El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-19

one Of the things that mark the diff
ference between a good one and
weak one. You can almost count on
your fingers its possessors. Among
them, besides Speaker. are Milan, Fred
Clarke, Sch1lte Tommy Leach, Sheck-
ard, Titus, Josh Clarke. Goode, Craw-
ford and Artie Holman. It doesn't look
like such a valuable accomplishment
to the casual observer, but one has
only to study it closely to realize how
much it mans
Must Play Deep Field.
An outfieIder who can't ''go back" is
an outfielder who can't use judgment
in playing his position. He must play
a deep field all the while, for he is
constantly afraid that a ball will be
hit over his head and that he will
make a show Of himself in its pur-
suit.
with a good pitcher working" re-
marked Iris Speaker the other day.
"a pitcher possessed of control. play
ing center field, or any outfeld posi-
ton, is a cinch compared to playing 1t
when you have no confidence in the
man in the box. You can't play
batter intelligently unless your pitch
er is doing his part intelligently. A
pitcher who knows where his deliveries
are going helps an outfielder immeas-
urably.
THE fact that Frank Baker. for in
stance, hits to right field most of the
time doesn't signify that he is going
to hit there all the time. He's going
to hit to left or left center If the ball
is pitched outside to him, and the
knowledge of his habits won't help
me a particle unless I know what my
pitcher is going to hand him.
signs are practically worthless I'M
less the pitcher is able to carry out
his part. An outfelder is up in the
air when he feels that a pitcher isn't
sure whether he is going to give
batter q ball on the inside or outside
or high or low. But if the pitcher
has control and knows what he is
about, the outhelder car move around
with some degree. of intelligence and
play his position as it should be
played.
For example, suppose that Larry
Lajoie, whose hardest drives are to
center and left, is at bat It won't get
me anything to play deep center or
more to the left if the pitcher is go
ing to serve up one on the outside. For
Larry is likely to hit that kind or
ball two or three miles into right or
right center. If the pitcher hands him
one inside, the chances are he viii hit
II 10 16II uO1Q- IL the PITCHER OoOSL
know whre he is going to pitch /
might as well plant myself where the
ground is hardest and just wait for the
crack of the bat
TT certainly is a fact that some bat
tiers are easier to play for than others.
Why it's next to impossible to lay for
some of them. Take Ty Cobb. You've
seen him hit like a shot down the
third base line, pull a ball a mile
minute into right or lift it away over
the center fie1der's head. In cases such
as his, you might as well play one
place as another. You can't tell where
or how far Ty is apt to send a ball
A Discouraging Part.
Zone of the most discouraging parts
Of an outfelder's work is chasing
With one. two OF three men on bases,
and the score close, someone hits
ball past me, on the ground or on the
fly. I turn my back TO the diamond
and start running as fast as can go.
Ny one idea is to recover that ball and
get it back to the inf7eld before every
body has scored. I know that every
thing depends on my speed. but still
don't know just how far the runners
have gone or how much chance have
Of stopr ing any of them. Nevertheless,
I must keep on going. The drive may
minute it was hit. but usually I don't
know whether or not it is one until I
have recovered 1t and thrown it back.
You see the work may be entirely use
less or it may be the opposite Which
ever it is, I've got to do it, If I want
to hold my job. If there's one thing
a manager or fan hates to see. it's an
outfe1der loafng after an extra base
hit
"A strong arm isn't the only thing
necessary in the makeup of d good
throwing outfielder.i There are men
who can come close to the long dis
lance throwing record or tie anybody
for accuracy, but who invariably
throw to the wrong place. Suppose
there's q runner on first base and the
next man up makes a base hit to my
field. The runner turns second just as
I pick UP the ball. He runs about 20
feet past the bag and slows up. Sup
pose I am almost sure he intends to
return to second and stop there and
suppose I go through on this belief
and peg to second base in the hope of
nail him. And also suppose is just
blufing and starts for third the min
ute he sees me throw to second. If he
reaches third safely. as he probably
does, 1 look like a bone head If he
! does come back toward second and my
+, throw gets him, It's a good play. But
/ 1t is a very unsafe play. AS a general
rule I must throw to third base and
make sure that he won't try for that
] bag rather than take the chance OF
nipping him off second.
'Other problems come up when run
ners are on third and second, or third
and first, and a fly ball is hit to me.
! Unless I am reasonably sure there is a
( good chance to prevent the run I
mustn't throw to the plate for that
would enable the runner at second to
go to third or the runner on first to
go to second. Those are all matters
for an outfelder's judgment, and don't
ySu ever believe he doesn't feel sore
when his judgment is wrong.
Low Line Drives.
Low line drives are source Of
/ trouble to outdelders. Sometimes a
man is sure he wouldn't be able to
catch one of them on the fly and so
moves back TO be certain of getting 1t
On the first hop and prevent its get
ting past him. And sometimes the
manager and fans think he ought to
have tried for 1t on the fly, and he is
called It's another matter of 3udg
ment and mighty hard thing to de-
eide at times.
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