Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-09-14
BATTING is CHIEF FACTOR.
Limit of Genius Has Seemingly Been
Reached in National Game,

| When the original designers of a
oasebaH diamond made the distance
between the bases 80 feet they put A.
problem up to the coming genera
| TONS that for forty years has puzzled
the brains of the greatest students of
| the game. And it appears that these
men have about reached the limit of
| tnelr genius, despite the fact that
| Charles Ebbets says the game is still
IN its infancy. The pioneers in the
| game of baseball little knew on what
| me lines they were figuring when they
! nxed the distance between the bases
| me distance was based on their cal
| culatlons as to how long it would take
| a batted ball to be felded and thrown
| TO first base. The speed of the runner
| was also taken into consideration. The
accuracy of their calculations is prov
ed by the fact that they have not been
was played by the old Knickerbockers
| on the green's around New York
AS the runners developed in speed
the fielding developed with them, and
the bone of contention-90 feet--is yet
beyond the possession of either party
to the struggle Every year some in
ventive genius discovers a mote by
which either distance or speed can be
overcome, but as fast as they execute
their plan, the other side formulates
a plan of defense and offsets it. While
first base is the initial object point
the basis for future calculations. The
showing of men around the bases is
what tangles the brains of the think
ers. The sacrifice hit was first invent
ed to advance a man, even at the cost
of putting a man out, but the defensive
side of the game came right back
with schemes to kill the sacrifice
The players have become so accurate
in making everyday plays that the
thinker can calculate accurately Oh
: i've hot
ordinary circumstances. He then sets
about to create an extraordinary cir
cumstance, which as a rule is effec-
tive until it becomes no longer extra
ordinary through familiarity with it's
workings. During the last 20 years
the game has brought out many gem
fuses Those who stand out promi-
nently are John McGraw. Johnny Ev-
ers, Fred Clarke, Frank Chance, Tom
my Leach. Hughey Jennings, Ty Cobb.
Connie Mack, Joe McGinnity, Jack
Dunn and Sammy Strang. The latter
three are out of the big leagues now
but some of the plays they planned
and executed will be remembered for
many years to come. Sammy Strang
is generally credited with having orig
mated the delayed steal which is one
of the prettiest plays in the game The
delayed steal, when once worked by a
single base runner opened the way for
many variations. McGinnity and Dunn
invented the play for killing a sacri-
fee from second That was many years
ago, but it is still used with good re-
suits. AS a matter of fact there have
been very few new plays during the
last ten years. most of them being
merely variations of an old one. Still
it is Interesting to watch the gradual
development to what now locks to us
like perfection. After all, the scien-
ti1c perfection of base running will
only lead to one thing. The teams will
become so evenly balanced in that art
that the winning strength will fall
back on the old proposition as to
which has the best batIers. Batting
is the milk of the ba seball cocoanut