Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-25
FEW PITCHERS Foxy AT FIRST
Most Twirlers Easv Marks for the
Base stealers.
ED wAIsH rs THE CRAFTmsr
white soz nau Declared Nest suc-
cessfui in CuttinE Dowa over
Daring Base Runners--nen-
der Another coed Oae.

Catching runners off first base is an art
few pitchers have developed. There are a
great many twirlers who are considered
marks BY players. Frank Smith OF the
Boston Red sox IL an example. Frank.
when he was with Comiskey. was easy for
runners He simply could not catch men
Oft first base His slow. awkward motions
let the runner set back with plenty TO
spare and his ponderous motions In throw
ing to the plate gave runners a big start
down into second. But last year Smith
changed. He seemed to have learned half
balk motion. that completely puzzled base
runners. And from that time on Frank
has been improving gradually. until at the
end OF the season he pulled himself out Of
the mark" class.
Jimmy Collins. at one time the greatest
third baseman IN the game. is an authority
on base hall. Hear what Jimmy says
about pitchers and the art OF mailing run
ners
nd Walsh Of the Chicago White Sox,
says Collins 'gs the hardest pitcher have
ever played against when It comes to get,
ting a lead Off first. Let me tell YOU
right now that Walsh has the most battling
motion of any pitcher in the country, bar
none. 1 myself think II IL a clear case OF
baik when Walsh winds up and then slaps
the ball over to first. But no umpires
have called him for Il yet, except in one
or two cases where the offense was palpa-
Tie.
There are only few runners, men like
Eddie Collins and Ty Cobb, who dare to
take more than a couple OF feet lead off
first when Walsh is in the box. They de-
pend on their excessive speed on heating
the ball to first. but sometimes even they
are fooled. You never can tell what Walsh
is going to 90 until you actually see the
bstsman swing at the ball Then you
know that Walsh has pitched to the plate.
Next 20 Walsh I place the crafty In
dian. Bender. OF the champion Athletics.
You simply have to keep your eyes on
Bender all the time while you are loafing
around first base or he will outguess you.
For that matter, he often outwits you even
when you are watching him. think
that's one Of the reasons Bender has de-
veloped into a leading pitcher.
Then there Is Addie Joss Of Cleveland
a regular pitching fox. Clark Griffith
never had anything on Addie when II comes
to being a pitching fox. Why, I've stood
up by the bag and though Joss had thrown
to the plate when really I was being
tagged out at first. You have to keep your
eyes peeled on Addie Johnson OF the Ma
ticnals and Donovan OF the Tigers are two
more pitchers who are hard 70 take lead
on.
I'm the National league I consider
Mathewson Of the Giants Brown Of the
Cubs, and, possibly, Philllppi OF the
Pirates, leaders in this particular phase
Of the game. OF course Phillippi is grow
ing old and has slowed up some, but when
he was at his best nobody had anything
on him. 1 have played against him and
know pretty wen what I'm talking about
While we are on this subject. let me
say that the third baseman has a lot to
do in catching runners off first. 1t is
generally his part TO give the signal to the
pitcher when the man is far enough off
first to shoot the ball over. There are
some teams where the catcher gives the
signal, but the third baseman can do 1t
best. Next time you are at q game when
Walsh is pitching and there Is a runner
on first just watch Harry Lords actions
Walsh will be standing mOistening the
ball and keeping one eye glued on Lord
Suddenly Lord will shift one of his hands
or will reach up to grab at his hat. At
that second you viii see Walsh whip the
ball over TO first and frequently there's a
dead runner"