The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-05-26
Slow Runners Become Scarce.

Slow Runners Become Scarce.
Ball players In the big leagues who
are slow on the bases are few and far
between. The general impression that
fast runners are rarity IL wrong. BY
this II Is not meant that all ball play
cr are the equal OF Ty Cobb, owen
Bush, Eddie Collins, Hans Wagner,
iris Speaker, Larry Doyle and Josh
Dcvorc, but almost every man play
ing the game In the big circuits IL
much faster than the average person
on his feet
How often the remark Is heard in the
grand stand at n game, "Why, | can
run the bases faster than that fellow
All right to say, but the chances are
II hundred to one that the person criti-
bags with said player would be just
about arriving ut third base when his
opponent crossed the plate.
Men like Cobb, Bush, Devore and Col
Inns are extremely fast on the sacks
and travel Mt incredible speed. Cou-
pied with this speed each has the
more important faculty OF getting or
fast No other player in the country
has anything on Cobb in this respect.
SO fast is he on the getaway that
catchcrs have been heard to say that
he is usually halfway down by the
time the ball leaves the pitchers hand.
Any twirlcr with n slow delivery is
I,,I, . V,l - -,
the cushions, rs 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 n slide which makes him q
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 n won
dcrfully speedy man, and many play
ers think he win 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 outfcldcr car
be seen prncticing running the bases.
Hans Lobert of the Philadelphia Ma
tionals holds the record for circling the
bags-that of II As seconds, made IL
Cincinnati last fall. While Hans Is
remarkably speedy, his one big faul
is that he is not very quick in getting
away from the plate.
Many other players can travel al
fast as Cobb, Devore or Collins one,
they get started. but they lack the fas
starting ability and are therefore OF
an average at least q second slower IL
going from base to base.
One point that is generally overlook
ed in commenting on a ball player
ability to get down to first quick is thu
knack he has of getting rid of his ba
with the least loss of time. BY care
fully watching the batters 1t will b.
seen that no two drop the willow tn
same way. Some carry it few fee
down the line, others throw 1t back o
them, some toss 1t in front, Will
many have the knack of dropping tn
bat in such way as to give them
leverage for start, just as jumpe
will use weights in making a broa,
leap. This matter of bat dropping 1
one of Importance, and many player
devote hours to acquiring the knack o
doing 1t properly.
In successful base running the play
er who can go into the sack withou
diminishing his speed has big ad
vantage over his brethren who IN
stinctively slow down as they az
proach the station. Many players VIII
would be known as speed kings o
the bases are spoiled because Of til
fact that they are unable to overcom
the tendency to slow up. These ar
the men who are ofttimes called slo,
on bases. 1t is lack of nerve rattle
than lack of speed with the legs tina
places the majority of ball players 4
what might be termed the average
ha