The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-11
DETROIT->
CATCHING
pIGABOO.

ruGABoo. worlds series Of
the past three
wears. are nevertheless. pretty sood
/ backstops. after all. and class IN com
parison with those of the other ciuos
OF ihe American league. II has been
their misfortune. however. TO be com
pelled 10 show their work in the
worlds series, alongside OF the maa
who. each year. has been prooabiS tne
premier AZ his art. king, OF lhVas"'
and Gibson. OF Pittsourg. were ootn AZ
their hest against the Tigers. "hi'e
the Detroit catcheTs. barring one OF
TWO brilliant games. have been olt
shy their regular form IN me pis
series This idea is shared by bos-
ton chronicler who suggested. IN semi
lest. during holiday visit TO MS nome
in Detroit, that the writer advocate
the CARRYING OF Schmidt and Slanage
for the regular league season next
year. and the development OF Beeken'
doIf and Casey solely Tor use III the
big series at the end.
Detroit was much stronger behlnd
he bat last year than in many SET
sons and should be still better IN 1917.
Ii has been many years since the local
team has possessed n real star back
stop, however, and some OF those VINO
have done duty during the develop
rient process have been 10 blame TOT
many interesting incidents.
There was Ira Thomas, for instance,
who did so we'll catching Connie
Mack's left-handers last year. With
/ Detroit Ira had bad arm and WASH
! favored with pitching that held the
runners on the sacks after the style
OF the article furnished by Eddie
| Plank.
! Ira was catching Summers one day
| in Chicago and the game worked
along into the closing stages with the
| Tigers one run ahead, the bases fuii
of Whitcsox and Fielder Jones at bar.
There were two out and Summers
worked the count on Jones up 10 TWO
strikes and two balls.
| The chief paved the dirt about the
pitchers box and rubbed the ball In
his mitt with a copious decoration Oh
dust. He and Thomas unchanged sig
mails.
Wait a minute" yelled Herman
Schaefer and came running In from
second base TO hold speech with the
twirler.
What are you going TO pitch him
Chief" inquired the German who was
then acting as field captain.
a knuckle ball" responded Sum
lmers without hesitation.
"All right commented Schaefer
"but do you think Ira can catch it,?
Schaefer trotted back TO his position
and the Chief handed up the particular
delivery of which he Is the famed ex-
ponent. The ball shimmered back
and forth. Jones made a futile swipe
and missed The ball hit Thomas on
the back OF the mitt and dropped u
earth. With whoop Thomas pounced
on II and heayed straight into Ross
mans hands at first base.
And that is fair sort OF sample
OF one OF the handicaps against which
in years gone by-and pennant years
they were too, TO a degree-the De-
troit Tigers have had 10 night.
Wonder II that man who Is going
TO run a school for umpires will IN
clude a course in bottle-dodging?
Inc 40 emergency ultttTs uSeu W
the Tigers last year may have brought
up the tag end OF the procession with
their average Of 1872. but the emergen.
cies when the hits were needed didn't
occur so often as TO make the situation
really serious.
Recurring to the catcher question
elaborated above II Is notable that the
one man let out OF the Tiger roster
who would have been OF assistance il
kept, was a catcher. And before let
ting him 60 the local club had an ex-
pert oculist's verdict that the man
was going blind. He didn't have a
blind year subbing for John King last
season, though.
Unless the owners OF the Cleveland
Maps let Jim Mcclure loosen up bit
on the propositions he has made for
player-exchanges. a lot OF newspaper
threats about new faces will be set
down as bluffs.
Hughie Jennings is quoted as es-
teeming very highly the advent on
the Tiger roster Of one Chalmers.
Wonder IL Huehie didn't mean EMF?
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