The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1910-09-02
UONAxlyV
SECOND
BY Johnny Eyers and Hugh Fullerton
CONTINUED from last weekly

Continued from last week.
kind of a ball is about to be delivered.
This style, while effective, is extreme
ly dangerous for the batter, as to
guess wrong is to court serious in
jury. In n game at Cincinnati a few
years ago, Coakley pitching, Mccain
tried to outguess him. He guessed
a curve was coming, and his wrist
was broken by a fast inshoot. Two
innings later Bresnahan guessed
wrong and was knocked senseless.
But not all of batting is hitting the
ball. There is method in the jockey
ing of the batter. The moment a bat
ter steps to the plate with the bases
clear the game becomes a duel be-
tween him and the pitcher, and al
though the crowd may be calling for
him to hit, his intention may be not
to hit until compelled so to do. His
first effort is to "get the pitcher in
the hole;" that is, make him pitch
enough balls so the batter can be GER
tain the next n will be yer the
plate. For, if the batter knows the
ball is coming straight the chances
of making a base hit are doubled.
Then, too, the batter may be under
orders to follow out a managers plan
of battle. frequently a manager,
feeling certain the game will be close,
orders his men to wait. The waiting
q ho o;fhor IN 1icooyor u,hofhor tho
pitcher is likely to become wild, OF to
wear him out. Each batter then, in
stead Of hitting, tries to make the
pitcher throw as many balls as pos
sible.. If a batter can get three balls,
foul off three, and then strike out, he
may have accomplished far more
toward the final result than he would
have done had he made a base hit
off the first ball pitched. The average
number of balls pitched by one pitch
er in a game of nine innings will run
about 125, and every additional ball
pitched wearies the pitcher. Many
ninth inning rallies" by which spec
tacular games are won, are the results
of the waiting of the batters who
struck out during the early innings.
Chance is a great believer in the
waiting game, and insists upon his
men trying out pitchers during the
early innings of games, especially new
and unfamiliar pitchers, believing that
what each man discovers, will help
the succeeding batters.
The practice of getting to first base
by allowing the pitched ball to hit
them, is more general with batters
than usually is supposed.
Scores of batters each season make
the ball hit them, and take first in
spite of the rules. The umpires must
Judge from the actions of the men
whether they tried to avoid the ball,
and in most cases any contortion of
the arms is construed as such an eff
fort, especially when there is a large
home crowd onathe field. In the sea-
son of 1908, during the fierce struggles
of New York. Chicago and Pittsburg
for the pennant, New York won three
games from Chicago because players
allowed themselves to be hit, and they
came near winning the game in which
they played off the tie by the same
method-the second batter up throw
ing his arms across the plate and
making the ball hit him. McGraw's
verbal orders to players to get hit
were audible in the stands, and in n
game Doyle made three attempts to
get hit before he succeeded and then
was allowed to walk.
Umpire O'Day unmasked one trick
on the Polo grounds that same season
which was l%aughabre. Bresnahan was
batting and, while wiggling a la
Salome, he kept pushing his knees
out toward the ball. O'Day stopped
the game, ordered Bresnahan to ad-
Just his clothing. Bresnahan argued,
but O'Day made him obey, while the
crowd roared at the umpire. Bresna-
han had Stuffed his shirt front out six
inches. and inflated his trouser legs
three inches i'll order to give the ball
more surface to hit.
Such tricks, however, are outside
the real sphere of baseball and are
the final resorts Of desperate men in
desperate situations. Only a quick
eye, long practice, courage and &C.
curate swinging of second growth ash
will win steadily.
Base Running.
A player who can run so yards in
six seconds ought, with a lead of
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