Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-04
SLOW RUNNERS
BEC0MINGLESS

sal players IN The Dig leagues VINO
are slow on the bases are few and far
between. The general impression that
fast runners are a rarity is wrong. By
this 1t Is not meant that all ball play
ers are the equal of Ty Cobb, Owen
Bush, Eddie Collins, Hans Wagner,
Iris Speaker, Larry Doyle and Josh
Devore, but almost every man play
ing the game In the big circuits is
much faster than the average person
on his feet.
How often the remark Is heard In the
grand stand at a game, "Why, l can
run the bases faster than that fellowI"
All right to say, but the chances are
a hundred to one that the person cr1d-
cising the player In a race around the
bags with said player would be just
about arriving at third base when his
opponent crossed the plate.
Men like Cobb, Bush, Devore and Col
Inns are extremely fast on the sacks
and travel at Incredible speed. Cou-
pied with this speed each has the
more important faculty Of getting off
fast. No other player in the country
has anything on Cobb In this respect.
So fast Is he en- the getaway that
catchers Eave been heard to say that
he is usually halfway down by the
time the ball leaves the pitchers hand.
Any twirler with a slow delivery is
q nightmare to a catcher with Cobb on
the cushions, as the poor backstop Is
certain to draw down the comments of
the fans for his failure to get the ball
to second In time to nail the cyclonic
Georgian.
Eddie Collins, the Philadelphia
American great second baseman, Is
another whose speed on the bases Is
marvellous. This great young player
goes into the base with terrific impetus
and has a slide which makes him a
hard man to place the ball on. Cobb
and Collins on the same team would
soon have half the backstops In the
American league under the care Of a
lunacy commission.
Josh Devore of the Giants is a won
derfully speedy man, and many play
ers think he will be the Cobb of the
National league. Probably no player
In the older organization practices cir
cling the bases more than Josh. EV-
cry morning the Giants outielder can
be seen practicing running the bases.
Hans Lobert of the Philadelphia Ma
tionals holds the record for eireling the
bags-that of IL As seconds, made in
Cincinnati last fall. While Hans Is
remarkably speedy, his n big fault
is that he Is not very quick In getting
away from the plate.
Many other players can travel as
fast as Cobb, Devore or Collins once
they get started, but they lack the fast
starting ability and are therefore on
an average at least q second slower In
going from base to base.
One point that is generally overlook
ed in commenting on a ball players
ability to get down to first quick Is the
knack he has of getting rid Of his bat
with the least loss of time. By care
fully watching the batters it will be
seer hat No two drop the willow the
same way. Some carry it a few feet
down the line, others throw 1t back OF
them, some toss 1t in 'front.', while
many nave the knack of dropping the
bat in such a way as to give them q
leverage for a start, just as a jumper
will use weights In making q broad
leap. This matter of bat dropping is
one of Importance, and many players
devote hours to acquiring the knaek OF
doing 1t properly.
In successful base running the play
er who can go into the sack without
diminishing his speed has a big adj
vantage over his brethren who In
s%tinetively slow down as they aps
proach the station. Many players who
would be known as speed kings on
the bases are spoiled because OF the
fact that they are unable to overcome
the tendency to slow up These are
the men who are efttimes called slow
on bases. 1t Is lack of nerve rather
than lack of speed with the legs that
places the majority of bail players ia
what might be termed the average"
base running class