-03

to sentence. would say. keep
your rerye."
Another system that I use, and
which I notice several other. Players
using, is what I might call looking
the ball squara in the face To do
This have to crouch over the plnte
SO that my eyes are almost directly
on line with the middle of the plata.
Then / watch the pitcher rs he winds
UP, and see the ball this instant It
leaves HIS hand. If It is travelling
etraight for4my head I am ready To
biff It, for I know 1t Is coming directly
ever the pan. ~ne does not need to
keep his head; there Ting enough TOR
my danger. simply stand that way
to he sure and see the ball correctly
at the very start Of its Journey from
she pitcher to the catcher.
Follows the Ball.
AS soon as 1t begins its. course my
eyes are glued on 1t. and my bat drawn
back ready to strike. whether it Is n
good or a bad ball, The brd ones arc
allowed to pass, and II u good ole
comes ore Is all ready to strike it.
find the system has done much to htlp
my batting.
However, this System might not hslL
Others. Take. La joie, for INSTANCE. TIe
stands perfectly erect when at the bat,
80 that his line of vision is q foot OF
more to one side OF the plate. and yet
he knows which are good and whicl,
are bal from different angle fra;.,
that I use. Hans Wagner. have nn-
ticed. croucles almost as much as
do In order to be sure and see tho
position one may stand In waiting
tho throw, but It Is important that tto
Latter get his eye on the ball a q sooi!
as It leaves the pitchers hand
Another point that ball-players
should develop is sprlnting. I trained
for months and months. and still keer
it up A fast man Will make q grea:
r.,any safe hits during u season Jus
Ivy being speedy enough to beat sae
hall t.. first base. This often occurs
where a shortstop or third basemar
fumbles for m instant a ground bi,l
| That instant is sufficient for the run
ler to, beat the ball to first II he
started to sprint as soon rs. the pst
| WAS hit. It takes ahortstop with g
good arm, also to beat the runner II
the ball has been hit 10 deep short
Is Natural Batter.
I think batting Is natural for me-
could always hit the ball. even whlr
playing in boys games years ago.
had to learn to bo fielder. but bat.
ting was a gift OF nature.
| Back In 1901 I was working on {
farm, and playing lall on the side
once o. twice q week In q small towr
called saliX. A manager at Blercoe
Ia, offered me a chance to break int
! minor league ranks.
The Eiencoe team was to play a
i Onawa at a iWoodmen's picnic, agains
the whiting team. Teams In that sec
| ton were In the habit of "pluggine
UP" against each other. In other words
| they would get players from Oman:
| or other cities.
We got a tip that Whiting was goln!
to havo several players from OMAHA
and our manager wired; VIII Rourke
manager of the Omaha Western I.eagu
team, to sond us a battery. He son
Buckley and Alloway. and what W
did to those Whiting boys was
shame We walloped them / to 2.
j played shortstop and put UP sta
game at the bat and In tho field, ac
cording to buckley. The result was
< signed with Omaha that fall, Ny frs
games We're against Denver, and
guess made good from tho start