The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-03-28
Griffith Decides That the Sun May
Have Been Too Severe Upon
His "Slugger."
PASKERT AND MILLER ARE
TO TRY FOR RIGHT FIELD
Bescher Will Stick to the Task
With Which He Has Been
Experimenting for
Season.

Clarke Griffith means to shunt one
of his outfielders to another position
this season on the theory that he VIII
be a better batter IL he does not play
sunfield.
The idea Is not novel one. but it
will be an interesting experiment.
Every now and then a player liz de-
veioped In one of the major leagues
who is compelled to devote his fielding
energies to patch of ground which
Is illuminated by something like 90
600, 900 condle power straight from the
center OF heat and molecular activity.
After he plays there for about three
weeks and doesn't happen to lnaAe-as
many base hits as he thinks he should
have made, Il Is two to one that he will
go to the manager of the team and
insist that the sun Ia running his eye
sight and that he will surely lose his
sffeetivness as batter IL he is not
given some relief
1t is true that long service in a sun
field will injure the eyes Of some play
erss On the other hand. there are few
who can stand Ii fairly well. There
was "Eandow' Mertes. "as per exam
pie" He was In many respects the
best sunffelders the New York club
ever had and take II from Murphy
that no ball player can hope to play
left field at the Polo Grounds without
wearing an awning of some kind over
his eyes. Mertes played the position,
and played II some more, and stiil he
hung on fairly well as a batter until
that time came when long service on
the field made him rusty.
The xunfield In Cincinnati In in right
field. Mitchell has played right field
for the Ctncinnatis since he has been
on the team. The first year in which
he was-a Red he hit pretty we'll and
played the field after a fashion. The
next year he couldn't bat much OF any
thing. unless IL was a meal bag, ana
acted like a cat which has been sere-
nading the moon all night. Last year
he picked Up again in his batting and
made such a good showing that Griffith
IL inclined to label him the slugger of
the club.
That being the case. the manager of
the Cincinnati team 10 anxious that he
shall save as much OF the batting
strength OF the young man as possible.
II the SUN bothered him In the begin
ming Of his career with the Cincinnati
club. GrifIith 10 determined that 1t shall
not continue TO bother him, and has
turned him loose In center field. with
instructions to 20 as far as he likes,
and not to forget to bat less than 800.
and just M much more than 400 as the
mood seixes hts manly form.
Paskert and Miller are to struggle
with right field. The man who can see
best In the light--not the one who can
see best in the dark--will get the posi-
ton. while Bescher will play left field
for the team. When he comes TO New
York he may not play left tieid. He
tried to do % last year.. and on days
I'm which the sun had q fair chance
against Harlem mist Bescher wabbled
In left field like twenty-year- old boy
beginning to learn roller skating.
Meanwhile the Cincfnnatis are be-
ing treated TO eome opinions of their
team which are growing brighter every
day. II begins to look as II they will
claim the championship IL the glow
doesn't abate before long. That's an
old trick In Cincinnati.