The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-02

partments, is doomed to failure before
or brainless catcher can ruin the best
pitching corps in the land in few
weeks, and break up a perfectly or
ganizcd team in even less time. The
number of passed balls, muffled flies,
failures TO touch base runners at the
plate and other mechanical mistakes
form no criterion by which to Judge a
catcher. His greatest errors are those
Of Judgment. his worst blunders are the
only must he direct the pitching signal
for each ball signal for each play made
with runners on the bases, watch
runners and signal the pitcher to
make throws, but also he has Innumer-
able opportunities 10 throw or not to
throw when the slightest hesitancy or
uncertainty Will mean defeat. He can
make n pitcher ''wild,' force the best
pitcher to give bases on balls, break
up all the teamwork and infeld play,
by a moment of excitement or panic. A
cool brainy pitcher sometimes can
steady catcher, or take the
control of the game out Of his hands
and. changing signals, hold the team
steady and save the catcher, but the
majority Of pitchers prefer to pitch
to orders, rather than assume response
bIhty Of changing them.
To understand the manifold duties Of
the catcher requires not only brains,
coolness, generalship and good memory
but also the mechanical ability to catch
balls Of any speed, to Judge distances
accurately, throw from any position on
the line and with a short, snap motion
OF the arm, to throw off the shoulder
towards first base with scarcely a glance
in that direction, TO direct team work
observe the positions of every player
before every ball pitched, signal fielders
| before making throw. watch runners
closely and signal the pitcher when they
| venture too far off the bases, to know
which men will steal, and on what ball
TO win the friendship of umpires, and
above all to know the tricks and habits
| of batters.
Because of the intimate knowledge OF
batters aud baserunDers required in sue
cessful catching, experience is the great
est factor in the position. and it is i'm
possible for young catchers to meet with
great success. Usually three years OF
experience with a ma ior league. team
is needed to make a catcher competent
AS the catcher g throwing must be done
with ierky motion Of the arm and
from unnatural positions. as the posi-
tion is the most wearing one in The
game. and the most dangerous, only s
minority who begin as catchers continue
long enough to gain the experience, The
catcher who can go through two seasons
without crIppling injuries from spikes
of baserunners, foul tips or wild pitches
is lucky.
The number Of times a catcher is In
lured in season is surprising. At on,
time in 1909. George Gibson, in spite Of
chest protectors, shin guards and heavy
pads, had black and blue spots imprinted
by nineteen foul tips upon his body, {
damaged hand, a bruise on his hip sir
inches square where a thrown bat hat
struck, and three spike cuts, Yet HI
had not missed q game. and was COP
graduating himself on his chick Pa
Moran. of Chicago, IN four games wa
hit seven times on OF near the knee
by fouls, struck once on the throwing
arm and once on the shoulder; vet N
stuck 10 II until n foul broke throuel
his mask and tore his face Under sucl
conditions of wear and tear the woude
proxImates the demand and it is smal
wonder that the men who might max
really great catchers prefer some othe
position where the risk is not so large.
Chance. while n catcher, bad tn
record for getting hurt, He was in
| iured FIVE times in ono game at New
York and that night, lying in his bert
lamentiug his i'll luck, with torn ca,
\ a bruised arm, and with a finger stucl
into a lemon, he was struck by disc o
tin sailed up the aisle by roisterer am
| suffered a severe cut on his upper lip.
| The first and most important duty o
the catcher is to know batters, aud tn
power Of observation and quick Iude
ment necessarily involved is enormou.
| / Veteran battcrs, Of course, are we
| known by all. as their weaknesses an
strength are matters of common gossiI
The catchers must remember what kin
of balls they hit. and in what directio
they are likely to hit any special kin
Of ball. Also they know that batter
| change gradually and must be on iii
} lookout for signs of such changes DC