Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-09
DESPERATE CHANCES
WIN MANY GAMES
Success of Detroit and Pitts.
burg Resulted From This
Style of Play.
By Umpire Billy Evans.


takes desperate chances in any and all
departments Of the game.
No team ever won a pennant by de-
pending on pitching or batting alone to
down the opposition. OF course. these
factors play a prominent part. but the
ability to grasp opportunities and take
chances is just as essential. IL not more
Pittsbnrg won the pennant In the Ma
tional League because it had a h:sh-class
catcher. a good pitching staff. ex-
celent defense and. hest of all, players
who were willing TO take chances, alert to
every opportunity and always DESTROYS
of accomplishing the seemingly impos-
sible
Detroit won the championship In the
American League under just about the
same cond tiors. The club bCasted o.
better than the average talent in all de-
partments. and had several players who
took the long chances. and generally got
away with them. The Pirates defeated
the Tigers In the worlds series, not be-
cause they took any more chances than
the Detroit team. hut simply because they
got much better results from the chances
they took
1t has often happened In the history
of base ball that the team that looked
the best on paper before the season open
ed failed miserably in the regular cam
pagn. In many cases the club In ques-
ton appeared to have the pitching talent
that would hold the opposition to very
few runs. defense that compared
favorably with the twirlng stan and
batting ability to drive in enough runs
TO win big percentage of the games
played
Nine times out of ten the failure Of
such club may be directly traced to the
Inability Of the players to take advan-
tage of the opportunities offered and the
10 at ho
bat. in the field or on the bases. It's the
pulling OF Of the unexpected that wins
more victories than air-tight pitching.
hard hitting or brilliant fielding. In
variahly TIE accomplishing of the unex-
re'ttd play sends the opposition balloon
ing and before landing Is made. the
game IS usually beyond recall
Gai'e a few of the champion Pittsburg
team were ever alert to any chance that
n'iaht lie offered. and they were always
Wiling to so through with the play at
arN cost Perhaps no player on the
Pirate team tried to do SO many dIficult
feats rs Hans Wagner. His great sue
cess in whatever he tried to do spelt
more victories for Pittsburg than the
individual efforts Of any one player
Any time Wagner reached first in the
series with the Tigers he generally kept
on running until he had crossed the plate
T3e Detroit catchers knew any time lie
reached first they had trouble on their
hands but despite this knowledge they
failed to stop the Flying Dutchman"
He stole bases almost at will and his
work in this department of the game
alone was just about the undoing of the
Tigers.
Cobb Steals Home.
The famed star of the Tigers. Tyrus
Cobb, took just as many chances as
wagner, but didn't get away with them
like the Pittsburg wonder. Although just
as feet Of foot. Cobb failed to meet with
the same success. yet the most thrilling
feature OF the entire series was his Won
derful steal of home in the second game.
He performed the extraordinary feat in
cleancut style, and there was never a
question as to the decision.
Just as Willis started to wind up Cobb
made his dash for the plate. The elon-
gated Pirate twirler OWNED his intentions
buried the ball to Catcher Gibson. Some
dis ance from the plate Cobb hit the dust
and made his famous fade-away slide.
The ball came to Catcher Gibson at
rather mean angle to handle. and before
he could get the sphere on Cobb he had
scraped the toe of his foot over the cor
ner Of the plate and was safe. Although
the Tigers had small lead before Cobb
pulled OFF the entirely unexpected. that
play was the turning point in the game,
it made victory easy for the Tigers.
In the sixth game of the series at De-
troit the Pittsburg team pulled of a play
that brought censure from many Of the
fans. but 1t was really good base ball
when considered from the standpoint Of
Pittsburg and Manager Clarke.
AS / recall the play Abstein led of
with single in the ninth. and Wilson
followed with A bunt. The throw to get
Wilson at first was a trifle wide, and in
order to get the ball Tom Jones was
forced to take step toward the fast
advancing runner. Jones received the
ball just as Wilson crashed into him.
The force of the collision was SO great
that Jones was unable to hold the ball.
falling TO the ground unconscious. Alb
stein went to third and Wilson to second
on the play before Delehanty. who
backed up. could recover the ball.
With one down. men on second and
third, run to tie and two to win.
things certainly looked good for the
Pirates. Jones. because OF his injuries
left the game, and Sam Crawford came
In from center to play the bag. Gibson
hit fast one to him on the ground and
Abstein was retired at the plate. Things
began to look bit better for the Tigers
Abbaticchio was sent to bat for the
pitcher by Clarke.
Pirates Miss a Double Steal.
Things had been breaking rather badly
for Schmidt that day. and with the call
three and two on him. Manager Clarke
decided to try the unexpected. II sue