The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-05-22
PLAYERS LIKE TO CHANGE JOBS
Monotony of Daily Grind Causes Base
ball Stars to Shift Around.
BY TOMMY CLARK.

DdScDou pay CTS are queer 1uUlV1U'
uals. Mighty few of them are salts.
fed with their positions. The pitchers
would be catchers, and catchers would
be pitchers. The outfelders would like
to cease chasing flies and stop ground
ers. The infclders would like to wan
der to the outtield and chase the elusive
fly. Nearly every player has an am
bition to play some other position than
the one in which he has made his repu-
tation. Doing speciality becomes
tiresome to the average ball tosser,
and he imagines the other fellows
work Is easier than his own until he
tries it.
For instance, Charley Doom, the
manager Of the Phillies, when he is
not warming UP pitchers likes to COB
BILE up grounders in the intield. Sher-
wood Magee of the same team has to
be chased away from first base when
serious practice begins. Ed Walsh of
the White Sox would sooner be first
baseman or an outfielder than do slab
duty. Ty Cobb would like nothing
better than to go into the box and
twirl in a regular game. During the
off season Tyrus does the pitching for
a semipro. team in Augusta, Ca, his
home town. Most any afternoon dur
ing the regular season Cobb can be
seen pitching to the batters
Maybe you. have watched Joe Tinker.
the Cubs great shortstop, trying to
solve the mysteries of pitching during
practice. Frank Schultz is usually his
catcher. Stanage, the Detroit back.
stop, has to be driven back of the bat
He would sooner play in the infield
than be called the Tigers star: catcher.
'"Three Fingered" Brown of the Cubs,
who seems to be all in as pitcher,
thinks he would make good as an in
fielder Before he became a twirler he
played in the infield, so the position ia
not new to him. ~ I y! It..
It's the monotony of doing the same
thing day after day that wears on the
players, and it is real fun for them
to shift to some other position even for
few minutes. .. : -sp.-. .
This habit has resulted in some play
ers turning out to be stars in positions
other than the ones to which they have
been assigned by their managers.
Ted Easterly of Cleveland, who is
good enough to catch for any team,
has given up backstop work and is
now playing right field for the Maps.
Jack Flynn, who did most of the first
base playing for Pittsburg last season,
Is now catcher. Flynn was first
class backstop while with Georgetown.
J. l. Taylor. president Of the Boston
Americans, believes that his shortstop,
Wagner, will be even better behind
the bat than in the infeld, but the
chances are that Wagner will remain
ut his old station. Tom Williams, a
former catcher, is now holding down
bag No. for the Boston Americans.
Fred Snodgrass of the Giants gave
promise of developing into a crack
catcher. Last season McGraw placed
him in the Outfield. where he has play
ed fairly good ball.
There is only one department Of the
game where all like to shine. That
Is batting. Ed Walsh may like to
play first, but when it comes his time
to bat in practice you bet he doesn't
surrender it. He bats. 1t is so with
every man in the game. He may be
dissatisfied with his position, he may
want to play another, but you bet he
won't surrender his place in the bat
ting order to anybody. There are no
exceptions. g. H. Us. ~