The Washington herald., 1911-05-08
By WILLIAM PEET.


twirler did not begin to have the speed
seasons. .
Manager Harry Davis. of the Athletics,
was seen last night and asked what he
thought of Johnson's work in the two
games the Athletics faced him this year.
Davis laughed at the statement that
Johnson lacked his usual speed, and re-
piled: You can't make anybody on the
Athletics believe that Johnson isn't the
same old speedy twirler. He had just
as much stuff on that fast one Saturday
as he ever had. / ought to know for L
batted against him.
Had johnson carried out that half joking
threat made while the club was in At
lanta, it is likely that in the four games
he has twrled for the Nationals this
season he would have been more effec-
tive.
Coming home from Ponce De Leon park
one noon after a hard practice johnson
said: IF should hit few more players
in the American League, and drive them
away from the plate. l could work the
outside corners better, and perhaps win
more games, but then they all know
never Intentionally try to disable
batter
One reason why Rube Waddell was so
effective during his palmy day was on
account of his speed and wildness. When
the eccentric one was unsteady, oppos-
ing batters We're afraid to step up close
TO the plate, and once the Rube hit
man, that player never faced him again
with the same confidence This would
be true Of Walter Johnson, If the big
fellow should accidently hit a few
batters.
The Nationals and Athletics meet again
this afternoon. for the final game in the
East until whirl has been made around
the Western circuit. The club leaves to-
night for Chicago, where they play four
games starting Wednesday, then for
Cleveland. st. Louis. and Detroit in turn,
until May -. when Boston shows up in
the Capital for a quartet of games, fol-
lowed by the New York Yankees for one
game and then the Detroit Tigers and all
the Western clubs follow.
Manager Connie Mack, of the Athletics.
will be in Washington this morning and
accompany the worlds champions on
their Western trip.
The foregoing announcement was made
last night by Capt. Harry Davis, who
has heard direct from the manager
Reports of Connie Macks serious i'll
ness were greatly exaggerated 1t was
stated in several of the Philadelphia
papers that Mack was stricken with
pleurisy and was in critical condition.
Manager McAleer will pitch either Bob
Groom or Dolly Gray against the Ath- |
Ietics this afternoon, while Mack's choice |
lies between Bender or Jack Coombs.
The Boston club wants Catcher GabBy |
Street, of the Nationals, and wants him /
badly. Owner John /. Taylor offers a /
couple of young outfielders, but McAleer ,
says iris Speaker is the only man he !
will take.
IF Taylor wants Charlie Street for his !
team 1 want Speaker for mine. No other |
man would be equal to the best catcher !
in the American League" said McAleer I
warmly. why. I'd be crazy to conslner !
any other kind of a trade
Big league catchers have different ways
of telling when a runner will try to steal /!
None rely on any one sign, but look for |
several clews, and none can tell for a !
certainty if the runner is really going !
down or is bluffing to get the pitcher TO |
waste a ball on the batter.
Every runner, with three or four ex- |
ceptions, has some little habit that tips |
his start" says one. Cobb, Collins, and |
Moriarity are the only ones who don't /
telegraph when they are going. a CATCH |
er's only chance is TO outguess them.
Il generally watch a runners face, and |
tell by his expression if he is going down.
Most players shoot a glance toward sec
ond when they intend to go. They do
this when they think no one is watch
ing. Some take a bigger lead off first
when they are going to steal than when
they are not
Il pay lot OF attention to the batter
when a runner is on first" says another.
IF the batter goes through a lot Of
funny motions, it's pretty sure one of them
is sign for the runner to go the
next ball. l call for waste ball then.
If the hit and run is On, the pitch-out
breaks it up.
"A catcher can tell lot. too, by watch
ing a runners feet. Runners set them
selves different when they prepare for
quick start than when they have no ir1-
tention of running"
Il watch the way a runner fixes his
body suggested a third. Some face
around a little more toward second when
they are going to run, and face the plate
when they are not. Some runners get UP
on their toes, and sometimes you can no
tice a runner pressing his toe spikes into
the dirt. to be sure of good footing"
A RaChSlOp SalO ne WdlCneu Ine
body. when a man is going
down he generally leans his body toward
second. Most good runners get their
body away first and let their feet follow.
The conditions of the. game have to be
considered too. No catcher can call the
turn every time. The runner is bound to
fool the catcher almost as often as the
catcher calls the turn on the runner"
Speaking of the Athletics chances of
winning the American League champion
ship this year the Philadelphia Record
yesterday sad:
From now on the Athletics may be
expected to make things interesting for
the first division teams. They lost a
chance yesterday TO crawl up a little
on the leaders, Walter Johnson once
more taking their measure in a hard
fought contest. After one more game
at Washington the champions will start
West and they stand a good chance of
second place by the end of the
week. But there will be a long, stern
chase after the Tigers, who have i'm
proved every icoment of the time that
the champions Fave spent Summing, and
now have a ccean lead of nine games
Hughey Jennings says his team is better
than ever before. and he figures that il
Always the Same.
1