The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-05-05


ball. as 1t Is played now. suffered b
comparison with that which was played
when he stood behind the bat for The
Washington club, and for the Pittsburg
club, It seemed to him as II II were IN
the matter Of base running.
Il don't know why it Is, said be, but
the ball players of our day appear to
lack the intuition Of those who played
twenty-five years ago. sometimes I am
inclined to believe that It il partly the
fault Of the Managers You see, We
have snch q wen regulated and well en-
forced system Of discipline that the play
ers get in the habit e depending too
much upon the manager. They don't
think enough for themselves. Some Of
them burst out with thoughts now and
then when you wish they hadn't. but
as voluntary thinkers and As voluntary
students Of baseball thS are passive
Men Of the old days wee compelled 70
do their own thinking If they wished b
succeed. and clever mes ike Ewing.
Kelly, Ward, Tebeau, Gomiskey and
others, who graduated inD the mana
geriaI class, found that il paid them to
think for themselves. TheE reader wits
brought them more money"
If base running Is so desiabIe, what h
its actual value in a game?
Value of Base Running.
There is the gist Of all Ct To argument
and the computation Of odds which has
preceded. An instance viii = cited, IN
which the value Of base running VIII Be
illustrated, and an instance Of tat eharae-
ter might in any season win a champion
ship, and with it the privilege I play for
gate receipts of thousands Of ipllars, in
which the team with the elFef base
runner would be a principal beneficiary.
The score was nothing to nOhing b.
tween two of the principal team Of tia
National League, and they were tbozt %
begin their ninth inning. The Art half Of
the ninth was played, and a psor bass
runner was sent as 4 last resort D second
to try to make the base Had Re dope 90
be might have scored, for base bit fol-
lowed. His side was out without sun-
The home team came to bat Tie first
man received base on balls. TIE next
player was retired. With two STRIKES on
the third batter the man on FIRST, vho was
one of the best base runners in the club,
and one of the best in the league, essayed
to steal second. The pitcher felt that he
would try, and 50 did the catcher. A per-
feet throw was made to catch him, but for
the reason that he had observed the PITCHER
so carefully that he was able to Obtain .
flying start, he reached second in SAFETY.
The batter was out. With two cut AID q
player on second, the next batter hit for
base hit and the man who had stien
second scored q run and won for the htns
team by one to nothing. But that was Be
kind of a game in which Charley ComisAy
world say that the winning team won b
ninety feet and not BY one run. Thatk
his method Of characterizing good work :
the bases. Many such games arise thrOuES
out league season Not all one to notS
ing scores, by any means, but games I
which the base running play Is the plGf
that wins and not the base hit, for viii
out the stolen base the base hit would haR
been worthless in that particular contss I
of one to nothing.
The funniest stolen base on record, elm
mating those which Mike Kelly was
accustomed to cut every now and then
when be ran from first to tnird across the
diamond, If the umpire's back happened 10
be turned, took place on the Cleveland club
when McGsrr was Cleveland's third base
man.
MeGarr was an excitable player, ire
mendously eager to succeed, for fortune
had not always been kind to him He at
tempted to steal third In q very close
game in Cleveland. The catcher made
an overthrow.
As McGarr slid into the base it tori
loose from its moonngs. Instead of pick
ing himself up and running for home, II
the coach advised him to do, McGarr re
manned PROSTATE on the ground. making
motions ike man swimming. At frs
the crowd roared In maddened excitement
for the run meant the game. Then TIL
spectators doubled up with laughter
the eontortions of the player, but the
couldn't imagine what allied him Tebeaf
manager Of the Cleveland club, rushed
and grabbed MeGarr, and half lifted hi
to his feet and started him for the plaid
Then 1t was seen that a. the runner HI
hit the base, and it had torn loose he b
also torn the front of his blouse and
bag was half inside his unifor1
He was trying to get nd Of it when
went swimming on the diamond" n
bag had bursted and much Of the sawdd
had spilled on the ground
Still carrying the base in the waist
his uniform McGarr. thoroughly out
wind, staggered down the line for
plate, and as he dropped fat on
rubber with the third base bag for
cushion the ball whistled over his b
where it had been returned from d,
outfeld. It was probably the most lite
stolen base that ever took place in T"
league show"
McGarr was 50 ratified" that be eli
to the base BY instinct and would not
lieve that he had carried it home until
was pointed out to him.