Evening star., 1911-05-29
Improved Hitting Of 0utfees Gives Nationals Chance to Gin
OUTFIELD IS
HITTING BETTER THAN EVER
With Good Pitching Team Stands Good
Chance to Improve Its Position-Jack
Powell Another Cy Young.

The outfield is still a great one, but the
pitching staff will have to go to the rear
and sit down when the efficiency OF the
old slab squad is recalled.
Reubach, Brown and Overall at their
best were indeed hard to surpass, and
although Cole appears to be able to take
care Of Overall's job. Brown and Reul-
bach seemingly have slipped back Of the
standard they maintained in the past.
1t is considered significant OF the gen
eral falling off in class Of the major or
ganization that the two teams of old uns.
Pittsburg and the Cubs, can still make
the pick of the more youthful clubs ex-
tend themselves to keep in sight.
In an article in Pearson's Magazine for
June Eddie Collins brings up a pertinent
point and one which the rule maker
| might do we'll to ponder. He says: Il
think there should be a penalty for block
ing base runner coming into the bag.
The only punishment now Is to go into
such a player spikes first. II man has
been blocked off the base and put out l
think that there should be rule re-
versing the decision If the blocking was
deliberate. When q catcher. all dressed
up like Gibraltar, in pads and shin
guards. tries to block, a runner takes a
big chance Of breaking his leg by slid
ing into him, and If he doesn't 1t may
cost his club a run and the game event
ually."
This same question was presented to
the rules committee in the winter Of 1909
by John Heydler. then q member of the
committee. That fall both Byrne of the
Pitsburgs and Moriarty Of the Detroits
had been hurt blocking runners at third
in the worlds series. The rules commit
tee rejected the suggestion on the ground
that 1t wouldn't be practicable. that all
blocking wasn't Intentional. and that 1t
would be hard to discriminate. But II
such a player as Collins advocates it it is
worth needing.
Six times in his big league career Hal
Chase has been disabled either by illness
or injury and compelled to stay out Of the
game for weeks at time. Before ne
had the smallpox in the spring OF 1909
Chase says he never was Ill day. There
is nothing frail about Chase. so he says.
has been conspicuously unlucky In being
laid UP. He carries no great weight. but
Is a big boned fellow and AYERS that he
Is as strong as most players.
Chase's first mishap was In 1905 in De-
troit. Jack Powell, then on the New
York team. was batting a ball out to the
outf1eld in preliminary practice. The
leather went on q line and struck Cnase
over the eye as the latter was STOPPING.
That accident laid the king of first base
men up for six weeks. In 1905 he broke
some small bones in his hand In sliding
and was out Of commission for three
right arm while sliding by Isbell Of the
Chicagos and incapacitated for six weeks.
He carries q long scar from that wound.
The smallpox visitation was in 1909 and
in 1910 Chase was taken Ill In Detroit and
had to take a three-week rest. He at
tributes the latter hospital experience to
having returned to the ball field too soon
just after convalescing from the small
pox. The after effects Of playing ball
again before he had fully recovered his
strength told on him the following sea-
sons, he thinks The New York man.
ager is still out of the game as q result
Of his illness In Cleveland, but expects to
resume playing this week.