Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-30
SOME STORIES
FROM DIAMOND
"Topsy" Hartsel Talks About
the Duties of an Out
fielder.
HE MUST BE GOOD JUDGE
Player Should Know Where Ball VIII
FaII-Accuracy and QuickneSs
Absolutely Required.
No. XVII.
By "TOPSY" HARTsEL.


(CopyriGht, 1910, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
Do 1 consider playing the outfield
easy compared with other positions on
ball team? l should say not. While
he has not as much to do as the in
fielders. catcher or pitcher, the out
fielder has not a cinch by any means.
There are many qualities that player
must possess before he can be called
an expert outf1elder. First of all he
must be a good judge Of fly balls.
quick and accurate. Judgment in tell
Ing where the ball will fall is not all
that is necessary. He must be able TO
determine in a fraction Of a second
how to catch the bail, where to throw
it and how to throw it. He must know
whether to run up and try to smother
a low hit BAH or play it safely, that
is, wait and take it on the bound, and
his Judgment, combined with his mem
DRY, must tell him where this or that
batter is going to hit the ball The
first thing a major league ball outfeld
er must learn to do Is how to handle
the ball after a single is made. This
is puZzling to many. The first thing
an outfelder should do is to get the
ball to second base as soon as possible.
That is where it belongs, whether a
single has been made to 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
make a mistake and throw the ball
to the pitcher or, perhaps, to the
catcher to attempt TO get a man run
ming home. he will start for second
sure. And the chances are that he
will make the base very easily.
When a hit Is made with a man on
third sack it is, of course, impossible to
get him at the plate. When a good
clean hit is made with a man on sec
ond 1t is not likely that he can be
caught at the plate even by the fastest
outfelder Throws to the home plate
are to be expected more often when
there Is fly to the outdeld with a man
on thtrd.coTner with none or one out
Then the. outer gardener has an op-
portunity to test his throwing wing.
There is NO prettier sight than that of
q long, perfect throw from the outf1eld
which arrives before the runner and
he is tagged out. The player who can
make throw like that is admired by
everybody. When you can see one that
can do it right along ask him how he
throws so well and be will answer, by
practicing."
VaIus Of OGod Throw.
It must be left entirely to the judg-
ment of'the manipulating in the outfield
whether or not he is to throw to the
plate to try to get the runner making
for home after fly to the out1eld.
Perhaps;he has been too far out and no
fielder can make the throw and get
the runner. In such case and If there
is man. ON first the outfelder should
not throw to the plate. but to second
sack instead II 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
1t is the aim of nearly every outfieId-
er in the majors TO throw the ball low
and straight. It is better for It to go
into the catcher's mftt on the first
bound. Then 1t, is pretty sure not to
be to high, and the moment he gets
his hands on it he can tag the runner
out. 1t is pardonable to be deliberate
In throwing from the outf1eld to the
home plate, but not too much time can
be taken. Constant practice in throw
ing 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
hit low. Low balls are the hardest
things the outfelder is called upon to
stop-those which are too low to catch
on the fly aud too high to get on the
bound If he runs In and tries to
scoop the ball it is likely to get
through his hands and go to the rear
fence. If he waits for it on the bound
it is likely to turn suddenly, since
most outergardens are rough, and get
away from him. The thing that should
be uppermost in the mind of the out
fielder at that ting should be to hold
on to the ball and thrust the hand
holding it up as soon as he can, chat
the umpire may see that he has caught
It.