Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-02

1t Is mighty seldom that a man can
step out of the amateur ranks and play
big league base ball 1t is doubtful II
there Is one instance out of every thou
sand Of the cases In which it Is tried
where a player has succeeded in turning
the trick. The pace Is too hot for them,
and they soon feel like quitting, and after
developing that sort of spirit 1t Is not
long before they do quit.
And the Same is true in regard TO all
the talk that is going on and has gone on
regarding the giving of jobs on the
American League club of this city to
players who are now holding down posi-
lions on the teams playing on the local
sand lots Statements have been made
frequently that certain of the amateur
players are at present better than are
the men who are being paid big salaries
to play ball. Such may seem to be the
case, but 1t is not. A player who is do
ing great work for an amateur team may
seem to be a better man than is some
fellow who is playing on a league club.
but the fact of the case is this: that
while the amateur may be making a bet
ter showing in the class in which he Is
playing that Is the paid player, he
would utterly fall to come UP to re-
quirements II placed in the position Of
that player.
There may not seem to be much diff
ference between a league game OF bail
and one on the sand lots, even when
both are well played. but there Is. just
the same, and the man who was play
Ing in the amateur contest finds out SO
when he attempts to pull Off the same
stunts In the professional circuits
Lack of experience in regard to the
handling Of certain plays and the lack
Of ability to meet acute situations which
arise at critical times besides the fact
that he lis up against pitchers who will
outguess him nine times out OF ten when
he is at the bat, are the main reasons
for the failure of amateur players to
make good even in the minors
Take the number Of amateur players
who leave town every spring to play in
the class c and D leagues and then sub
tract the number who return at the end
Of the training season or very soon after
ward, and II is found that there are
mighty few. This is no disparagement
of the amateur player. but Is simply the
difference between amateur and profess
sional base ball, the differences which the
amateur player must overcome before he
Is ready for the big league clubs.
There is one amateur who left this
spring to join professional club, who, II
he keeps up his good work, will more
than likely belong to some major league
organization before long, and that is Joe
Gieble- There is not another man who
has left the city In the past year who
has made as good an impression as has
the ex-Twining catcher. He has not only
caught excellent ball. but his throwing
to the bases has been the best In the
league In which he IS playing and his hit
ting has been far above that which char
acterized his work while holding down
his job In the amateur league. In fact,
Gieble's work for the Savannah club in
the South Atlantic League has been 80
good that he has run the regular oatch-
or out Of his job and that player has
been turned over to the Jacksonville club
in the Same league.
t.n1eas tho wnIfcrd club rots sro4b.r
catcher TO iil tho shoes OF Brewer 1t
had bcttar look to the iaurcia which IL
has fnirly won so far this year. The
Andrews club. which during tho early
season did not look TO be a formidable
| Htsrdsr for the ponnnnt. has ioonod
Up particularly strong. ann IL In n posi-
tisn to give tho best OF them n run for
their money. If II tesoa Joe EnEsl on
Its list Of aetives 1t 10 likely to cop tho
men In tho ihaaus who will be able to
connect with his banders consistently.
The cornsii Company IL beginning to
hit In something like tho form which
gave 1t game after game last year.
Friday against tha seaman Gunncrs
two pitchers were pummeled ALI over
the lot and sixteen runs were scored In
seven Inning game. Last year the
Paperhangers were the terrors of all
twirlers In the amateur leagues, and
they again bid fair to occupy the same
position this summer unless a batting
Slump IL forthcoming for the entire
team.
1t would certainly seem tough luck
for the Manhattan club, in the INDIE
mend anse League, to ba beaten out Of
fha pennant again this year, after
scanning to have 1t won. just as 1t was
last season. The Twining club last
summer won its right to the pennant
by virtue of a game that was declared
forfeited by the Manhattans, and this
season, with long lead on the other
clubs to ba beaten would be q heavy
blow to the ciubmen.
The defeat handed out to the Commits