The Washington herald., 1910-09-18

ner safe, but the shouts drown his
throaty call The wave of his arm, how
ever. signifies to the crowd that the run
ner has reached the third station In
safety
Evidently the frenzied chorus from
grand stand and bleachers works won
ders on the supposed erratie batsman.
Hardly has the grimy runner at third
had a chance 10 rub some Of the dust
from his uniform when there is a crack
That crack signifies much 10 the rooters.
! II means the ball has been hit. And the
ball sails out into deep center field. II
proves safe hit The runner on third
canters home and the game is won.
That, with slight variations. is the his
tory of many game of baseball. Base
running and an ability to dare physical
/ injury IN sliding won that game, as II
wins many others. In fact. without good
base runners. who have the art OF sliding
down 10 a scince, few teams. If any
-can win.
| Not only have games been won by the
speed Of the men on bases. but pennants
as Wen have been decided Such is only
natural. for base running and the ac-
companying slide go hand In hand to
make up one of the most important. If
not the most important, features of base
ball science. And baseball as il is played
to-day is a science. In fact. it might al
most be called an exact science.
But even a decade ago. while base run
ming was hardly the science II is now,
good base runner won many game.
John NJ. Ward, the famous old ball
player of the Giants. now a prosperous
lawyer. was considered by many experts
the best base runner OF his day. In
fact, some claim he was the superior OF
any base runner past or present In
1853 Ward practically won the worlds
cham 9.oEship for New York from Brook
Ign by his base running
Ward stole two bases at critical mo-
ment IN that game. when a base hit
meant much. He reached first on his
own hit, and then. with Roger Conner
at the bat. Ward made a desperate steal
for second before Conner had chance
10 hit the ball. He was safe. Then
Ward slgnaled Connor that he would at
tempt to steal third, and Conner stood
motionless al the plate. Ward was off
18th a dash and his spikes hurled the
gsavel right and left Again he was
safe. and then Conner nit safely 10 bring
Ward home with the tying run. That
was IN the ninth. 1t was not until the
eleventh inning that Ward got another
opportunity TO show his speed as a base
runner. Then he hit the ball to the in
field and beat out 10 first what looked
ike Q certain put-out. And al the same
time Slattery. who had led OF the inning
for New York with q hit and had been
advanced to third. showed his ability as
a base runner by scoring on Wards lit
tie hit and winning the championship.
Sliding for bases successfully wins
baseball games. 10 be sure Further
more, it is one Of the most spectacular
features Of the game. To see a player
dash madly at a base and then throw
himself at IL, running full speed. while
the watchful guardian OF the base awaits
with OutstTetched hands TO receive the
ball and put the runner out, makes a
dramatic picture on the great diamond.
Like many other spectacular feats, slid
ing for base is dangerous. 1t is danger
Gus 10 the baseman who is at his sta
ton ready 10 hold of the runner Many
basemen are spiked during the season
in the big and little leagues by having
the ceated shoes OF the runner driven
into their legs. With few exceptions the
basemen in the different leagues of the
country have been spiked at some time
or other during their baseball careers.
Some OF them have never recovered TO
the extent that they can show their
best form.
The runners chance q serious injury
every time they slide for a base. As a
player becomes more adept in the ART
Of sliding the danger is lessened. But
at the same time ii is never eliminated
Each year sees a big list OF players on
the injury list as the result of sliding
The injuries may be said almost 10 rival
the commonplace injuries Of the football
field
Lester Channel, OF the New YORK
players of the season, received an in
jury running to a base after his debut
that may ruin his baseball career. Il
was al a critical moment in the game
and Channel who had earned for himself
the title OF one Of the best base runners
among the younger players in either
league. raced for third base. His foot
was twisted and some small bones in il
were broken.
baseball players. II the leg is twisted
and the runner going at full speed an
injury occurs that invariably puts the
player out Of the game for many months
in many cases il detracts greatly from
his value to big league managers.
The diving tackle has been abolished
from football. And still ii appears no
more dangerous than the sliding for
bases. In both cases the runner throws
himself at an object. It is true that IL
football the object is moving equally as
fast as the tackler and that in baseball
the object is stationary. But in both
cases a man running at full speed hurls
himself at his goal.
While the danger Is minimized to an
experienced base runner, an amateur de-
fies injury when he hurts himself al a
base. He is not familiar with the cor
rect method of throwing his body; his
muscles are not hardened and accus-
toned to the strain. Consequently q
shoulder blade may be dislocated. a coll
lar bone broken. a nose smashed, OF
ankles or legs hurt. But despite its
dangers. base sliding is as fascinating TO
the player as 1t is spectacular to its on
| locker. Not only is it fascinating to