Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-29

men are doing today what Comiskey never
thought of doing as O. player, though as a
manager he has helped initiate. The point
OF interest here Is that the game has been
brought up to such a scientific stage that
it plays itself largely as an automaton.
What progress is yet possible may be as
great as that that has been achieved. but
another generation will have to determine
that, and that is not saying that we have
reached the standstill stage, either. The
game will continue to unfold its new Sc
crets and processes year by year.
With the development of base ball has
come also higher standard Of manhood
az a matter of course, as a natural conse-
Quence. The game as played today is too
fast for the sluggard or the man who dis
sipates. The game today is only for the
swift. It is business that invites young
men from colleges and the best homes in
the land, that calls for the highest type
OF intellectual training. Its laws are in
scrutable. For the young man who will
devote his whole powers to the game 1t
offers due recompense in material form,
and for the man who conserves his powers
1t affords long years of service. The vet
eran. James II. oRourke, at the close of
last season rounded out about forty-two
CONSECUTIVE years On the uldIIlOnu anu inc
old reliable Cy Young is still pitching eff
fective ball at the age Of a, while George
A. Van Haltren at 81 finished his services
year or so ago.
Men speculate without satisfactory re-
suits as to the relative merits of the great
est plays in the modern game. What will
strike one man as the greatest may not
so impress another, but certainly all will
agree that when properly staged the pinch
ball is as exciting and, In fact, thrilling as
play can well be. The pinch play is of
late origin, though some fans have tried
to date it back to Mike Kellys time, but
this can hardly be done. Kelly stole home,
but there is a deal of difference between
stealing home and working the pinch play.
The latter is best operated with the bases
full, two outs and two strikes and three
balls on the batter. This is the most
critical moment any pitcher can face. I'm
less he be very effective and very cool
headed man he is sure to lose out.
This is the ripe setting for the pinch
play. With the bases full and two strikes
and three balls on the batter the next ball
pitched must be a ball or strike. II ball
run is forced in, if a strike then the
pitcher has his only chance Of salvation
The moment the pitcher draws back his
arm to deliver this last, fatal ball every
runner on base makes a grim dash for
the next bag, the man on third tearing for
home in dead earnest. He has taken a big
lead and with the motion of the arm that
delivers the ball he goes down the path
II the pitcher keeps his head and puts the
ball over the plate and the batter hits il
fair nothing can shut off the run. or II
the pitcher loses his head for the instant
and throws wide to catch the runner al
the plate, or throws a ball unintentionally
the runner is safe. for he is forced. SC
there is the one chance left for the pitcher
to fan his man and retire the side.
The tension Of such a situation is trying
and 1t requires a level head to get away
with it. 1t more often happens that thu
pitcher does not prove equal to the task
Pitchers will fight against such an emer
gency when they see it coming up as the!
would resist a catastrophe.
Another very trying ordeal comes whel
there is runner on second and first anC
not more than one out, SO it is eXpedien
for the batter to bunt This time it is thu
third baseman instead of the pitcher whit
is on the anxious seat The third base
man is compelled to watch his base, les
the man on second steal, and at tn
bunt which the batter is always alert L
place. II then the third baseman play vi
close for the bunt it gives the runer a
second an excellent chance to steal with
out a hit to aid him, so by a close work
ing harmony between the man at bat an,
runner on second 1t is very easy to Ian,
the man on third, either by a drive ou
or a bunt or bluff at either or the com
} pletion OF neither.
The hit and run play and the trick o
going from first TO third on a bunt ar,
bits OF ingenuity, depending entirely on tn
= accuracy OF batsman and the speed OF
} runner, the latter is very seldom pulle,
off in major league ball, though JIMMY
Austin used to get away with it in tn
, Western. But whether it is the hit ant
? run or the bunt game, one thing is in
dispensable 10 success and that is fast
! intelligent base running. The team withou
> this can never hope 70 win games, and tn
I game without this is not an interesting
game
y Most people imagine that base running i
entirely a matter OF speed. They coult
. not be further wrong. Some very ordnar,
sprlnters are today and always have beel
, among the star base runners. The famou
Mike Kelly of Slide. Kelly, Slide" fame
was not a very fast runner. and with tn
possible exception OF the peerless Ari
. Latham no man OF his time surpassed hir
= as a base runner Kelly was large-h
: weighed 200 and more-and was not bull
= for speed on the bases. yet he studie
every detail of the game with such sci
= entific precision, he had such absolute con
fldence in his own ability and above a
: he had the slide perfected so that he wa
able to run rings around men much taste
= than himself when 1t came to stealing
= base.
= But the value OF speed must not be uu
derestimated. 1t is one of the essential
l to the game, but 1t has to be propsrl
: governed and directed. IL Is Just Tx
: steam in an engine-the motive power. pre-
vlded there is an experienced hand at tn
throttle, but IL the man in the cab know
= nothing about handling steam the steam
instead Of being the power that runs tn
train, becomes a most dangerous elemen
a peril In fact. Ty Cobb is rated as III
= best base runner today and he has tn
e happy combination Of extraordinary spec
: coupled with superior judgment. But ther
Oh A.