Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-02
GENERAL GOSSIP OF INTEREST
TO THE LOCAL BASE BALL FANS
Players in Major Leagues From Pacific Coast.
Rumor of Cleveland gh1anders Trade---Hahn
of Chicago and Cobb of Detroit---New
Umpire--Game More Scien-
tific Today.

The Tigers have always been high strung
scrappy sort of fellows. Fights hav
been numerous among them and Cobb ha
often figured in these quarrels.
THE boys hitting has won half tn
games Detroit has won this season. H
will quit the team for few days only
1t II wins while he is absent no doub
everything will go we'll. If the team lose
| there will be trouble.
Further, 1t has always been noticeable
that marriage results in falling off O
playing ability. Base ball is the mos
jealous of mistresses. Devotion to
variably Furnishes 1t by visiting the traito
with all sorts of bad luck
1t looks very much as if there woule
League next year. and reports have i,
that he will not take a back seat for any
one. His name is Perrine, and he will
come from the Pacific Coast League. He
is said to frequently silence rebellious
subject by a retort that cuts to the bone
An instance of this kind occurred the
other day at Los Angeles. Mohler was al
the bat. 1t is said he will resort to al
most any trick or device to reach first
base. The umpires are wise to him and
when he is up they keep their wits about
them. The opposing pitcher threw up a
slow one. 1t was inside the plate. Mohler
saw chance of letting the ball brush
him without getting hurt and he did.
Dali tWO, ycliSU 1cTTIHe, DIS NOuIeI
threw his bat away and started for first.
Then Mohler pointed to his arm where
the ball kissed him and started some
thing about a player having to be killed
to get to first base in that league. This
nettled Perrine. who rejoined. "a player
forty years old ought to know better. Go
on back and try something new" The
reference to Mothers age cut him. Moh-
Ter is not forty. even if he has a few
silver locks.
Old-timers to the contrary. base ball is
faster than it was twenty years or thirty
years ago. AS well known authority
says. the game is faster and harder.
was in the days Of Mike Kelly. More
team work. more inside ball, more clever
~ executed plays-that's modern base
ball
Bunting, sacrifice hitting. the double
steal. the hit-and-run game, the squeeze
play and other strategic plays unknown
or Impractical by the ancients have.
worked Transformation in the game.
Modern base ball makes more demands
on the players it necessitates more ground
covering. quicker headwork and faster
foot work. The development of bunting
has called for more speed in the work Of
the catchers. pitchers. first and third
basemen. The third baseman must be
prepared to come In fast to cut of bunts;
the catcher must be able to cover ground
In front of the plate as well as behind it.
Formerly. too. the catcher played back
near the stand when no one was on bases
and from his position could make COM
paratively easy work of the high fouls
Now the catcher is up under the bat" all
the time and has to go back fast in order
to take the fouls. The catcher of today
must not only be sure backstop and a
strong thrower. but fast man in cover
ing ground about the plate. In short. the
changes in the game have greatly widened
the territory which certain players are
expected to cover.
Not only in batting but in fielding new
plays nave been invented. Great players
have studied the possibilities of their po-
sitions and have devised improvements
upon the conventional style of play.
Some Of the old individual stars were
the EQUALS or superiors of the best players
of today. But as teams they were de-
ficient in a knowledge OF many innova-
lions and discoveries which make base
ball the greatest of games.