El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-17
WHEN | SAT ON THE
BLEACHERS"
Recolcns of Big League Beache Beat Grandand
By JOHN ]. EvERS.

much easier. From the s1de lines
many more openings can be seen than
when actually playing a game This
arises from the fact that when engaged
in a game a player has but one chance
on a single play, an opportunity, so
to speak. He must grasp that oppor-
tunitv in an instant, he must have
thought beforehand, for II he waits to
think, when the opportunity presents
itself his chance is gone before ne gets
through thinking. Did you ever stop
TO consider the time 1t takes to make
one play in game? Try 1t ana you
will not only be surprised, out the
game will become more interesting. IL
will show you that a player mas no.
much time to think once play is
started and what thinking must be
done must be done beforehand and
Quickly, because the wrong think may
change the entire complexion OF the
game.
Can Figure Out Plays.
From the sidelines the spectators are
not subjected to this ve-wrecking
experience They may figure out what
play is going to be made, but II 1t does
not turn out that way what dlrerence
does it make to the fan? On the otner
hand, if a player makes mistake IN
his play it is at once apparent to the
PLAYER as well as to every spectator,
hut the latter without considering
what might have happened to him or
anyone else had he been in the player
place. starts condemning the player,
and I have seen many games where
nlayer would make one mistake ana
because Il proved fatal chorus OF
Take him out" would Immediately
burst forth.
Thus. from my experiences, both as
a player and q spectator, can now
readily see why so much criticism is
handed out by the press and the pub
lie. Playing baseball and looking at 1t
are two vastly different things. If the
PLAYER succeeds, all we'll and good. he
is hero If he miscues or fails TO take
advantage of the chances that come MS
way. why then 1t is different thing
and ali sorts of names are applied to
him. And in a. majority of these cases
the player is not deserving OF all the
things said to him and about him. 1or
there Is nothing that hurts player
more than to make an error, either OF
execution or Judgment, at critical
time. That is one reason why the
bleacherites should not be hasty to get
after a player when he takes chances
and fails. Instead of ridiculing him,
words of encourag cement ought TO De
given him When a player feels that
the fans have confidence in him, the
confidence in himself will be Increased
Saw Big League Battle.
was especially interested in the last
worlds series between the Athletics
and the Cubs not merely because the
Cubs were playing. but because l had
an opportunity for the first time in
nv life of seeing the two best teams IN
the country battle for honors- 1t was
the first worlds series the Cubs played
in that 1 was unable to get into the
games. due. to the accident which be-
fell me near the close of the National
league season However, 1 watched
those games with more than ordinary
interest for it gave me a chance OF
studying the plays OF two great base
ball machines, just as / had STUDIED
the minor league players When l sat
on the BIeachers" In those world 8
series games I saw numerous plays
and openings that. perhaps, would not
have been apparent to me had 1 been
playing This only went to strength
en- my belief that more can be seen
in a baseball game from the side lines
than when one is actually engaged In
the game. These lessons 1 have learned
from being a spectator have been val
liable. and hardly a day has gone by
that 1 have not used some play or 9TH
er that 1 learned or figured out from
the side lines. The more l studied the
game the more I liked it, and when L
had an opportunity Of using play 1
had planned 1 felt as though 1 was
well repaid
Another incident that has been of in
tense interest to me while watching
the games from the side lines has been
to see other fellows in action. I have
Fill fob d IL
Inns and all the other great players OF
the present day and, In my opinion.
Cobb is so far ahead Of them all that
it would be useless for me to try and
make comparisons. / know it will
cause some surprise, and to many 1t
may sound like friendly boost. but
candidly, in my estimation, Frank
Chance was the only real rival Cobb
ever had, all things considered, for
being the greatest player of them all.