Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-05
SHOULD
LEARN TO SLIDE
Evasive Plunge Can Be Acquired
With Much Practice in
Spring.
JENNINGS MAKES HIS
PLAYERS DO STUNTS
Cobb Believed to Be Most Difficult
Base Runner to Touch-Bush
Another Who Learned Art.

Special Dispatch 10 The s;ar.
DETROIT. March i-Nhen nothins
else to do. teach them 10 slide. So when
the rrgular training stunts III the spring
camps grow monotonoCs they hike 90 the
gravel pit kept FOR that purpose.
HuSl.e Jennings has been Trying tn.
scheme for years. although q Cleveland
writer recently became imbued with tire
idea that il had never been attempted be
fore and woaId bc inaugur ated into the
1911 camp of the Tigers. II viii bo tie
same old stunt with The same old result
Now. sliding in base bah Is. the
real art Of sliding Is just about
deep thing as trapezc work in a cir
Gus. There Is Whole lot To the feat.
land tain'i ever, body what Kin 10 1t.
Tne fcw who can side are quickly d.
covered in the practice during th> sprinE
timc-they arc generally known To cNt-t
beforehand and rarely does the list fsi
TO stop With this limited number. IN
other words few players learn tho finer
points OF tho art OF sliding
On the Detroit club there arc but two
men verSed in the finer points Of sliding
They are Bush and COBB. For two Years
Jennings has tried 20 produce few more
Of their type cut OF the ranks or his
recruits and veterans. The veterans are
too old to learn. while the recruits either
lose heart or lack ambition. for IL re-
quircs much nerve and vast energy 30
become acquainted with the inside dope
on sliding.
Cobb and Bush have both served rs ex-
amples for young and those not so yoIng.
Little has ever corre or it.
One trouble with the training camp to-
day. and the Detroit camp is not asa eN-
ception, is that not enough attention iS
paid TO sliding Oh. they have ii on IN"
training program. and they fiN mp tho liz
tie Sand pile, and do their little stunts
with as little effort as poss BILE ard mone
around and seattle" as soon az possible.
They 60 that each training season. PLAY
ers look or thaf part of the work with
malice and hatred. II would please them
TO have all reference TO sliding elim-
mated.
But sliding should be just as important
as bunting practice. At least half an
hour each day should be devoted To slid
ing practice.
Nearly ANY one can slide. feet or head
foremost. but how many can throw them
selves to the right or left-cau twist
themselves or catch themselves in man :
ner TO cVadc the iniielder clutchinG the
hail? Gor world be surprised to discover
lie scarcity al them bN Watching their
work III just one of these practices.
Bush became expert in eyasive sliding
by continued practice, and the spending
of energy and effc:t. So did Cobb. When
Push started out he was an awkward
base runner and inexperienced i'm Siding
H was Furthermore OF the SOFT the aver
ase man points tn and remarks tat
"he II never learn. Bush learned Twas
d tough job, 5GI Bush made that grade.
Cobbs story reads about the same.
Awkward. cor side eli impossible al The
start. he finally got ont Of speed and
supple bod. the twisting attacl, which is
the most battling encountered on the cir-
cult of the bases
But the 6 eat plurality II players don't
care to spend that amount Of time. there
fore the number Of men knowing more
than the average amount about sliding
will be about ore to team.
\ little more practice and serious at
tention paid to il would mean AN abgn
dance OF stolen bases. and more stolen
bases would mean more runs. more games
won and better base ball Sliding viii he
improved as soon II goes deeper than
the usual promise made in the off sea
son.