Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-08-10
UTILITY MAN MUST
MAKE GOOD IN
ANY POSITION
Baseball Understudy important
PerSonagei Variegated Set Of
Brains Essential to His Sue
cess With Big League Teams
by GEORGE HOWARD
Utility. Chicago Nationals.

Since Arthur Holman. one time be-
inc the ntilitv man of rho country has
'' Nv P'''''0" 'S7"'
OH the NhleaGo National team, George
Howard, or Del" as he is known 10
his friends has succoadnd him in TIM
,y,a a,, .
- -" zoe y
most acceptance substitute.
Hp'dklhE OF the WORK OF the utiiitN
man ioWard says 1t Is very muci
h'foer TO SIT on the pench READY AT au
tlfles 10 jump IN to axe the place OF
some other player thah II IS TO De IN
inc game every day. Sitting and wait
lllE, probably FOR Il week at a Tune
what YOU can do, IS, to say the least
very lrksolne' on see your ieiloN
players out ON the field running
around enjoying themselves and WIN
nlng the plaudits of the spectators
ana You have to stay there and e"2l
your h'es II smother your inpa-
tlchee "S best you may.
An of a sudden. some day when
YOU least expect it, the manager calls
ON o to go in and play. Your fell
low players are rather chary Of you,
and the people in the stand look upon
YOU with eye askance. 1t is up to you
to get out n fill the other fellows
shoes; yes. even do better, otherwise
the wrath OF the enraged multitude
Will descend on your undeserving
head. Get into the game without any
chance of warming up and. nine out
of ten, at a critical moment when to
make good means to win and to slip
up means to lose. Small wonder that
YOU are nervous.
The slightest error draws down on
YOU a pile of criticism. Should the
regular player have made the same
mistake it would lot lave been no.
ticed, but with the utility mar it is
set down in big black letters on the
page of the managers blacklist.
"A very hort time, even five min
utes, may settle the life of a man as
a ballplayer. In the highly nervous
state of mind and body that you are
in when you get your try out. you
do yourself justice. There Is
nothing moro calling than to be taken
Of the game for some little Of
Tense. when you know deep down in
your heart that you have the markings
of a good tirst-class ball tosser.
You have to be able to play both
in the diamond and the garden. and
this requires a rather variegated set
If brains. Many a player may have
necessary mechanical ability Ia
play both inheld and outneld, but
when given a chance out of their reg
llar position, fail because they have
1ot the needed adaptability of mind.
Il was a hard thing indeed to be able
o put into effect the different plays
rom the different positions without
IN instant's hesitation.
For instance, AXE a man who Is
playing the outfeld and put him in
he infcld. Is it easy for him to scoop
up a hot %groundcr and drive the ball
o first. or second. whatever the case
nay be. without stopping to think or
axe a look around?"
"Or. again, put a man in the out
ield who has beer used to playing
me of the inneld positions. He is ac-
to having balls come at him
With terrific speed. He knows how
o stop them and what to do with
hem when he gets them. His throws
re short and quick, but now he has
q wait while the ball is coming out
q him. He has to figure what effect
wind may have on IT., and his
brow must be long and accurate.
"a little while ago the utility man
7as looked on as n substitute. a per-
of no great value to a team.
however, things have
Nou no is a necessary