The Detroit times., 1911-02-21
.ATHlET|cs S T0LE
RIVALS SIGNS
ALL SEASON
Worked Tipping Bureau From
Behind tie Catcher and Always
Knew What Was
Coming.
gutenberg, Cleveland Pitcher, reiis
How He Discovered Plot and
Fooled It.

That they got the opposition teams
battery signals last season was admit
ted and even boosted by the Athletics,
hut how Macks men did 1t was
mystery until after they had won the
American league pennant. This is no
signal tipping scandal. The Athletics
way OF getting the catchers' signals
was ON the level. Their secret was
( kent so they could get the Cubs sig
rals In the worlds series, which they
did.
Fred Falkenberg was the first
player to get onto the Athletics sys'
TEN. The tall Nap pitcher knew. as did
other players, that the Athletic bat
tiers nearly always knew what kind OF
bah was coming. Falky spent several
sleepless nights figuring II out.
How u Worked.
Here IL how they did II: The player
whose turn II was to bat next STOOD
waiting almost behind the catcher In
stead of In path straight from the
bench to the home plate, which was
where the next batter OF every other
team waited The player waiting to
bat got the catcher's signals from be-
hind. "Get on, Harry" meant a
curve Is coming, and Touch all the
bases, Eddie" meant this is straight
fast ball, and SO on.
The catchers gave their signals
away TO player behind them in hid
Ing them from the coachers on first
and third base. Signals are given the
pitcher by the catcher extending two.
three or four fingers, or by holding
the closed right hand against the
catching mitt Unless the mitt was
held facing the pitcher 1t was the
easiest thing In the world for player
behind the catcher to get the signs.
Falkenberg had Ted Easterly give
his signals so they. couldn't be seen
from behind him Falky laughed at
the Athletics as they stretched their
,necks to see what Ted was giving,
Then the Athletics figured out an
other way. They counted on the Maps
spreading the news. and set out to get
another line on what the pitcher
would throw. and they got new way.
Chief Bender devised 1t. Chief said
he could ten from the way the pitcher
held the ball and from his first mo-
tions In pitching what kind OF ball he
would throw. Bender was stationed
ON one coaching line. and Coombs on
the other when neither was working
and when Bender or Coombs pitched
Topsy Hartsel held down one OF the
coaching Jobs. They told the batter
by word In a line OF coaching talk
whether q straight fast ball, curve
or q waste ball was coming. This
method was not so effective as read
ing the catcher's signals, but II was
almost as good.
In Worlds Series, Too.
The Athletics used the old system
Of getting the catcher's signals I'm the
worlds series. IL will be remem-
bered that Johnny King wasted three
balls In the second game with Collins
on first base, and Eddie made no move
20 steal second. On the first ball over
the plate Collins stole. Johnny Killing,
the greatest throwing catcher, was
stood on his head King threw as
hard and accurately as he ever did
In the National league race last sea-
son. but he was dub In the big
series. The answer Is easy.
Lon Criger almost started a signal |
tipping scandal last season. Lou
called Umpire Bill Dineen's attention
TO the fact that Athletic base runners
made no attempt to steal when he
called for ball
College Baseball Annual.