The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-08-01
"Topsy' Hartse| Talks About
Duties Of an OuttIelder.
He MUST Be GOOD JUDGE,
piayer Should Know Where Ball VIII
Fait--Accuracy and Quickness Abso-
lutely Required--What to Do When
Hit Is Made--Value Of Good Throw.
No. XVII.
BY "TOpSY" HARTSEL.

citation.
Do | consider playing the outtield
easy compared with other positions on
Il ball team: | should say not While
lie has not as much to do as the in
iieders. catcher or pitcher, the out
fielder has nor cinch by any means
There are many qualities that player
must possess before he can be called
an expert outfielder. First OF al he
must be good judge of fly balls,
Quick aud accurate. Judgment in tell
ing where the bali will fall is not all
that Is necessary. He must be able TO
determine in n fraction of a second
how to catch the ball, where to throw
II and how 70 throw 1t. He must know
whether 10 run up and try to smother
low hit ball or play it safely, that
Is, wait ana take 1t on the bound. and
his Judgment. combined with his men,
DRY. must tell him where this or that
batter is going to hit the ball. The
first thing a major league ball outfield-
er must learn to do is how to handle
the ball after a single is made. This
is puz2iing TO many. The first thing
an outfielder should do is to get the
ball to second base as soon as possible
That Is where 1t belongs, whether
single has been made 10 right, left or
center The object Is, Of course, to
hold the runner on first sack If the
runner sees that You are about to
r,Nir and fhrnVyy fhn halt
to the pitcher or, perhaps, TO the
catcher to attempt to get man run
ming home, he will start for second
sure. And the chances are that he
win make the base very easily.
When a hit Is made with man on
third sack it is, of course, impossible to
get him at the plate When a good
clean hit Is made with man on sec
ond 1t is not likely that he can be
caught at the plate even by the fastest
outtielder. Throws to the home plate
are to be expected more often when
there is a fly to the outfield with man
on third corner with none or one out
Then the outer gardener has an OPP
! yortunity TO test his throwing wing,
! There is no prettier sight than that of
long, perfect throw from the outie!d
which arrives before the runner and
| he is tagged out. The player who can
make a throw like that is admired by
everybody When you can see one that
can do 1t right along ask him how he
| throws so well and he will answer, by
| practicing."
| 1t must be left entirely to the judg-
ment of the man playing IN the outtield
whether or not he is to throw to the
| plate to try to get the runner making
for home after q fly to the outlield.
Perhaps he has been too far ont and no
fielder can make the throw and get
the runner In such case and II there
ia n man on first the outfieder should
rot throw to the plate, but to second
sack instead. If the throw were made
to home plate the runner on first would
reach second and from that point he
could score If the batter following
should make hit
ii is the aim of nearly every outfield-
er in the majors TO throw the ball low
and straight 1t is better for it to go
into the Gathers mltt on the first
bound Then 1t is pretty sure not TO
be to high. and the moment he gets
his hands on il he can tag the runner
out II is pardonable to be deliberate
in throwing from the outfield to the
home plate, but not too much time can
be taken Constant practice In throw.
irc to the plate can only engender
speed in getting the ball away.
1t is very important that the out.
fielder should be able to know whether
TO run up or to wait when the ball Is
bit low. Low balls are the hardest
things the outfielder Is called upon &c
stop-those which are too low to catch
on the fly and too high TO get on the
bound If he runs In and tries tc
SCOOP the ball II is likely to Sc
through his hands and 70 to the real
fence. If he waits for it on the bount
,, It IS likely TO turn suddenly, since
,, most outcrgardens are rough. and ge
away from him. The thing that should
, be uppermost In the mind of the out
| fielder at that time should he to holt
t on to the ball and thrust the han'
holding 1t up as soon as he can ina
the umpire may see that he has caugh
. H.