Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06
BRA|NY CATCHERS
THE WHOLE SHOW
Interesting Chapter on the
Men Behind the
Plate.
By Umpire Billy Evans.

ball team depend more than on the
catcher.
The backstop Is to base ball what the
quarterback is to foot ball. only more SO.
The selection or the pitchers curves
is all in charge OF the catcher: the d-
recting Of practically every play Is up 10
the man behind the plate -
The quarterback signals for tile plavs In
loud voice and attracts much attention.
The catcher does his work by sort OF n
deaf and dumb language. and only a few
Of the many fans realize that many Of
the clever plays pulled off are due TO the
quick thinking of the catcher
Take Johnny King away from the Chi
caso Cubs and Chances great team would
nave It's troubles winning the National
League pennant- Remove Roger Rresnr-
han from the Giants lineup and New
York wouldn't look so Formidable Allow
Lew Criger TO slip away from Boston and
the Red SoN would prove much ees,e~.
Let Billy Sullivan retire from the White
soX and Comiskey's team wouldn't est
such wide swath in the race
lie same conditions exist In practically
every other big league team that boasts
OF only one real high-class catcher The
oackstop Is the real general OF the team
and when he Is forced to the bench b.
cause Of injuries or illness the team as q
rule founders about and makes a sorry
showing
catchers like King. Sullivan Bresna-
nan and many of the other stars in the
TWO Dig leagues help a team out no.
only by. fhefr excellent judgment in all
lhinss. out save many run by their
Willingness to take long chance in an
effort to catch a man mapping off a base
Chr1sty Mathewson, big Ed Walsh Cy
founs, Mordecai Brown and Overall are
few Of the many great pitchers in the
majors. They have the natural ability
that causes them to be feared by all big
league batters. Take away the favorita
oackstop of any of these great pitchers
and they will not be nearly so effective.
When Billy Sullivan was on the injured
list, I'D Walsh was not nearly so sue
cessful No one seemed 10 be able to
handle WalSh's splitter just like SuIly and
no one seemed to have the same tud.c-
ment In mixing them UP Oh the batter.
When Lew Criger was forced to take A.
year s. rest on account of illness Cy
Young bumped into the worst year of his
career. ArmbruSter. who caught Cy In
| number of the games he lost. was IN
able to handle the shoots of the veter-
an. Cy has one bad fault, and no one
knows it better than Criger The veteran
pays but little attention to the bases
| With Crtser catching, his great throw
| ing arm gets many a runner that would
steal easily with a less accurate pegger
I -AohJ VI tIS SdifleS were lOSl DIV ty IN
1906 because the runners stole with ease
| good catcher with brains is OF In
valuable aid to the pitcher. One seldom
sees the pitcher shake his head at any
| thing Sullivan, King, Bresnafan or anv
| OF the other good ones call for. The
pitcher realizes that the receiver has made
q careful study of the batters, and nine
times out of ten is willing to rely on his
| Judgment.
Aside from performing the mechanical
duties of his position and also putting on
thinking part. many of the catchers
have line of talk with them that helps
the pitcher and annoys the batter.
Doc" Powers of the Athletics keeps ND
continual chatter during the game tell
ing the pitcher how good he is, and be-
seeching him all the time to put more on
the ball Harry Bemis and Mig Clarke.
In a rather quiet way: are continually
offering words Of encouragement that Of
ten steady a pitcher just as he is about
to put on an ascension. Other catchers
differ In their mode of attack.
Catcher Billy Sullivan always has a line
Of talk on tap that plays havoc with the
chances of more than one man to hit the
ball safe. I shall never forget a little
conversation he had with Outfielder Kay
! who was with the Washington team for
a while.
| Cantillon picked up Kay from the Mar
tins Ferry team and the youngster came
into the big league with a batting record
that caused Ty Cobb to blush with shame.
| One day shortly after he joined the team
Washington was playing in Chicago and
Cantillon wanted to send man to hit in
the pinch for one of the pitchers He Sc
lected big Kay, and as the youngster
started for the plate Billy Sullivan who
was catching, greeted him with the fol-
lowing line of talk:
Let me see, I believe your name is
kay?" remarked Sully, as the big fellow
took his position at the plate.
Yes, that's it," he replied in a quiet
sort of way.
Il suppose you intend to lead the league
in hitting?"
While Kay was trying to think what
to say Walsh had slipped over strike
on him.
you hail from some place down
south, don't you?' continued Sully
Yes, I'm from Martins Ferry. West
Virginia. replied the big fellow, who
was getting more nervous every minute.
In the meantime Walsh had passed up
another beauty. at which the bewildered
Kay refused to offer. 1t was two and
nothing on him, ann the best thing he
had done SO far was answer Billy Sui
livan's questions. Joe CantiIon was
wearing out the bench wondering why
Kay didn't take A crack al one.
THE pitchers in this league are
trifie harder to hit than the boys down
at Martins Ferry continued the Chicago
catcher.
At this stage of the game Kay wasn't
quite sure for what purpose he had been
sent to the bat. Walsh sent up another
splitter Kay made a wild 1unge in the
air and missed it foot. He was just a.
we'll satisfied. for it evidently seemed as
if he had been year at the plate. As
he started his way to the bench Sui
Ivan couldn't resist ending up the affair
with the following:
Never mind, young fellow; Walsh
strikes out a lot of fellows during the
year" Kay was thinking too much
about what Cantillon would say to give
any answer.
Sullivan had practically talked the now
recruit into striking out This is just
sample of ,Suly's everyday work behind
the bat He is always taking the batter's
attention off the main purpose by keep
Ing UP a line of conversation
There are a hundred different ways, in
which a catcher can prove his value 20 a
team. of which the above mentioned are
only a few.
Good catcherS always in demand.
and although every year the different big
league teams try out many; few arc for.
tunate enough to make good.
The real value placed on catcher was
demonstrated a few weeks ago, when
Comiskey offered $4,000 for the veteran
Lew Criger. only TO have ii refused