Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-13
STORIES OF
The DIAMOND
Fred JackEtsch Says the Catch
er is the Hardest Worker
on the Team.
GOOD ONES VERY SCARCE.
Owing to Danger Many Pass up the
Job-Headwork Behind the Bat
Is Very Essential.
No. XIX.
BY FRED JAcKLITscEa.

By FRED JACKkiTSChs
Copyright, 1910, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Do 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 il most cases requires
the first string catcher to work In I've
out OF seven games. has the hardest
Job In baseball aside from the mana
ger. Furthermore. 1t is safe to say
most Of the present day catchers are
assistant managers and do more think
earning their managerial salaries.
There ore times when the real mana
ger f. idle on the field. He may be
working with his brains. but not with
hts hands, or vice versa.
There is no time when a good
catcher is not employed busily, men
tally or physically. The ball is in his
hands oftener than any one else's save
the pitchers, and he is forced to keep
his mind working all the time, what
days Of spitbalI pitching a catcher has
enough to do with his mitt and hand.
let alone his braiis.
Crack twirlers are all right. A base
ball team has to have them to win a
pennant So also are strong batters
handy to have around. A pennant win
ner needs them in its business as well
as the players who think. Speedy base
runners, clever team play and skilled
f1elders-all of these go TO make cham
pionship combina lions on the diamond.
Nevertheless teams that have won pen
nants and have, not had capable catch
Frs, hrainy catchers, are very few.
The backstop stands there inning
after inning and game after game.
taking a pounding and q iIling. less
spectacular figure than any other player
on the team. His work is not snowy.
Specifically viewed. he is more of
dray horse than any one Of his fellows,
but IN reality he is a great power in
q teams success. though often he
doesn't come in for as much credit as
the players who work more in the
open, so to speak.
Scarcest of All.
Catchers OF the FIRST class are
scarcer than occupants of any other
position, and the. records show that
the teams that have had heady back
stops to coach and steady the pitchers.
to study the weakness of batters. to
stop plays on .theybases. and to keep
supervising eve on the adjustment of
the infield and, outfeld 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 a first class
catcher who backs up mechanically.
with an alert mind that takes In all
that is going on, aud in a measure over
sees and maneuyers 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 go through game after
usually suffer the most punishment
around their legs or shoulders.
There are number Of catchers who
are superstitious. Some won't permit
the others 10 touch his glove lest some
hoodoo might follow. Nearly every
catcher has his 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-
ties.