The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
CATCHER AND FIRST BASEMAN
STARS IN THESE POSITIONS
ARE THE SCARCEST.
Professional Baseball Has Developed
Fewer OF Them Than Players OF Same
Relative Degree Of skill for Other
Places in the Lineup Of the Diamond.

Professional Baseball Has Developed
Fewer Of Them Than Players OF Same
Relative Degree Of SIKH for Other
Places In the Lineup Of the
1t is a recogniz ed fact that star catohers
in professional baseball. catchers OF the
same relative degree Of skill as thlrd
basemen, shortstops and other positions
of the diamond, are fewer propoTtionateiy
than the stars of other positions, WIZ
the number of catchers who are developed
each club carrying W at the least
1t doesn't seem that this ought TO be 30
No team carries two third basemen, two
first basemen or two players for any
other position except pitcher. le'
catchers of the really first rank nave oeel
and are the hardest to find.
The requirements OF the position doupt.
less have something to do with ". VI
good mechanical catchers there Is nc
, lack, but in those matters OF general
ship. head work-whatever the subtle
something is that the catcher must nave
in addition to the good arm and the watch.
full eve for BASE ~runners-the nntional
game is none too we'll provided IN its
b~ackstops. We all know how valuable
such a catcher is to a team with his knowl-
edge of batters, his ability TO direct his
pitcher, his ability 10 oversee the de-
~fensive play and adjust it 20 suit the
attack points of play which are all I'M
p~ortant. though quietly done n not
in the limelight. :,
To argue that the positions which call
for the most work develop the most stars
would not do, because the catcher is a
very busy man. More actual exertion
falls to his lot than 10 anybody except
the pitcher. In the long and prosperous
course which the national game has run
the development of players by the various
positions is an interesting study. IL
has been an Uneven development.
A striking proof Of this latter state OF
affairs is to be found at first base. There Is
a position which the occupant OF some
other place on the team may tell YOU is
soft. IL that is so it nevertheless Is a
fact that top notch first basemen are
scarcer than top notch second basemen
sbortstops or third basemen. Maybe
the possibilities Of the position have
been slower in being realized and en-
larged. il is reasonable to suppose tina
the men who play frat are az intelligent
as any others. That being the case. IT
also is reasonable to suppose that they
would be as quick to realize on the pos
sibilities Of the place. Then why is II
that there has been a comparative
sea rcity OF star first basemen?
The hest first sacker in the country to-
day is Hal Chase. BY some be is consid-
cred the hest that ever played the bag
1t is true that his ability as a base runner
as an inside player, mis- speed and quick
grasp of points add to his reputation
but as a first baseman pure and simple
he also excels. He doesn't make any less
errors than his contemporaries-he ma!
make more-but a m iority OF these are
due to his superior agility in getting TO q
ball and planning and making the pla!
! before his COMPANIONS ale ready for II
I His style too adds to his reputation; III
has ma gnetism on the field. Perhaps wer'
be a bit more Of a plodder. had n bi'
more stability. SO to speak, he might ht
still better.
Style and rapidity of action aside
Chase has solid ability as a first sack guar
dian. and we come back to the main point
which is that in spite Of the long list OF
first basemen there have been few OF the
Chase class; OF the present DAY mrs,
/ DHkFI Ilsu Ill ttlC III ueuS go. W. 's~
/ Jiggs D%onohue. Chance and Tenney you
have named them all; and there are one
OF two Of these who are not Chase'e equa
in taking all sorts of thrown balls anc
killing hunts.
Now as to, what the position has pro,
duced in the past. Comiskey was a stsl
in his day-a great first baseman. The
bold and rugged figure Of Arson Away:
will stand out. but it was more because
he was a great batsrnan n successful
manager. MoKinnon was considered thf
best fielding first baseman OF his time,
but he wasn't the versatile man at the
bag that Chase is. Start, Morrill, and Long
John Reilly were good in the hygone
DAYS. but never acquired the preemi.
hence OF the Chases and Chances
Tom Tucker in his day was 80 much
above the general run of first basemen
as To be a conspicuous figure. while there
never was a better man on thrown balls
respects. Brouthers, Orr and O'Connor
were hard hitting first basemen WHO did
not shine especially as fielders. Harry
Davis is a hard hitter and not tar from
the top rank as a fielder. Beck'ey and
Ieheau were versatile, Camel an ac-
McGann uneainly but reliable when in
his prime. Hugh Jennings was II fine
first baseman the short time he played the
bag. All had good points. but the work
Of only a feN-fve or siS-has made first
base play stand out clear cut and con-
spicuous.
second base has produced men who arr
more nearly matched in skill McFhee
PfeAcr. Gerhardt. Dunlap, Burdocli
Danny Richardson. Quest, Cupid Childs
Lajoie, Wise, Lowe. Reitz, .Ritchey
Williams, Gilbert. Evers, Tom DAILY ano
Schaerer. 1t has some ne wcomers toe
who are holding their own in attain
ments at the middle pillow, namely.
Miller of Pittsburg, knahe Of Philadel'
phia, Collins Of the Athletics and McCon.
nell OF the Boston Rex SoI.
Take third base. where the drives com
hotter of the bat than to any other in,
field stand. and the list of first class mer
who have been turned out is long anc
notable. There vas the old time
Charley Smith, and later Billy Nash, tn,
wonderful thrower; Jerry Denny. whc
scorned the glove; Lave Cross, he Of tn,
huge glove and knee stop: McGraw
Tom Burns. Ross Barnes Of the '7Os
Jimmy Collins. the best of them all. anc