Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-24
By John ("Chief") Meyers
Giants Great Cateher.l
TIME fighting out of worlds
championship battle between

(SIants Great Catcher.)
TIME fighting out of a worlds
championship battle between
two baseball teams that have
outcassed the competitors in their
respective leagues no doubt brings
up to the minds of the enthusiastic
followers of the game-it certainly
does to the members of the teams
the question:
what makes a winning ball
club?"
I will try to answer that ques-
ton as best l can.
In the first place, believe that
the most important thing of all is
that the members of the athletic
aggregation which is to represent a
city must be club" and a team
As club" they must be all
friends, all good fellows together
They must have pride in their or
ganization. There must be no jeal-
ousies, no dissensions Every man
should regard every other man
whether he is a regular. or sub
stitute-as his pal, as a man he'd
stick to through thick or thin.
| am mighty glad to say that the
New York National league club
men feel Just that way. We all
have on oun visiting cards, after
our names. the words, New York
Giants" and, believe me, | don't
mind saying that every one of us
feels a little swelling of the chest
when he hands one of those cards
out
Giants" Means Guarantee.
The words New York Giants"
mean not only that we're members
of a baseball organization that's
the best in the country. but they're
guarantee that each of us is a
regular manor else we wouldn't
be able to sport.
AS a Club" we're proud to be-
long to the Giants as a society man
in New York is to- say that he's a
member Of the Union. or Knicker-
booker, or the Brook. We share
our troubles and joys together, and
Ike it.
That. pc haps. is the first requi-
site of pennant- winning organi-
acknowledging club"
Being a team" is another mat
ter
Did you ever watch a skillful
boxer at work? His eyes work,
first of all, watching the moves of
his adversary. With them, his arms
work to find q vital point where he
can deliver his blow or ward off
his enemy's blow. His legs carry
him forward into an aggressive at
titude. or backward into a defen-
sive attitude.
over all these his mind works,
controlling each.
Well. a successful baseball nine
must he Just like that-just like a
fighter His physical parts are, in
an individual way, team" They
work together. instantly, without
waiting to size up a situation.
They know. as soon as the situa-
ton arises What they have to do,
and they do , 1e'inctively. SO
does the winning .:.@ OF ball
nine. And so does each p,a.n@ on
that nine
Makes Great Play lnstinctiveIy.
Here is little instance which
happened only few days ago: A
hard hit ball was slammed at Lar
ry Doyle, who was playing a trifle
deep beyond second base. He got
it., miraculously almost, with one
hand. There was a runner coming
down from first who had started
with the crack of the bat Larry
had no chance. he knew instinc-
lively. to throw to the bag, be-
cause the play had been so swift.
So he made a backward dive with
the ball in his hand trusting to
his sense of location to hit the can
vas before the runner did. Larry
made it.
That was only an individual
play, of course; but it showed how
the team instinct" runs. He knew
that his mates couldn't cover the
bag quickly enough to take his
throw. They knew it, too, and
didn't try. They relied upon him
in fact, they knew exactly what he
would try to do. And, wonderful
as the play looked, it was expected
all around our infield.
If a ball is hit so that Merkle
has to go out of his territory to
cover it and leave the first bag I'M
protected, the pitch-r-no matter
who he isis over on first like a
flash, He knows instinctiVcly-jus
how is hard to tell-that he is
needed. And he's there.
Won may think. mrIhat,s 81 nln-