Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-07-22


standing up and snap 1t to second. I've
got to judge, before the ball leaves the
pitchers hands, whether that break Of
the runner is real one or the bunk"
If he fools me, and it's a fake start,
and l have called for a pitch out,
there's a ball wasted on my pitcher
and handed as a gift to the batter. And
he's trying to fool me every time.
The next time. knowing that I'll hes
itate before wasting another one, the
clever runner may go down and force
me to try to nail him after having
caught a difficult curve ball in an awk-
ward position. He's trying to outguess
me, | to outguess him. It's a pretty
battle of wits
The success sful catcher Is the one
tempt to steal from some little foot or
body movement of a runner. and to
know these characteristics of each OPP
ponent, and to remember them.
A big thing too is the throw to sec
ond. Now, a catcher need neither
know nor care who's going to take that
throw Most of the time he does not
know He throws for the bag, not for
the hasemen. The perfect throw to
second starts from point about six
feet high (above the catcher's shout
der), just to the right Of the plate, and
goes on a straight downward line to a
point about two feet over the bag, so
that it can be put on the runner with a
swift downward sweep of the base
mans hands
| The second baseman and shortstop
decide between them who is going to
take the throw. / generally know
whether it's to be Doyle or Fletcher,
from their movements; but 1t doesn't
make any difference. One is always
there to back up the other anyhow.
| Well, in this case, say I've out
guessed the runner; Matty or Mar
guard or whoever is pitching has given
me a perfect pitch-o out; the baseman
has put 1t on the opponent at second
and we're all mighty relieved. l can
turn my attention to the batter.
| He turns out to be one of the easiest
kind to handle The easiest kind is the
, batter who makes up his mind that
! he's going to strike at certain ball; or
that he is not going to strike. l mean
a man who, when he is going to swing.
gives some little sign. He pulls back
the shoulder nearest to me, for i'm
stance; or he digs in the ground With
one foot to get a better toe hold"
There are many such batters I've
=
tie things. If l see that he is not go
ing to swing. | signal or sign" as we
call it, for a fast one right in the
groove. He isn't set-and it's strike
Then. when the pitcher is getting
ready for the next one. the batter does
set himself l sign for bad one TO
his weakness He goes after this and
we've got him in bad way-two
Fstrikes and no balls, and nervous or
ratified I've often got such batters
on three pitched balls.
But the great majority of players
give the catcher no such welcome tip
as to what they're going to do And
few of the real good ones have no
known weakness. OF course. every
body's heard the old story about the
NEW pitcher who asked the veteran
backstop what Hans Wagner's weak
ness was, and was told "A base on
balls, old top"
Refuses to Take Chance.
Well. there are two down The
worst of the worry is over for time.
But we don't take a chance | sign the
pitcher against the third mans weak
ness Cor, If he is one Of the older pitch
ers. don't have to sign him; he
knows). This fellow stops" drop
ball, it bounds easily to short, and a