Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-17

ally unstable "outlaws' or leave the
game for the joys Of peddling shoes or
selling cookbooka
King Bee Of the Game.
The interest Of organized ball centers
In the omnipotent national commission,
and, its chairman, Garry Hermann Of
Cincinnati, is the big man Of the game.
Yet 1t will always be recognized that
the players are the lifeblood Of the
game, and the magnates spend much
Of their time trying to convince the
players that they are nothing Of the
sort. Players like Hans Wagner,
Christy Mathewson, Napoleon Lajoie,
Tyrus Cobb. Mordecai Brown. Johnny
Evers, Sam Crawford, Fielder Jones,
Terry Turner, Cy Seymour. Roy Thorn
as, Miller Higgins. Bill Bradley. Fred
Clarke, ETC., are as the stars In dra-
ma. The magnate is in a sense their
business manager, but the 1atter's pow
er has encroached beyond its natural
sphere because of his long standing
ability to secure high class legal advice
in the drawing Of contracts. For this
reason there will probably never be
another Brotherhood war, when the
players had the magnates beaten, but
they didn't know it, and somebody
else did. And this particular somebody
worked successfully the most stable
bluff in baseball history. The Brother
hood laid down its hand.
When McGraw Gives an Order.
But the players vocation has seldom
been one that went hand in hand with
business ability. The excitement and
uncertainty Of their careers have a
marked effect on their temperaments.
For this reason but few Of them mako
success as team managers. The sue
cessful manager must lose his heart
and cultivate his head. He must see
that his orders are obeyed. A clew to
the managerial success Of John Nc
Graw Of the New York Nationals is
had in the following true story:
The New York team was one run be-
hind in the ninth-a man on first and
none out.
clay it down." said "Muggsy" to the
batter.
The man stepped up to the plate,
saw straight one coming over. swung
at it and lifted the ball over the fence.
AS he trotted in to the bench at the
/ end Of his home run, proud because he
had won the day, the manager barked
at him:
you're fined fifty. When say bunt
I mean bunt."
And the fine was paid into the club
treasury too. Ask Cy Seymour II It
wasn't.
| McGraw and Chance Of Chicago and
Jennings Of Detroit want their orders
obeyed. They themselves will take the
responsibility for the failure Of their
plan Of action. They have small time
to bother with players who worry over
the wisdom of the managers advice.
Trick Plays to Be Sprung.
| Every baseball season has at least
predominating or distinguishing fea-
lures. Indications are that the present
campaign will prove one essentially Of
trick plays. Work at the spring train
ing camps Of the big teams showed
this. The squeeze play, essentially q
trick, has variations In application to
other bases than third, where It has
been invariably used; new base run
worked by one manager; a distinctly
new curve has been originated, accord
ing to two or three well known pitch
ers, etc.
Also the ''knuckle ball." successor to
the famous 'spit ball' curve, win, 1t is
believed, be perfected by several twirl-
ers Of an experimental turn Of mind.
The knuckle ball was discovered last
year. Jack csTax'} Neuer, the New
York American recruit of a year ago,
is said to have mastered three styles
! qf delivery Of the '.fooiers.''
One Of these, which we VIII term the
Single knuckle" because only the In
dex finger Is bent down on the palm.
with the ball resting on the flrst joint,
takes the place Of the drop. It floats
up much like a; slow splitter, hangs 70,
moment and fails away abruptly
downward. One Of the others. or 'dou.
BILE knuckle," is grasped by thumb and
two outside fingers Of the hand, with
the index and big fingers bent down to
form the cushion. This gives 4 curve
which may be controlled 80 as to break
either way.
i The triple knuckle," or that which
rests on the knuckles OF the three IN
side fingers and is grasped by little nn
ger and thumb, Is the one on which
the pitcher puts the steam. II II claim
ed that with this curve one can get ar
| upshoot or "raise" Of severnl inches.