The Detroit times., 1910-02-19
TIGERS must STEAL
! MORE SACKS TO
SATISFY HUGH|E
Dsllissreut Little Bon OF the
American League Champs Tells
How He Hopes To Get Them
To Do II.
Dslieyes Cobb Has a Chance Next
Year Of Equalling Marks Of LANCE
and Hamilton.


tends TO impress on the Detroit Tig-
ers during the training season OF the
club that will be beginning a week
hence. II IL the fact that the men who
have won three American league flags
by their batting and base running,
can, In the latter department OF play,
easily accomplish great deal more
than they have ever done in the past.
Hughie wants his men 10 steal more
! bases, take more chances and get
more out OF their speed in 1910 than
they have In any OF the prior years
Of his incumbency. And he means
to see to IL that they do
To the other American league man
ayers this news will come in the ma
ture of a blow. That the head of the
Detroit club which last year stole
about 240 sacks and scored enough
runs 20 stagger humanity should con-
slider the accomplishments OF his men
in this line OF effort as inadequate
will probably be deemed peculiar
situation. Yet Hughie does not con-
slider IL so.
Inc base-oWlpcfs-
Eleven OF the Tigers OF 1909 who
finished the season with the club, APP
pear In the roll OF base-stealers. Cobb
led, of course, with his league record
setting total OF 20. Bush was his
companion In grand larceny with %.
Crawford swiped 80 and Tom Jones
90. part OF which were OF course, be-
fore his advent In Tigertown. Nc
Intyre and Delehanty pilfered IL
apiece and Davie Jones, H. O'Leary
with nine, Schmidt win seven and
Stanage and Mullin with two each
complete the Tiger total, the swipes
of Schaefer and Rossman being not
included In the above summary.
though each did well on the season
and got away with most OF his thefts
while a member OF the Jennings crew.
All this would probably be reason
ably satisfactory TO Hughie but Tor
the fact that he can remember sea-
sons where players stole better than
100 bases and In fewer games than
those in which the Tiger participated.
There was Harry Stoyey with his
worlds record OF 156 bases in 1888
for instance. A bit ancient. perhaps
but how about Bill LANCE and Billy
Hamilton who used 10 regard their
seasons as mispent II they failed To
pilfer a round 100 to 1872 games or so ?
And there was McGraw. Hughes old
pal, who used to average between 50
and 90 stolen sacks year without
any alarming speed al that. Hughie
can't quite figure out why II Is that
the players OF the present day. favor
ed as they are by the rule prevent
Ing q false motion toward base, by
a pitcher. don't at least perform as
well as the giants of the past were
accustomed TO do.
Il never saw Stovey, so | can't
Judge how he di1 II" said Hughie the
other day. But played with Ham
iiton and LANCE. The former Was
about as fast as Ty and was surely
one grand base runner. He usually
slid into the bases head-first, giving
the in6elder nothing TO touch except
the tip of the hand that clawed for
the bag. Perhaps he had IL on Ty a
Tit In the judgment he used. but |
don't know The catchers have re-
duced the art of guessing to a lot
nearer an exact science than IL used
to be. AS for Lnns, he got his record
by excellent judgment, fair speed
and q man-killing slide. backed up by
his 200 pounds, that really had the
inneld terrorized. He was far more
wicked slider than Ty. though no.
where near as fast.
Don't "Hit Dirt" Enough.
Looking II all over | am forced
20 believe that the big reason the
players OF today don't steal is found
In their reluctance 10 take a chance
On securing a lead Most OF thea
stick so closely 10 base that a throw
from the pitcher doesn't even drive
them to a slide. They just step back
standing up. Take such a man as
Davy Jones, OF the Tigers. for in
stance. Dave ought 10 steal about a.
many sacks as Cobb. He will average
about as many times on first, and
everybody knows re can simply fly.
But be doesn't get a lead Perhaps
we can persuade him to take a chance
NEXT year. And the same thing goes
for several of the others.
'As for Ty. | don't think he has
gotten anywhere near his limit yet
ltc mas sud bpGCI anu Tie hllQt. Las
year he improved greatly In getting
his lead. II he learns 10 bother the
catchers little more. | don't see WIZ
he shouldn't be able, with luck. q
better materially his stolen base rec
ord next year. The catchers have
come 10 take II for granted that Ty
H. going on the first OF second bal
pitched and they got him a lot BY
wasting EN- until he stole. II Ty will
learn TO mix the backstops up. little
more and curb ais Impotence TO b,
OF. he'll be more troublesome thai
ever In 1910.
Scoring Different, Too.
"Of course. 10 steal 100 bases nov
r. a lot harder than II was in the day.
LANCE aud Hamilton were doing IL
The catchers have learned TO call fol
waste balls, as | have said, and they
never did that in those days. Ther
the scoring was different. They used
TO allow a stolen base every time 4
man scored from third on a long A.
some of them scored a steal when 9
man took two SACHS on a single by q
following batter. really doubt II
scored as they do it now. Hamilton
OF LANCE would have been able e
better the mark Goth set last year.
But ne can do it. am firmly con
vincsd."