The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-09
WAYS OF SLIDING.
Practice Not Dangerous If Players
 Can Handle Themselves.

In view of the fact that a good many of the Yale team are laid up as re- suit of sliding to bases the following, by the manager of last years cham pions In the American league will be of unusual interest to all ball players and fans, Jennings has always been noted for his skill in running bases and re- gently he entered Into an Interesting conversation with some friends in Bal- timore, Here is what he had to say:
 Base sliding is not dangerous when the player knows how to do 1t, and spikes are not dangerous when the player knows how to handle the man that is coming In, The great success in saving yourself in base running Is to slide when you start to do it. New CT hesitate. The man who starts slide and tries to stop Is a goner sure. If he doesn't break an ankle he Is lucky. The base runner should throw all his strength into the slide and he won't get hurt. I recall that we always had half dozen files In the Baltimore club house to sharpen our spikes with. The diamond thero was especially hard and rough and the spikes wore down easily, so we had 10 sharpen them ev- cry day But We did not let the op- posing club know that was the reason. Two or three of them would come out to the club house and they'll find the crowd sitting on the benches filing away at their spikes the raspIng noise filling the room as though it were a machine shop, Look out for us today, was always the admonition, and, of course, they went away pretty we'll de- termned Co take no chances with us on the bases. As a matter of fact, there Is hardly any chance of an innelder be- ing spiked If he plays his game right and tho runner is only trying to get to the base. No matter how a base run ner goes Into a bag, he cannot hurt the indelder If the latter is in the right | position. McGraw, as often as every | opponent on the field tried to get him. was never spiked until Dick Harley handed 1t to him when he had no req ] son to do SO. McGraw always made the base slider carry him Into the bag. The only man who has a chance to get hurt by spikes in baseball, If he is 1 playing his game the way he should, Is l the first sacker. He must keep his foot on the bag, and he ls therefore bound to get nipped more or less. But nobody wants to hurt first haseman
 In present day baseball 1 don't know of one of them who is al all offensive
 They are almost always, for sonie req son or other, good, big-hearted chaps
 that nobody would purposely hurt. oi them all in the American league know of but one who might invite trou.
 ble. and that Is Jiggs Donohue. Dono.
 hue and had several rows last yea and We told each other pretty plainl, what we were thinking. 1 guess. But
 Jiggs proved himself q man every incl
 of him after the season was over wher
 he came to our hotel during the worlC
 series talked 10 the boys advised then
 and encouraged them We buried thi
 hatchet after that. Nobody wants tt
 hurt q first baseman. It's sort of un
 written law that, as the poor chaI
 must keep his foot there. it isn't fai
 to cut him Matty Mcintyre, for in
 stance, would have played all last yea
 if he hadn't turned his ankle to say,
 Bob Cnglaub."
 Jennings concluded: King Kelle.
 once offered to bet Jack Crooks s tha
 he could give him the ball, be 10 fee
 away from the bag and make it with
 out being touched He was so ceve
 in lodging one way when the fielde ; expected him to go the opposite the couldn't touch him Crooks decline to take the bet He knew Kelle , could do 1t, Famous as Kelley was fo
 his work on the bases, Ty Cobb Is
 better base runner, for Ty has nor
 speed and is equally tricky in gettln
 around the man with the ball Watch E ing the guardian of tho sack. of eoura U is the great trick in base sliding To U can usually tell by the way he Is stand ' ing which direction the ball s comin U from, and 1t Is your cue to go the or y posite way. But even in this there U always the chance of being outgenel V aled. It's an old trick of the feldt U to hold his hands on his hips and pr' tend the ball is not coming towar him. You go slow to your side, an he suddenly becomes animated gral
 the ball and tags you. Or he will lea Q in one direction for the ball and the o dodge over and take 1t from anothe L and, unless you can outguess him, q has you"