Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-17
CONSIDER COMFORT OF FANS
More Profitable to Have Grounds So
Fielders Face the Sun.
PLAYERS MUST BE ON ALERT
what Is Admitted 20 lie worst
Field In the Major Leagues
~ that I'm Cleve-
land,


NEW YORK. Dec. 16.-The hardest posi-
tion to play in the outfield is the sun"
Held, and that Is not always the same
'ield, nor are all OF them equally diff
cult.
sun field. by the way is the bah
players name for the field into which
the afternoon sun shines on a direct or
almost direct line with the home plate
so that the majority of flies hit TO that
FIELDER comes TO him out OF a blazing
background
At the Polo grounds the left field Is the
sun field. although center field is
bothered at certain seasons. At American
league park the sun interferes with the
right fielder
What is admitted by all to be the
worst IN the major leagues is left field in
! Cleveland, although left field at the
Polo grounds IN New York is pretty
fierce"
The ST. Louis American league grounds
nave everything else beaten. for both
right and center fields are bad sun"
fields, whenever the weather is clear.
sometimes even the left fielder is handi-
capped, too.
The fans probably wonder why ball
parks are not planned SO that there will
be no sun" field. That can be done
easily enough by making a considerable
part OF the spectators face the sun. and
not only face II, but sit in II most OF the
game, and that is not comfortable on a
hot afternoon. Detroit and Brooklyn have
plants laid out that way and the first
base side OF the covered stands is no more
comfortable than upon bleachers I'm July
or August. Detroit's new plant. now being
built, is arranged the other way. because
the comfort of the fans Is more important
TO the revenue OF the game than the con-
venience OF the outfielders. 1t Is better
TO have a fly misjudged occasionally.
even at the cost OF a game, than to have
large section of the grand stand Stunned
oy persons unless the place is crowded.
ASIDE from this sun feature, one would
think the outfleld positions were alike
and equally difficult to play. That is far
from the truth. Each position has ,ts
peculiarites, and man who has PLAYED
one outfield position for a number of
years will be at sea for a while in anv
other field The greatest difference is he
tween center field and either of the other
two positions. AS a rule long flies or
drivers that go to the center fielder are
NIT almost squarely by the batsman, and
consequently have little English" to
make them curve
The majority of flies hit to right or left
lleiu' however, will curve in their flight.
anu the neider must remember instinc-
uVeiy 10 allow for this curve when run
nlnB TO get under the ball The flv which
a right-handed batsman hits into right
reld VIII curve in the opposite direction
to the fly which a left-handed batsnoa n
hits into left field, but when a man
changes from right to left field he takes
the curve instinct along with him and
merely has to remember which field he
Is IN The center fielder who changes 70
rlght-or left field must acquire the habit
Oh expecting every fly to curve, unless
II is straight liner pulled squarely by
the batsman.
Ihere Is not as much difference between
the outfield positions as there is on the
inneld' but there is enough so that a
player is left in his so-called natural,
position unless It is necessary to change
him.
The physical requirements in the out-
held are speed, accuracy in Judging flies
ana surety OF catch. The mental require
ihents are much the same as in any other
department. The outfleder must study
the batsmen and learn in which direction
certain men usually hit certain kinds of
ptching. Knowing the catchers signs SO
that he will know just what is being
pltched each time is of great help to the
wise outfielder in guessing the direc.
ton a ball will take the instant he hears
the crack of the bat.
Anyone who has watched the butfIeId
OF good team on the defense has seen
great expanses of ground left unguarded
at times and may have wondered at Il.
Ihere's a reason" always. and IL is
simply the fielder or their captain has
inquired out by the same law OF averages
which govern insurance premiums thai
the man at the bat is almost certain not
TO hit the ball into the territory left un-
covered. Knowledge of what to do with
the ball when one gets It also is a prime
requisite In the outfield. Many a game
mas been lost by an unwise throw TO the
plate or TO the wrong base
The outflelder must take into considera-
uon the speed of the men on bases. the
iead they have when he gets the ball and
the state of the game. A play that would
be wise under some conditions would he
the height OF folly under others. There
Is more in outtielding than there Is In
shoveling snow.