The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-28
: TOUCHING SECOND S#E;
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| with the major league clubs, and the
discovery of really great player is
as unusual as the finding of koh-
moor. There is a moderate supply of
'fgood' players. men Of the ordinary
ability. but extremely few of the Cobb,
Wagner, Speaker, Mathewson, Brown,
King and Leach class.
This scarcity Of ttgreat" players as
distinguished from Hgood" players. has
been ono of tho sources Of trouble
to organized baseball, because it has
served to make both classes dissatis-
fed. The "great" players think they
should be paid proportt,onately great
when admitting the superiority Of the
others, cannot be persuaded to figure
the difference of ability in dollars and
cents Beyond doubt, also, there has
come with the securing of absolute pow
er over the game and its players,
desire of the club owner to hold down
salaries, especially of young and am
bilious players. Frequently the aspir-
ing player is offered far tess by the
major league clubs than he received In
the smaller leagues. He sometimes ac-
cepts in order to win promotion, but
the policy has served to reduce fur,
ther the supply of really good players.
The close specialization in the mod
ern game would amaze persons who
rate all players merely as "ball play
ers,' forgetting that the president of
railroad is a "railroad man. just
as the brakeman is. Players now come
as specialists in certain positions and
insist upon signing to play that position
alone. There are rare men, such as
Leach of Pittsburg, Parent of the Chi
cago White Sox, Hoffman of the Cubs,
and Wagner, who can play in almost
any position. In way this specializa-
Jlon has assisted the makers of teams
greatly Each teambuilder knows ex-
actly In what position his club is weak.
and under the close classification in
the modern game he is not compelled
to look over the entire field for his
man. If he needs second baseman he
seeks through that class instead Of
among Hinfielders. -
Yet some of the biggest baseball
finds of years have resulted from
The fact that managers knew better
than men themselves where their prop
er positions were. In many instances
men taken from one position and placed
IN another Immediately showed remark
able Improvement. Frank Chance, the
peerless leader of the Chicago Cubs,
was catcher, He declared he could
not play first base, and refused to play
there, threatening to retire from base
coit "o'h 4hduHScE Cclce OTUCTPG MIN
to that position. Even then he baked,
until Selee offered him an increased sal
ary, when he reluctantly consented to
make the attempt. Roger Bresnahan
imagined he was pitcher, tried the
inteId, failed at both places, but then
developed INTO one of the greatest OF
catchers. Fred Parent. after bril-.
liant career as a shortstop and fair
showing as second baseman. late in
his career discovered that he was a bet
ter player in the out6eld than in the
lnheid;; Joe Tinker refused to play
shortstop, insisting that he was third
baseman, and was persuaded with diff.
hculty to try the position at which he
became famous.
Sometimes this specialization Of play
ers is imagination on the part of play
ers who fail to study their own short |
comlngs and advantages in order TO ii
themselves into the proper place. 4
third baseman. for instance, does not
need the speed required to play short. |
stop, but he must have weight. be able |
to start forward quickly, and have the |
strength and the courage 10 block hard |
line drives: Besides these things he |
must be able to throw either underhand |
or overland ball, and be hard fast
thrower
a shortstop must be able to move
toward his right rapidly, start TOR.
ward quickly, and at the same time
must be able to move TO his left, TO-
ward or back of second base, and re.
cover quickly after making stops in
necessarily awkward position. Above
all things, he must be able To throw
either underhead or overhead from any
position. An example Of the possib;i-
iles In shortstop acrobatcs WAS a play
made by Doolan of Philadelphia, who
hlle IN the act of throwing II FIRST
base spiked In the neck a base r,nncr
IN route from second 10 third He
aust have thrown with both feet of
he ground,
The second baseman must have a
.ast snap throw from any position, es.
oecially an underhand snap throw while
'cooplng slow balls at top speed and /
ne must be able TO move faster toward
us left than to the right The out.
ie!ders specialize in regard to their
ability to come in or go out, and wheth.
r tney run faster to the right or 10
he left, the center fielder alwavs be-
ng the best Of the three In going out
yard and catching balls over his head, 4
The needs of each position are treat
ID later in detail, in studying the pc
;ularities of the duties Of each part
# the machine,
basepall players OIL the major leagues
low are an intelligent, clean. set Of
men; this of necessity, regardless of
heir moral scruples. They are being
ecruited from higher levels of social
nd educational development and they
.G,cupy a position unique in sports.
hey are professionals, Yot are received
nd regarded as higher amateurs. The
'layer who reaches the major leagues
as reached the postgraduate course
# a moral and physical training school
nd proved his worth. He is The sur
lvlng fittest OF the game. A few un-
Il survive, hut not for long. Ball
laying, as profession. is now regard
d as an honorable means of IiveE.
ood and a field for profitable use OF
alents.
ITO BE Continued)