Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-20
McGRAW DOES NOT OFTEN
USE THE SACRIFICE ANY MORE
Giants Manager Says His Young Players
Are Too Erratic in Their Stick Work,
Has But One Consistent Hitter.

Special Dspatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, August 2D.--No more than
five years ago and prior to that period as
far back as in the early ''nineties" the
sacrifice game was on the ascendant In
professional base ball.
Toward the latter part of the eighties
there were clever base bal managers and
clever base ball players who were begin
ming to realize that many game could
be won by scientific effort to advance the
runners, particularly II a team were pos
sessed of one or two batters who were
fairly certain either to hit safely or 10
bat SO hard that the defending team
would make errors trying to field the ball.
For four or Ave seasons the advocates
OF the sacrifice game and the smuggling
game engaged in a lively battle as to lie
respective merits of the systems OF play,
but eventually the advocates of the sac
rifice numbered far more than those who
favored hard hitting and a general trust
in luck.
Within the past two seasons there has
two of the leading managers of the Ma
tional League who in their time have
been strong advocates of the theory OF
advancing runners base at a time. II
necessary, to return TO the old way Of
hitting hard at the ball, taking a chance
that IL will land in a safe spot or bother
the opposing fielders.
Surprise has been expressed that such
stance, have been criticised several times
this year because they have played the
hit and run rather than the sacrifice.
There's a Reason for It.
There is reason in the method of the
madness OF the New York players. II
the reader will bark back-that bark back
always sounds like an English novel--tO
the days when the Giants won the cham
pionship In 1904 and 1905 they will recall
that the batting order was wont to run
something as follows: Browne, Donlin.
McGann, Mertes. Devlin and the remain
der of the outfit.
getting on first base and Donlin was dex-
trous i'm advancing him TO second. After
Donlin came McGann and Mertes. both OF
whom were hitting hard and with relia-
biiity. Bresnahan was also placed near
the top In the batting order, and he, too,
was hard hi.,er in those days.
If Browne ever got as far as second
base IL was within reasonable certainty
that he would score. The Giants were
sure to meet the ball, and to meet 1t with
interest.
AS the New York team is constituted at
present there is not a sequence of sure
and heavy hitters The players bat VI
ciously at times and. as they run, are al
most the best batterS In the National
League. but they are not so reliable as
some who have played on the New York
team in the past.
In talking about the matter. McGraw
said the other day: In. the first place,
Devore does not get on first so often as
Browne did in the days Of old. IL he were
better waiter and il he could lay the
ball down. as Browne did when he was
in his prime. We would have more chances
on which to work. Suppose that he does
get on first base. / call upon Doyle to
sacrifice. What have l got after that?
Snodgrass is just beginning to develop
into the. style of batter for which the New
York team has been seeking for three
years We have needed two hard. reliable
pluggers to get up to the plate third and
fourth in the batting order. IL we have
men like that we can afford to sacrifice,
because there is some hope that the run
ner will get home.
No Certainty Abou. Them.