The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-28


ed new lessons from my experiences
as spectator both in the grand
stand and bleachers. From these
points of vantage the games look
much easier. From the side lines
many more openings can be seen
This arises from the fact that when
engaged In a game q player has but
one chance on a single play, an op-
portuntty, so to speak. He must
grasp that opportunity in an instant,
he must have thought beforehand,
opportunity presents itself his chance
is gone before he gets through
thinking. Did you ever stop to con-
slider the time 1t takes to make one
play in a game? Try it and you
will not only be surprised, but the
game will become more interesting.
1t will show you that a player has
not 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 complex
ion of the game.
From the sfdelines the spectators
are not subjected to this nerve-wreck-
ing experience. They may figure out
what play is going to be made, but
II 1T does not turn out that way what
difference does it make to the fan?
On the other hand, if a player makes
a mistake in his play it is at once
every spectator, but the latter with
out considering what might have
happened to him or anyone else had
he been in the players place, starts
condemning the player, and / have
seen many games, where player
would make one mistake and because
it proved fatal chorus of Take him
out" would Immediately burst forth
Thus, from my experiences, both as
a player and a spectator, I can now
readily see why SO much criticism is
handed out by the press and the pub
lie. Playing baseball and looking at
it are two vastly different things If
the player succeeds, all well and
good. He is hero. If he miscues
or fails to take advantage of the
chances that come his way, why then
it is different thing and all 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, for there is
nothing that hurts a player more
than to make an error, either of exc
cut1on 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 ridi-
culfng him words of encouragement
ought to be given him. When a
player feels that the fans have con-
fidence in him, the confidence in
himself will be increased
was especially interested in the
last worlds series between the Ath-
letIcs and the Cubs, not merely be-
cause the Cubs were playing, but be-
cause / had an opportunity for the
first time in my Nfe of seeing the two
best teams. in the country battle for
honors. 1t was the first worlds ser
les the Cubs played in that I was I'M
able to get into the games, due to
the accident which befell me near
the close of the National League sea-
son. However, / watched those
games with more than ordinary inter
est for it gave me a chance of study
ing the plays of two great baseball
just as / had studied the
minor league players when I Sat on
the B1eachers.' In those worlds
series games I saw numerous plays
and openings that, perhaps, would
not have been apparent to me had
been playing. This only went to
strengthen my belief that more can
be seen in baseball game from the
side lines than when one is actually
engaged in the game. These lessons
have learned from being a specta-
a day has gone by that / have not
used some play or other that I had
learned or figured out from the side
lines. The more I studied the game
the more I liked it, and when I had
an opportunity of using a play 1 had
planned I felt as though T was we'll
repaid
Another incident that has been of
intense interest to me while watching
the games from the side lines has
been to see other fellows in action.
have carefully watched Ty Cobb,
Eddie Collins and all the other great
players of the present day and, in ny
opinion, Cobb is so far ahead of
them all that it would be useless FOR
me to try and make comparisons. I
know it will cause some surprise. and
to many it may sound like a friendly
boost, but candidly, in my estimation,
Frank Chance was the only rival
Cobb ever had, all things considered,
for being the greatest player of them