The Ward County independent., 1910-08-25
STORIES ) Il Of 0|F' - :'--' =.
THE DIAMOND.
Jaehhsch Says Catcher Is
Hardest Worker on Team
GOOD ONES ARE VERY SCARCE
o%atso to Dangers Attached to POSI-.
tlon, Many Pass Il Up-hsadweri<
Behind the Bat Esssntia1sone
oacka&ops Arc Supsrski<ious.
No. XIX.
BY FRED JACKLlTSCtl.

mo- ZAxAs
r. BY FRED JACKLlrsCtl.
cCopyright. 1910. by American Press Asoo.
ciation.l
Do l consider the catcher the hard
est worker on baseball team? My
answer is yes. A major league back
stop. particularly under the present
system, which in most cases requires
the first string catcher to work in FIVE
out of seven games, has the hardest
Job In baseball aside from the mana
ger. Furthermore, 1t is safe 10 say
most of the present day catchers are
assistant managers and do more think
Ing than perhaps the men who are
earning their managerial salaries.
There are times when the real mana
ger Is idle on the field. He may be
working with his brains. but not with
his hands, or vice versa.
There Is no time when q good
catcher is not employed busily, men,
tally or physically. The ball II in his
hands oftener than any ons elsss save
the pitchers, and he rs fosoed t. keep
his mind working ell tho ttme what
ever the status Of tho g1me. In theDs
days of spitball pitching q, catcher has
enough to do With his mitt and hand,
It alone bis brains.
Crack twirlers are al light A base
ball team has to have them to win .
pennant. So also are strong batters
handy to have around 4 pennant win
ner needs them in its business a. well
- the players who think. Speedy base
runners. clever team play and skilled
6elders-all Of these go to make cham
pionship combinations on the diamond.
Nevertheless teams that have won pen
nants and have not had capable catch
en-, brainy catchers, are very few.
The backstop stands there inning
after inning and game after game,
taking pounding and a filing, q less
spectacular figure than any other player
on the team. His work Is not snowy.
superfcially viewed. he u more Of Z
dray horse than any one Of his fellows,
but In reality he h great power in
teams success. though often he
doesn't come In for az much credit a.
the players who work more in the
open. 20 to speak.
Catchers of the FIRST class are
scarcer than occupants Of any other
1,n k1NU
the teams that have had heady back
stops to coach and steady the pitchers,
to study the weakness Of batters, to
stop plays on the bases and to keep
supervising eye on the adjustment of
the infield and outield as the batting
peculiarities of the different opponents
require are the teams that have won
championships.
OF the long list Of pennant winning
teams dating back into the seventies
hardly one has not had first class
catcher who backs up mechanically,
with an alert mind that takes in all
that ls going on, and in q measure over
sees and maneuvers the plan of battle.
Although there are many catchers
In the big leagues today, no two work
alike. That's undoubtedly the reason
catchers who 60 through game after
game without hurting their hands
usually suffer the most punishment
around their legs or shoulders.
There are a number Of catchers who
are superstitious. Some won't permit
the others to touch his glove lest some
hoodoo might follow. Nearly every
catcher has bis own model, the same
as batters have their favorite stick.
The gloves are made to order. and I'll
bet there are more than a hundred
different designs, which proves that
backstops have their little eccentrici-