The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-26


individual 70 The team there are ezcellen
reasons Why fewer bases are stolen In IN
present era Of the national game. They
are reasons which do not concern a. all ths
ability Of the runners themselves. For uns
hing there IL o big difference IN The Nay
stolen bases are scored Once upon time
all q player had to do vas TO start for ths
naxi base with the pitch and he got credi'
for a steal-if be got there-no matter what
happened to the pitched ball II the ball
waa hit be got his steal Just the same. The
present rules prohibit crediitng . man with
steal Il he gets 10 the next base aided by a
bafted hall, and that in itself makes
difference
But a potent influence IN reducing the
number Of stolen bases and one often over
looked In discussing the question, j. the
advent OF the big caichers miu. Prior
70 ttoo there were many more stolen bases
than later he big mitt began 20 be used
hrkt In lsso. but vas not generally adopted
until later Arthur Irwin was the man
Who originated IL. and his flrst experiment
consisted of putting a single piece Of leather
ever the palm Of an ordinary helder's glove
Out Of this grew the present big glove
Irwin experimental With his glove through
the medium Of Tom DAILY. then with Wash
ington. and Pat Murphy, then with the
Giants and now a policeman IN Worcester.
And what difference did the biz mitt make
an base stealing Just this. IL saves
vaiGsble time In the catcher getting his
throw away When caichers used the
small fingered slove their hands had 10 give
when taking pitch The yield Of the
- ~ eli
iust - much time was lost IN launching the
throw. valuable time and a big help 10 the
hass runner Also there Were more passed
balls then. But with 49, huge thick padded
dove there IL practically no give Tho big
cuohion sid out IN front serves a. a pocket
h which the pitCh he'd ball stOrs dead. and the
catcher simply picks out tho hall With his
other hand and makes bis throw. The
fraction Of time thus saved has been the
main reason why nase stealing has fallen on
IN 1857 Nard stole 90 bases. Fog1rty iO2
and Kelly -. and there were I've others
Who stole over nifty bases. 30 In lever games
than nov constitute a season In lssp
stovey stole rs bases q Brien In3 Hand
ten ~ Long %. Welrh o.. ana thirteen
1thers stole over nfty each. Re Ords Of
the prc-eni SHOW no such wholesale quaint
that tohb stole ~ and touloy ana FISK ~
aach. IN iao5 Wagner stole g. ChsnCe 50.
negNn s. and N see %. they being he lead
eTs. But In 1919 there seems % have been
en- Improvement boz tho American lelgue
% least. Cobb stealing IS. collins s. and
Bush 81
The lar guide contain. his brief rule
for stolen bases stolen bs~e -hIU he
credited % tho bn-sruuueT whenever b.
advances q base unaided rs hr - hit
put Qua, . heldng or Il battery error In
the lasi two -sI-ou- The rule has been
changed 10 permit a runner getting credit
for n sfrti ON hftfert error prov ded he
ia Nea bis start prior tp tho %. tts-y error
" may 10 that tobh and tollir. have been
4 .ert 80 take advantage ~ mat nge bur
- haH been no orre-uoudiug ih'Iea-H
me base runners One trouble alVHFs
IS been l.'h oi uniformity 90 oring stolen
ia-ez.
10 Eas once the custom ro give credit
for ,teal HErn runner ovrrrau ba-a
and AS puf ont. TIE vulr prov Grt " steal
IN snch ease ~tli that Ylag dldn Hapur1
ofien nnd Hfe,- Tho point 80 issue bgt
little. Too much at.tuir on the part of
some s,orer. ,vay- na- existed. parricn-
larry IN creIiting q steal on uaIpable mun .
~ The man IfHfEg '.e throw The chief .
reason, however. Tor fewer stolen ha.es
are the-e The htG glove the vide Use of
the ~ and nm play and. partlr In rorneg.
ton ufh The hitter. u0' giving teal t Ian
tho runner b. aided boz q halted hell The
rule I'm Engga in l-sI ALLOW ed Tor q steal
even Whcn the hall We mufeI Isl fR
FIELDER fhrra vas nofstn. u fE.E r,i.
prohibiting he scoring of a steal Utsn
aided by hlted hall The latitude NJ
lowed ~ that rule. more lr less layity m
EcorinE anal the mattress mitt have cut
ton ~ plaver- could -t-aI mute As ruanv
bases under the same condition.. and II /
NAV bs mentioned that in the old days
there W4s as great margin between ne
10 FHa
Ever stop N consider the number n,
Ranie- In Nhirh one or both teams chanRes
piteheTs' boesn look NJ though here
wus any appalling amount Of ptcher-
Summation In view Of the hig proportion Of
rontssts IN whiCh pitcher, are changed
They are removed Tor cause pretty often.
and the cause usually D. inrnectisenes. on
pitcher IL taken out 20 ave him for a later
ucCasion this when he team las a -afe
lad, aoWetines he goes our merely 10 make
way for pinch hitter. hut generally H. ,
Out Of the first ia games in the National
League this season much more than half !
laa To be- eNact, found q change IN pitchers
by one side ~ the other aud often h,tb g
IN the American League there have been a
i5n such games ont n 2i5 There have he.D .
! gOodly proportion iOo n game- in whi,b !
! team used three. four and zometimes i've I
pitchers ~ game II the numhsr Of fhsss q
'hanRe- per team - IN indication II pttSh-
ing week.-mrs. then the ~ Louis Cafdinsls /
rave the weakest stan In the NatignsI ,
League and The S. LOUIS Browns IN The
American.
u will be noticed that IN the NatIor,t y,
League The club with the supposedly sfropg'
~ piiChlng stan. h. Cube has changed q
gitehers ~" least w the American League 4
he team With the supposedly hest rro5.s ~ I .
1ONmen. the Athletic, has changed tsirisgs I
neat n the least The number Il fins- 4
'hange- m pitchers have been made Is an
Indication - "a certain extent 81 Dtichin,
lfrengfh and Reakness. though NOT yrh,iis. | %
70. The fullOWing eturds show in 49,, ] ,
many games zach club has used two. the !
'Our o. five pitchers, the recerds includin, I !
~ games 40 81 last saturday
NATIONAL LEAdrR
New York Two uitehsn. IS ramss. H.. .
litrhaTs, Tames four pitrhert. Z game Tot,i q,
BFookiyn Two pichers y Eames three No. | y
- & 4amea Total. 10 '-"' I
Roat0n Two rirhers. . Eames thres pft~h.-. :
rar1e four piu hrrs. game Total ii E''a' !
49, .fa.a.| IfH Hraaa