Evening star., 1909-06-13
BUNTS WORRY THIRD
BASEMEN THE MOST
Modern System and Sacrifice
Hits Add to Their
LabOrS.

Bunting is responsible for most of the
troubles of the third baseman. writes
Eddie Grant. third sacker of the Quaker
Nationals. in the Philadelphia North
American. l imagine that in the old
| days, before the present scientific game
was reduced to a system, the third sack
er found his position a comparatively
easy one to play, for in the natural
| course of events fewer balls were hit to
him than to the shortstop and second
baseman. Moreover. not so many run
ners reached third base, and fewer plays
were pulled off there.
But bunting has made 1t lard job.
Now, in addition to being ready to ham
die the hard shots. and they come pretty
fast to the third baseman, who is nearer
the batter than anybody excepting the
pitcher. the third baseman must be on
MS toes all the time to dash in and field
the bunts.
With man on first base the sacrifice
pay is almost inevitable, and the ball
VIII be turned either toward third base
or first.
Danger When Batter Switches.
But 1t must be rememb cred tnat not
every man who pre,ends to sacrifice real
ly does so.
Many hitter will switch suddenly,
and' finding tnat he has the third base
man IN close. will suddenly swing on the
bai with full force III an effort to hit it
over your head. In this play there is ac-
tual peril. for hardly a traction of a sec
ond is permitted the third sacher to ue-
eide what to DO
Inc third baseman who plays In too
c.ose exposes himself to the danger of
" 10 &c, -
letting the ball get away, 10 the uetrlment
OF MS teams S chances to win If he plays
100 deeply he viii lose the hitter on
buntS.
70 deal with this situation the best
thlnS 10 do is to play back in the regular
position and dasn in when the ball is
pitched.
II You see the hitter taking the bat up
short In preparation for bunting come
right in, SO as to be in a position to re-
cover the ball quickly ana hustle It to
first base.
II instead he draws back for a swing
stop where you are in order to be able to
make a pay on hard hit ball
ZOO much practice and thought cannot
De put to this play, for the third base
man will find it one of the hardest he has
to execute.
Like the shortstop, the third baseman
must be able to throw from the position
In which he gets the BALL
II playing very deep, especially on a
Dail which he recovers close to the line,
IT is all right to draw up and throw the
pail overland, but on a bunt the under
hand snap throw is preferable because it
Will get the ball to second base a good
deal quicker.
Often when coming in on a bunt it is
good tactics to pick up the ball one
handed and whip it TO first base. the only
little more likely to tumble than when
you go after it with both hands.
Team Work With Shortstop.
Have your plans we'll mapped out with
the shortstop.
The only kind of balls where you and he
are likely to conflict Is on slow bounders
| hit to your left. On hits of this kind it is
generally good policy for the third base
man to take the ball. for he is in better
| position to get it just a bound or two
| quicker than the shortstop
The shortstop has to come running In
| for such ball, and by the time he gets
to 1t there is danger that the runner will
have beaten it out But the third base
| man, going fast to his left. can get there
| just little quicker and is in a good posi-
| ton for quick throw.
| 1t is these ajust a little quicker" plays
| that decide games.
Watch that you do not leave third ba Sc
| uncovered when you come in for a bun,
with man on first base.
Properly this is not your duty. 1t Is
really up to the shortstop to go over to
| the base when you are pulled out of your
position to field a bunt, but do not stand
| on the point. Get back to the bag as fast
| as you can the minute you have thrown
| the ball. SO that, providing the shortstor
has overlooked bet or is busy elsewhere
| you are on the job to cover the bag and
prevent the man on fist from coming
| right on around to third.
ANY time a runner gets away with this
| play, making two bases on an infield out
| 1t Is sign of very poor base ball on the
| part of the team in the field
Let the shortstop take high flies direct
| ly back of you or else leave lem to the
| left fielder.
These flies make lot of trouble. They
are very hard to gauge. The shortstop
| is in better position to get such balls
| than the third baseman. for the latter
| has to run directly backward while the
| shortstop is going out and to the side
and can see the ball all the time.
Throwing to the Plate.
Throw overland to the plate when you
| are aiming to cut off a runner there
| Supposing a man on third base and the
| ball is hit to you. The play at the
plate will be close Therefore you want
| to help the catcher all you can. Snap the
| ball underhand and he will have trouble
to see it, for it arrives about the same
| time as the runner
But put it overland and he can catch
| the motion of the throw and follow the
| course of the ball better.
| Give close attention to foul flies 4
good third baseman can get these down
| to a science. With a little speed and
quick judgment of the ball. he can tell
| where they are likely to go, and how far
| he can move to get them.
| Watch the condition of the pay at a.
| times Remember nothing does so much
damage as to get the man who is neares,
| home. and keep this constantly in mind
| when the ball is hit to you.
| Any time you can get grouadar ir
| time enough to get at second a runne,
| who has been on first, you weaken tna1
| far not only the enemy's ch. noes to ge.
| a run, but it's nerve.
| Throw the ball hard. The boy who has
any weakness in his throwing will not i'm
| prove his arm by throwing carefully. /,
is this tossing that leads to the bad
| throw
| Bring your arm back and shoot the
| ball with full power all the time. no mat
| ter where the ball goes and you viii
| either in short time get your throw
| right or convince yourself that you have
no business trying to play third base.