The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-21
THE CATCHER HAS HE HARDEST JOB Also Most important Position
 On The Team so SAYS BILLY EVANS He Must Always Bear the Blame for Many Things Over Which He Has No ControI-Backstops
 in Demand.

Billy Evans in St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
 What is the most important position on @ baseball team?
 Many without the slightest hesitation, will reply third base, adding that it is also the hardest to play.
 Some will advance strong arguments to show that nothing is more essential to winning team than cracking good pitch CTS Others will tell you shortstop, sec ond base, first base or the outfield.
 I once heard a prominent critic ask well-known big league manager what Is the first thing he would do If given unlimited money to try and turn out pennant- winning team.
 Almost before the question had been finished he replied: "The very first thing I would do would be to secure a clever catcher who could receive, throw and think I wouldn't care very much about his hitting ability or his speed on the bases. but I would insist on the first three qualifications. Such man | would secure regardless of cost
 While all the positions on ball team are more or less important, it would seem that this manager, who, by the way, has been at the head of mighty few losers, looks on the actching job as the most important of all. No doubt there are many who will disagree with the gen. tleman in question, but to those familiar with the conditions as the exist on the ball field there is no denying the fact that the man behind the bat plays a prominent part in the success or failure Of ball club.
 It's baseball history that mighty few clubs have been pennant winners unless at least one star catcher was in the line up. Possibly some people who witnessed the different worlds series in which the Detroit team has taken part will insist that the Tigers catching staff didn't look any too formidable. To those who have seen the Tigers in action in only the big show there are good reasons for such an opinion. However, there are thousands of American league fans who stand willing to testify that the Detroit catching staff has some very high-class material. Still, there is no getting around the fact that they failed to show their usual form in the big show, although the reason for the falling off has never been apparent. It is a fact, however, that the Detroit catchers have always caught far better than the average ball during the American league season, otherwise the Tigers would not have landed the pennant three times in succession.
 The Case of King.
 The Chicago club is an excellent ex- ample of what high-class catcher means to half team. With Kling doing the re- ceiving, the Cubs won the National league pennant for three successive years, twice making runaway races out of the campaign in the older organiza- ton. Last season, because of some grievance. he failed to play with the Cubs, and the three-times winners were beaten out in the race for the bunting by Pittsburg. The Chicago catchers did well enough, but the star pitchers of the team missed the brainy Kling, who had the power to steady them when they were about to make an ascension, who could throw the fastest of base runners out with monotonous regularity, who knew the weakness of every hitter in the or ganization. There are many who believe that Chicago would have copped for the fourth time had Kling been directing the destinies of the team.
 Any New Yorker will tell you that the absence of Bresnahan weakened the Giants in more ways than one. Cincin- natl fans realized what d really capable man Larry Mclean was after he had been injured and the club deprived of his services. Every Philadelphian knows that the tragic death of Doe Powers was e body blow to the Athletics. All Pittsburg rooters are aware of the fact that no one fiian played more promin- ent part in the success of the Pittsburg team than the hard-working George Csib- son.
 Then 1t would seem that the catching end of the game is quite important Yet the backstop gets little chance to shine or win the plaudits of the multitude; much of his work is mechanical while few of his many brainy plays are appar- ent to the spectators in the stands
 If he performs faultlessly behind the bat he is only doing what is expected of him, yet if he drops quite few pitched balls the fans will contend that the twirler Is too fast for him. If he throws out ambitious base runners he is only performing part of his many duties; if he fails to stop them stealing, he is accused of having a bum arm and is roundly abused If he wastes two or three balls and gets a man stealing second or third he is pronounced a brainy backstop; if the player happens to outguess him and he wastes the balls to no purpose, there by getting the pitcher in the hole, he is accused of using poor judgment
 Catching Not an Easy Job.
 Don't get it into your head for minute that the catching job is soft. If you happen to have such a belief, just don the mask and protector some day, and then you will suddenly awake from your rarebit dream have often heard people say that the catching end of the game was the easiest of all; that all the man in that position had to do was to don fat glove and receive and throw the ball much after the manner of an automaton. The receiving and throwing are the sim pest features of the backstop's daily routine. To him the pitcher looks for the signs as to what to serve. while the in- fieders watch him just as closely to dis cover what play he intends to pull off on the base runners.
 The catcher also comes in for @ lot of abuse that is undeserved and which really should be handed to some one else. Well do I recall a game of last summer that Paddy Livingstone, the clever Athletic backstop, worked in faultless style, yet was blamed for the defeat simply be- cause the twirler working the game failed to hold the runners on the bases.
 The Athletics and Detroits were play