The Detroit times., 1910-02-21
TIGERS MUST STEAL
MORE SACKS TO
SATISFY HUGH|E
Belligerent Little Boss OF the
American League Champs Tells
How He Hopes To Get Them
To Do II.
Believes Cobb Has a Chance Next
Year OF Equalling Marks of LANCE
and Hamilton.

BY PAUL HALE 5RUSkE.
II there is one thing more than
any other that Hughie Jennings IN
tends 60 impress on the Detroit Iig
ers during the training season " the
club that will be beginning week
hence. IL is the fact that the men WHO
have won three American league hass
By their batting and base running
eau. I'm the latter department ol play
easily accomplish a great deal more
than they have ever done M the past
Hughie wants his men 10 steal more
bases. take more chances anu get
more out of their speed IN 1910 IMAM
they have IN any OF the prior years
of his incumbency. And he means
To see To IL that they do
To the other American league man.
ayers this news will come in the ma
ture oi blow. That the head OF the
Detroit club which last year stole
about 240 sacks and scored enough
runs 20 stagger humanity should con-
slider the accomplishments OF his men
In this line OF effort as inadequate
will probably be deemed peculiar
situation Yet Hughie does not con
slider il so.
The 6ase-Swlpers
Eleven OF the Tigers OF 1903 who
finished the season with the club, APP.
pear in the roll of base-stealers COBB
led. of course. with his league record
setting total OF 10. Bush was his
companion in grand larceny with SO.
Crawford swiped 80 and Tom Jones
% part OF which were OF course, be
fore his advent in Tigertown. Nc
Intyre and Delehanty pilfered IL
apiece and Dayie Jones, II O'leary
with nine. Schmidt VITA seven and
Sranage and Mullin with two each
complete the Tiger total the swipeS
OF Schaefer and Rossman being not
included IN the above summary
though each did we'll on the season
and got away with most OF his thefts
while member OF the Jennings crew
All this would probably be reason
ably satisfactory 10 Hughie but for
the fact that he can remember sea-
sons where players stole better than
100 bases and in fewer games than
those in which the Tiger participated.
There was Harry Stoyey with his
worlds record OF l56 bases in 1883
for instance. bit ancient. perhaps.
but how about Bill LANCE and Billy
Hamilton who used TO regard their
seasons as mispent II they failed TO
pilfer a round 100 10 1872 games or so?
And there was McGraw. Hughes old
pal. who used TO average between 80
and 80 stolen sacks a year without
any alarming speed at that. Hughie
can't quite figure out why II is that
the players OF the present day, favor
ed as they are by the rule prevent
ing a false motion toward base, by
a pitcher. don't at least perform as
well as the giants OF the past We're
accustomed 10 do.
Il never saw Stovey. so can't
Judge how he dill it" said Hughie tho
other day. But | played with Ham
fiton and LANCE The former wHs
shout as fast as Ty and was surely
one grand base runner. He usually
slid into the bases head-frst. giving
the infielder nothing TO touch except
the tip OF the hand that clawed for
the bag. Perhaps he had IL on Ty
Tit in the judgment he used. but !
don't know The Catchers have re.
duced the art OF guessing TO a lot
nearer an exact science than Ii used
to be. A for Lans. he got his record
by excellent judgment. fair speea
and "A man-killing slide. backed up by
his 200 pounds, that really had tire
infield terrorized. lie was a far more
wicked slider than Ty, though no
where near as fast
Don't "Hit Dirt" enough.
Looking IL all over | am forced
IN halfnNn fhof Ifa
PLAYERS OF today don't steal Is found
In their reluctance to take chance
On securing lead. Most OF thea
stick so closely 10 a base that a threw
from the pitcher doesn't even drive
them to a slide. They just step back,
standing mp. Take such a man as
Davy Jones, OF the Tigers. for IL
stance. pave ought TO steal about ~
many sacks as Cobb He will average
about as many times on first. and
everybody knows le can simply H..
But he doesn't get a lead Perhaps
we can persuade him TO take chance
next year. And the same thing goes
for several of the others.
; 'As for Ty, ! don't think he has
gotten anywhere near his limit vel
He has The spec and the slide Last
year he improved greatly In gettne
his lead. II he learns TO bother the
catchers little more, | don't see VIM
he shouldn't be- able with luck .
better materially his stolen base rec.
ord next year The catchers have
come 10 take IL for granted that rs
H. going on the h,st or second bali
pitched and they got him lot by
wasting 'em until he stole. II " viii
learn To mix the backstops up a little
more and curb ais Impotence to Le
of. he'll be more troublesome than
ever In 1910.
"Of course. TO steal 100 bases now
h lot harder than q was in the da "A
LANCE and Hamiitcli were doing IL
q The catehers have learned TO call for
waste balls. as I have said. aud they
never did that In those days. Then
the scoring was different They used
TO allow a stolel base every time a
man scored from third ON a long H.
Some OF them scored steal when q
man took two sacNs on single by q
following batter. really doubt IT,
scored as they do IL now. Hamilton
or LANCE would have been able Id
Z better the mark Goth set last year
"a ~But he can do it. am firmly con
Minced"
August UihIein VIII sell out all his
(. noting stock. some $50 head. .N
cepting The Harvester 90 COO 3-Il
at his farm in Milwaukee. Wis, sOm6
Mn. In laa anrfn.