The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-12

lhtru Baseinan, Chicago National League Club.
I would rather win a game than try to
tell how TO WIN it. It isn't half as hard
don't know what my average on win
ming games is. for they only tell me about
the ones l lose, and my average on writ
ing how TO win them has been goo up 10
now. sim, If you think it may help
young bali players and amateurs III Try
TO tell all I know, and sometimes Chance
and half dozen others tell me 1 don't
know anything.
The others have told about the game
and their own positions, so Tn try to tell
about third base. The first thing a player
at third base needs is a pair of hands.
Every one has pair OF hands. but in
baseball that means good hands. strong
hands, and hands that can block hard
balls. The balls hit down that third
base line, especially those hit between
fielder and the base. are the hardest hit
balls and the line drives that come that
way, curving outward, always are hit
hard, because the batter has met a curve
before the break. or caught a SLOW one.
The third baseman must have strength
and strong hands, and a strong arm II
ne lacks strong hands some of those line
drives will go through and cripple him.
He must have weight and strength 10
stop such hits as well as TO keep those
base runners who are turning third from
pumping MIN on the map to make the
ball go wild. Above all. he must have a
strong arm. II he lacks a strong. pow
erful throwing arm he viii not last long
a 1 60.
that he must block down a lot of balls
that he cannot field Clearly except bv
luck and then recover in time to make
the long throw 10 first.
a third baseman cannot possibly pick
up as many balls clearly as do the see
ond baseman and shOrtstop. because the
work is different. In the first place he
is much closer TO the plate and right in
range of the hard hit balls thar are
pulled. He cannot drop back behind the
base unless he is certain the batter is
going 10 hit and not bunt, and that is
never certain in the up-to-date game
He must watch closely every move of the
batter, and also watch the coachers to
see il there is a signal passed before u
ball is pitched. He must watch his own
pitcher and catcher TO see what ball IS
being pitched. and when he sees a bunt
coming he must tear in to field II. Then.
If the batter takes crack and drives
the ball his way. he is likely TO be muir
dered because he made a mistake.
The development of bunting and Of
poking off the ball to left field made
the third baseman's position much more
difficult. II is rarely that the third base
man can go back even ninety-six feet
from the DI9ta and mora freo,,a,,.g,, h.
is in within almost eighty feet of the
plate and taking chances. This lessons
his ability to cover ground, because he
has little chance to move in either direc-
ton on hard hits
II is in this that the study OF batters
becomes so valuable, and all third base
men ought to make a study Of batters and
OF signals. There are some batters who
could not take ball in their hands and
hit it down the third base line, and
against these he can move almost any
where
Another thing. before ball is pitched
try to find out what it is Never fail to
look at the catcher and at the base run
ner when men are either on second or
third, for a steal or a throw may be
coming of at any second and the base
man who does not expect throw is
lost Make every runner turn wide at the
bag and cover up the bag when they are
sliding. good bump from a baseman
may cause a runner who is trying to run
over him 10 swing wide and go out at
the plate. I don't mean TO use unfair
tactics, but 10 hold every inch of ground
the rules permit and not TO allow the
runnSr TO steal any of it and cut across.