Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-30
THE REHEARS|NG Of
BASE BALL PLAYERS
How Average Manager Tries to Drill
His Men for Each
Game.
DETAIL IS MOST
ESSENTIAL NOWADAYS
Pitchers of Teams Form Cliques for
Their Own Beneft-Game Full
of Eccentricities.

Behind thc scenes of base ball. That
| suggests something theatrical in connec-
ton with ''us Americans " big headlner
| sport
| In this case behind the scenes means
many things either unknown or invisible
| to the average fan, within the confines of
any one of the league parks during the
| base ball season.
! TO begin with, while the base ball da-
/ mond bears little or no visual similarity
/ to the theater's 'actorium' or operate
| section II Is the stage upon which many
| sensational athletic performances are pre-
sented and that not without as much
| careful preparation az the actors are re-
| quired TO make in theatricals-which con-
stltutes the rehearsal of base balloon
base ball players are compelled to do
| much more rchearsng than actors. Fer
the Dill Is changing daily in the base
! hau theater. Perhaps more than the ma
! jority of the fans have but slight know-
| edge of what trauspires during morn
! ing practice" the base bah PLAYER
! daily rehearsal, when the team is playing
/ on home grounds. The stage directors OF
! the great national game plan these re-
| hearsals for each individual contest or
| performance, and when weather condi-
| tlons do not interfere they are Invariably
| held.
| While considerable time may be given
| to regulation batting practice, if the team
has not been hitting we'll, Or in fielding
| ii the players have been displaying A
| weakness in that department, much of
| the period of these rehearsal hours is
| devoted to an individual consideration of
| the style of play which characterizes the
operations of the team to be met in COM
| bat later in the day.
Dol ron 81 n,...s>-
| For instance. if the adversaries at
| hand are noted for speed on the bases
tho best means Of checking this eff
ficiency is rehearsed; If a left-handed
pitcher is likely TO be used against
them they are given a long session at
| bat with one of their own southpaws
on the nr1ng line, and various other and
similar retaIiatory maneuverS are
drilled along these lines.
There IS. of course. no visible curtain
TO the base ball stage, neither are there
behind in person. The opening and
closing of the outer gates of the amphi-
| theater is the only screen system en-
ployed. But there are invisible"
scenes to get behind mentally, which
reveal much when understood and de-
scribed.
| Much of grave importance to base
ball success happens behind these in
1
truth about pitching control be dis
covered. Perfect control means more
than the ability to keep the ball going
over the plate. except when giving an
effective twirlers purposely keep the
batters guessing concerning their con-
troll, and would rather appear to be
wild at times. If the batter should
would come over the plate he would
| have much more confidence in hitting.
| A favorite system of some pitchers Is
never Intentionally to speed their fast fs
fastest delivery this particular type Of
pitcher has at his command would be
just fast enough to make easy hitting
if sent across the plate. Therefore. his
speediest fling is directed at the bats
mans head, which makes the finger
seem wild in his delivery. when, in
reality. he is working with absolute
coming headwise, more or less jars the
batter, as he never knows when he Is
going to have to dodge 1T. and the IN
| tervening less speedy drop or curve Is
assured of much greater effectiveness.
Jack Dunn. now manager Of the Baltl-
I'more Eastern League team, who never
| had much speed when he was success
full National League boxman WIN t.e
Brooklyns. and was often referred TO
as Horseback Jack. worked this sys-
tenn regularly.
| What to the spectators must have
| seemed like perfect control. out In 'act
was anything else, proved Dunns undo
| ing one afternoon. when he was ptttcd
| against the Philadelphia team. In spite
! of every effort at his command upon this
memorable occasion ten runs were scoreG
| Off his delivery in one inning, because
every throw he made. no matter how
| directed went about waist high across
the rubber. This was clear case OF
too much control" Dunn mas never Deen
! able to explain 1t.
! when Tu,nn returned to the bench Ned
Hanlon. who was then manager OF the
! Dodgers. sarcastically observed:
That was choice menu you fed those
| fellows on I'll bet they haven't had
| ha,tine meal like that In many a sea-
son."
II know it," said Dunn. Il Simply
could not keep anything away from the
pam
Something of this kind happened at the
| Polo grounds recently, with Mathewson
pitching Matty Is noted for control. EIt
| this time :, false demonstration of it cost
| the Giants a game. He had two strikes
! and ono ball on the batter facing him.
| two outs had been registered and Sec
! ond and third bases were occupied. tn"
next ball Matty pitched was ''beduty,
| cutting the plate in half The batter
| landed on II for a nice line single and
two runs came in The next batter up
went out on AN easy fly, and as Matty
approached the bench McGraw said to
| him:
- sake. couldn't you keep it away
from the plate that fellow when you
had him going?
| Il intended to put it up around his
neck, and if the ball had gone there he'd
have famed sure" observed the big New
York star pitcher.
| Now there was no visible evidence of
| lack of control In either of these
periences related Of Dunn and Mathew
| SON. and yet there was lack of con-
| troll which proved worse than Wildness
| in both cases Every twirler in the bust
ness can tell of similar experiences.
| Many Miss Feature.
| Most fans are aware of the plan worked
lby the batteries when a fast base runner
has landed on first and is almost sure to