The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-09-04
FRANK BOYLE MAY
DRAFT PROUGH
1t is Reported that Three-Eye League
Leader May Pay the Draft
Price for Central Asso-
citation star.
WEAK CLUB FAILURES
Many are Kept in Rut Because They
do not Pull off Unexpected,
Says Tip Wright, Veteran
Writer.

1OSsip ID SuIlSill diuUuS Tue UdSS-
ball directors that Manager Frank
Boyle of the Waterloo baseball club
| is going to draft Willie" Prough, if
some class A or B magnate does not
gobble him up before October Is. The
Three Eye league club can draft from
the Central Association between Oc-
tober Is and October L. Boyle has not
yet reached the point where he can
spend thousand dollars or more buy
ing players, but he is willing to drib.
BILE away little money via the draft
route. BOYLE has always considered
Prough one of the strongest Fingers
in the minors around here and be-
lieves that he will fit in well with
next seasons staff.
Blue Jacket, the Indian twirler.
lasted but three rounds in the open
er against Quincy Friday. The rever-
sal of form shown by the big fellow
mas leen surprise this season. He
started well during the first few
weeks, but since then his twirling
has been of the uncertain variety.
DO the Unexpected.
That baseball players are too prone
to follow out the routine of the
game and slow to spring surprises on
the enemy is the cause of the loss of
many games.
Tip Wright, noted sporting writ
er has written an interesting article
on this point and in it he brings
out the following:
Pennant winners don't play the old
soldier game. That's why Washington,
the st. Louis teams, Cleveland,
Brooklyn and Cincinnati in the ma
jors, and Davenport, Dubuque and
Danville in the Three Eye are trail
ing.
Brilliant individuals waste their eff
forts unless the team is unit, mix
ing brains with fielding, base running,
pitching and hitting.
| have often said the unexpected
wins ball games The team upon
which the opposition can't figure has
an advantage whereas the team tnat
plays in grooves finds sand in the
bearings.
How often have you read, with
two out, So-and-So reached first and
cied stealing?"
they always try to steal with two
down. Why? Because some one once
decided it was good base ball to steal
and score on a single, at such a
time. Sure 1t is always good base
ball to advance, but is there parti-
Gle of sense in always doing the same
thing? Are players like the calf that
followed in the path another calf
ilaade?
You've seen the battery play for
the runner, with two gone. The pitch.
er wastes two or three, so his cataa
er may have a free throw, and the
runners nipped seven times out OF
nine. 1t this base ball?
Change the System.
! Wouldn't it be better If the runner
occasionally forced the pitcher into a
| hole and didn't run? Then the pitcher
| would have to stick the ball over, or
walk the batter If he walks the bat,
| ter, the runner is advanced, and when
forced to get it over the batter has
| the advantage and has chance to
make hit. So why the steal? The
time to steal is when the play isn't
SO apparently the thing that should
be done
| Then the sacrifice? A man reaches
first and the next man tries to sacri.
| fee. Maybe he does. Maybe he fails
twice. What then? He looks to the
manager and is told to "hit it out"
! The infield falls back for the drive.
Everybody is ready The drive is the
/ expected.
! How much s,eAer. at this point, if
the batter would take chance and
| pump the ball" The infield Is set
! for drive and with the battery. is
caught flat-footad. What IL the bat.
ter does go out on a foul bunt? If he
makes good occasionally he has done
something. The bunt is unexpected,
hence it is good baseball.
Why don't managers teach third
asemen to stick to the bag with a
runner on second and rot more -san
one out? The batter hunts and the
basenan tears in to field the bali,
While the runner joys to third. It's
better ball to get the man nearest
acme than the man obviously willing
to be retired, to advance him.
Why, when the hitand-run is on
and the runner tips off the play.
Doesn't the batter make bluff to
hunt, draw in the infield and then
slam the ball through? Because it
isn't regular But it would be the
unexpected.
Have you seen a batter hunt With