The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-07-29
HOW THEY BAT

Ever notice how the Indians
come to bat? Connors walks over
Indifferent to what the opposing
battery is trying to cook up for
him. 1t is merely matter of plac-
ing the hit with Buck. He knows
he's going to connect. Brinker is
tigher drawn and nervous. He
watches; the pitcher more than the
ball and is set for quick start all
the time. II anything, he is bit
too anxious.
Altman is calm and easy until he
gets in a hole. With three balls
and two strikes he is prone to em--
brace the idea that the wider the
next one is the more incumbent 1t
is upon him to swing at 1t. II the
fit to- strike out descends on him,
it's useless to hope further. But
the Dutchman has nothing chronic
of this sort. He's altogether likely
to meet 1t hard unless it's better
ball to dump it. Clynes is figuring
all the time when be comes up and
depends rather strong on the re-
suits he works out in advance.
Sometimes he miscalculates and
that occasionally occurs when hit
is needed most and Jack is figuring
hardest. Stevens works good
deal along the same lines, with
possibly better knack of watch
ing the ball. He doesn't fan very
often, but he swings under usually
and puts it in the air.
Burnett goes up to kill it then
and there. Too bloodthirsty at
times, he swings in advance of the
ball and ceases his functions just
prior to the instant when he should
embark for first. 1t Is exhilirating
to see how much in earnest Jack
Is about it, however. Weed is more
cautious at the plate, and some
times entirely too much so on
bases. He Is not a sprinter, and
knows it, but there is no occasion
for grief when he faces the pitcher.
Brown is perhaps the most I'M
certain proposition of the bunch.
He is wise to the tricks of the
trade, but ordinarily ne is not ex-
pected to disturb the outfield
atmosphere. Yet Dad has broken
up games and is liable to turn the
trick any time. He goes under a
hard strain at bat and stiffens him4
self, with muscles too tense. Ostt
dick doesn't know what he's going
to do when he goes up, but he has
theories as to what he'll try to do
While not the fastest, he is prob1
ably the headiest base runner OF
them all. And frequently he inI
kerrupts the ball with his stick i'm
manner that gets results. Spent
Ger responds to his turn deterJ
mined to slam it if he can He's a
wise little head and when they get
him it is not because Stub isn't
swinging all he knows how. I
Among the regular pitchers Jen-
sen is the most feared. He has
slambang faculty that often puts
the field clear to the bad on it's
calculations. Jensen is always In
earnest and rarely nervous. Gregg
doesn't pretend to bat much, but
he is built for it and ought to make
a sticking pitcher with practice.
Rasty Wright is another puzzle at
times. Going to bat is just like go
ing to dinner with him. He takes
long arm swing that generally
lifts the ball high. but If it hap
pens to reach unoccupied territory
some haste is advisable in getting
1t back. Holm's will is good and
strength sufficient. If he'd go to
the plate as a ball player and not
as a pitcher, fortified by his nat
ural determination to do some
thing, his name would creep up the
hitting column. Killilay is never
certain of himself with the stick,
any more than he is always certain
OF himself in the box, but he finds
1t now and then.