The Calumet news., 1910-09-22
BASEBALL PLAYS
ARE MOTH-EATEN
MA GERS STILL CLING TO
PLAYS WHICH HAVE LOST
THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN
YEARS GONE BY.

oThey talk about progress in base
ball." quoth little Louie Heilbronner,
for years "A baseball scout, "and they
prattle learnedly about the wonderful
advancement in the generalship of the
game. Maybe so. Maybe the boys
who play the modern game can put
over e. lot of things our daddies never
thou sht of, but why is 1t, then, with
so much progress, that clubs cling TO
&C rtain aged institutions that are
IAoldy, moth -eaten and fun of messy
prunes? For example, the trick of
passing a strong batsman TO set II
wallop at "A weak sister coming next
in the array. That works-once I'm a
long while. IL has saved close games,
nn infrequent occasions Ii was all 10
the good, that trick, i'm the days when
YOU were not allowed TO alter the line
mup and couldn't bring in a fresh bats
man, and Ii has held over since those
times, unaltered. Now, what's the an
swer? The opposing team either
chucks in "a murderous slugger as spe-
cial hitter, and he knocks the tar out
of the ball, or the weak batter, out
g,neraling the pitcher, works him for
a base on balls or makes him groove
il for "a killing.
Then again, the drawing in of the
haseman and shortstop in the hope of
cutting off run at the plate. once
in great while they do get a man.
Seven times out of ten the batsman
drives through the close e-drawn field
scoring the runner, and himself reach
ing first on a tap that would have
been an easy out, and, in case of full
bases. double play.
Next moss grown habit-the run
for the next base when the call on
tie batter is three and two. Always
and inevitably. the man on first or
second rushes for the next base when
the call is three and two-it has been
so for thirty years and so, Doubtless
il win ever be. And why? Why not
use little sense, especially If your
man already on base is a slow run
ner? If it is fourth ball, your man
is pushed along without the bother OF
running. If ii is n third strike, the
catcher is all primed and ready, anu
a double play is nearly always COM
pleted on the quick chuck to the walt
ing baseman.
The hit-and-run is all right in its
place, but the trick of trying to MT
when a stealing runner is talriy on
his way is as idiotic as it is antiquat-
ed. II has been the rule for maybe
twenty years. Prior to 1880, II was
the rule to let the baserunner nave
full leeway, and to leave the bail
alone. excepting a swing in the air.
made to dazzle the catcher, and that
was the only sensible idea.
"The trick of pitching out to get d
base runner is also a joke. "A llVely
and intelligent base runner once on
first, can wiggle his feet and make
bluff starts till the fool pitcher mas
wasted two or three wide balls. Theh
the idiot has to groove them or VAIN
the batter. Even If the runner docs
fly for second the pitch-out Will usu-
ally be so wide, and at such an an
gle, that the catcher Will nave to
make a letter + on himself to get tle
ball, and will fire ii way wild Whei'
he does get IL. And these are only d
few of the moth eaten plays they keep
on making, day after day. Progress
in baseball? Sure, but where Is t'
w. A. Phelon.