The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-08-10
"Topsy'' Hartsel Talks About
Duties of an 0utfielder
HE MUST BE GOOD JUDGE
Player Should Know Where Ball win
Fali-Acruraey and orieisness Ahso-
luEiy Required What to Do
When Hit Is Made.
No WI
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tCopyright Islo BY American Press Assoc
eiatonl
DO ! consider playing the out6eid
easy compared with other positions on
ball teams shoald say not while
be bias not as much 10 do as the in
6elderz. catcher or pitcher, the out
fielder has not q cincb BY any means.
There are many qualities that player
must possess before be can be called
an expert Outdeder First Of all be
must be good judge Of IS balls.
quick and accurate. Judgment ID tell
ing where the ban vii fali Is not all
that Is necessary he must be able 10
determine IN a fraction Of 8 second
bow to catch the BAIL where to throw
Il and bow TO throw IT, tie must know
whether 70 run % and Try to smother
. low hlt bah or play & safely. that
Is. wait and take Il on the bound. and
his judgment. combined with his mem
DRY, must tell him where this or that
batter Is going 10 hit the ball The
FIRST thing s major league BAH outfleid-
e. must learn 10 do Is how to handle
the ball after q single Il made This
Is puzziing 70 many The hrsi thing
en- outneider should DO is to get fhe
ball to second base AZ soon as possible.
That Is whore II belongs. whether
single has been made 20 right. left or
center The object Is. Of course. TO
ksrlA eta -
runner sees that you are about 10
make a mistake and throw the ball
TO the pitcher or. perhaps, 10 the
catcher TO attempt TO get a man run
ming home be viii start for second
sure. And the chances are that be
win make the base very easily.
When . hit Il made with q man on
third sack il is. Of course impossible to
set him at the plate. When a good
clean hit Is made with q man on sec
ond 1t Is not likely that be can be
caughf al the plate even BY the fastest
outhelder Throws to the home plate
are 70 be expected more often when
there Is dy to the outneld with man
on third corner with none or one out
Then the outer gardener has an OPP
portunity to test bis throwing wing
There Is no praffler sight than that Of
& long perfect throw from the outheld
which arrives before the runner and
be Is tagged out The player who can
make q throw like that Is admired by
everybody When you can see one that
can do il right along ash him how be
throws so well and be viii answer. by
practclng"
II must be left entirely 70 the iudg-
meut OF the Inan playing ID the ouffeld
whether or not be Is TO throw 10 the
plate 10 try 70 get the runner making
for home after ay to the out6eld-
Perhaps be has been too far out and no
fielder can make the throw and get
the runner. In such d case and II there
is man Cd FIRST the outtelder should
not throw to the plate but to second
sack instead II the throw were made
70 home plate the runner on first would
reach second. and from that point he
could score II the batter following
should make 8 biz.
II is the sim of nearly every oufneld-
er in the majors to throw the bali low
and straight Il Is better for ii 10 20
into the catchers mitt on the Hrst
bound Then II Is pretty sure not ID
be to high. and the moment be gets
bis hands on Il be can tag the sumner
ont Il is pardanable to be deliberate
III throwing from the ont6eld to the
home plate. but not too much time can
be taken Constant practice 10 throw
ing 70 the plate can only eDgender
speed fl getting The bah away
II Is very important that the out
fielder should be able to know whether
20 run up or TO wait when the ball Is
bit low Low balls are the hardest
things the outfeder is called upon to
stop-fh0se which are too low to catch
on the dy and too high to get Oh the
bound II be rms 10 and tries 70
SCOOP the ball il Is likely 10 get
through bis hands and 70 to the rear
fence If he waits for Il on the bound
Il Is likely to turn suddenly. since
most outergardens are rough. and get
sway from BIN The fhing that should
be uppermost II the mind Of the out
fielder at that time should be TO hold
On to the ball and thrust the band
holding Il up as soon as he can. that
the umpire may see that he has caught /
t.