The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-02
ay TOMMY CLARK.


p%HE real classy baclstop is a
rare bird. Nearly all the man
ayers in the major leagues to-
day are hotfoot after good
catchers, but the scouts unite in saying
that only a small percentage OF young
men aspiring to places on the big clubs
are trying to get Jobs as catchers. This
is hard to explain. inasmuch as the
great catchers OF the past occupy fully
as important a place in baseball histo-
~ as co the Radbournes. the Clark
sons and the McCormicks.
Connie Mack. than whom there Is no
wiser club owner. manager or observer
in baseball, recently said:
THE best advice can give a young
man who aspires TO make for himself
q great name on the diamond is: 'Prac-
tice and study catching. Become a sec
ond Buck Ewing. There is practical
ly 10 limit TO the salary that a man
the equal OF Lou Criger or OF Roger
Rresnahan when these two catchsrs
were at their best could command to-
day"
Every ball player. every fan and ev-
cry club owner knows that Connie, who
was once a nrst class catcher himself.
is right The demand for backstops OF
the King Bresnahan Gibson Criger-
CarrisAn-Sullivan stamp IL vastly
greater than IL is for great pitchers,
hard hItters or fast nelders: infinitely
greater. In fact, than is the supply.
slnSularly enough. IT is only by cycles
or by decades. one might almost say.
that star catchers are developed.
The catcher rather than the pitcher
is the real handspring OF a baseball
machine Stationed behind the bats
men. he has greater opportunities than
the pitcher for observing what = GER
tain batter can and cannot hit. Know
ing the man with whom he works. he
can tell II his curves are breaking right,
can make him work slowly when he is
inclined 70 hurry and can make him
hurry when he Is inclined TO the con-
trary.
The catcher is the chief watcher OF
the bases when occupied. passes sig
nails for the pitcher throwing to catch
runners too far from the bags and sig
nails the proper time for delivering the
ball to the batter.
Aside from this mental effort he
must snatch or any kind OF curve
the pitcher lets loose. must dig up wild
pitches that go into the ground and
must chase the elusive foul fly. He
must block the runner who slides into
the plate and must take his turn at
the bat All this work keeps a man
OF average intellect OF physical ability
quite busy
Yet the catcher. so the majority Of
the fans think. Is a mere machine that
stops the curves thrown by the pitcher
the batter misses. Catching is q dim
cult Job IN more ways than one. and
good catchers are very scarce.
Look over the list OF great cAtchers
in the big leagues today-men who
stand out above others-and you can
count them on your fingers. All the
clubs have two or three wind pad
dists. and TO Judge by this number one
would think that all must be good OF
else they would not be kept on the
payroll Such is not the case, how
ever. for the clubs are prone to part
with them for fear OF not being able
90 secure ones as good owing 20 the
scarcity Of baekstops.
Which One Is Leaderf
First choice OF the great catchers o.
the major leagues! Quite a puzzle 4
is TO pick the winner when ell tina
goes to make a player great is con-
sidered from a practical standpoint anC
not from the general atmosphere OF To-
cal prejudice as doped by impractical
writer's on the sport.
What are the essential qualities for {
top notch catcher? First. natural abil'
ity for the position. for made catcheri
never reach the top row; second. |
range, footwork and speed: third
throwing from all angles with accu
racy and a knowledge OF the runner
fourth, the ability TO work with al
pitchers and run the game; fifth, game
ness and the ability 10 stand a larg,
amount OF hard work under a killing
pace.
The great catcher must be thinker
an inventor, q man who would make {