Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-21
By "Rube" Marquard.

TN any game or competition where
more than one person is involved
on each side harmony will prove
one of the principal points of strength.
The college crew pulls together on its
stroke, so that every ounce of power
may be put to the very best advan-
tage.
So with a baseball nine. All must
pull together, which involves a lot
more than appears on the surface.
Every man must be not only willing
to bear his personal share of the work
but eager, a well, to lend every pos
sible assistance to his fellow PLAYERS.
chain is no stronger than it's
weakest link. A baseball team may
be stronger than its weakest player,
but not unless the inferior athlete is
given the support and cooperation of
that superior skill about him A span
of light. spirited horses can accom-
plish more in one day than two bulky
teams in day and a half. bush
league" team, welded together In
common interest and single purpose,
will outplay a galaxy of the greatest
major league stars working only for
individual aims. 1t is simply a matter
united
The successful manager maintains
perfect working harmony among his
charges. The individual pales into
insignificance before the cause. Petty
spites and prejudices that often crop
out among players of the best known
teams must all be laid aside when the
athletes are in uniform
Few Know Signal System.
Because of the fact that it is abso
lutely necessary to have thorough UNI
Outstanding on plans of attack and
defense. as well as to hide the same
from the opposing side, it has been
found necessary to employ secret,
silent language for baseball purposes
Fandom believes itself reasonably
familiar with the signal" system Of
baseball. Yet very few outside the
profession have more than a hazy
idea of what it implies.
think a great deal of charm would
be added if the spectator knew what
was being attempted in every case.
How often the unsophisticated judge
plays wrongly.
What kind of baseball is that, you
bonehead," they rave, mistaking a
hit and run play for an attempted
steal The poor catcher is roasted for
pegging to center field when it is the
fault of the second baseman or short
stop in "muffing" the sign to cover.
The pitcher is execrated for an al
legged" wild pitch when probably the
catcher has crossed" him on signals
There would be less misplaced crlu-
cism if it were possible for the crowd
to be in on the inside stuff. That
of course, is impossible for a sigma
system has to be so mysterious as TO
fool an opposing team well versed in
the at of the sign language. 1t
wouldn't go very far 10 doing this If II
didn't fool the fans.
There is nothing terribly comph--
Gated in major league baseball signals
OF course a great deal of responsible
ity for .theis proper application rests
with the battery. The signals are
divided into two gene.al classes-ae-
fensive and offensive. The pltcher
and catcher are most personally con-
cerned in the defensive signs.
Catcher Must Direct Play.
The catcher shoulders the gravest
responsibility on the team when his
side is on the defensive. He not only
s,rnorts the pitcher. but the entire
cast as well, He has the field of play
laid ont right before him and ne mas
- watch that entire field for himself,
and for the pitcher, too. If three men
,re On base. say. the catcher has to
,.o+ob avarv base so that if a fielder
can sneak in behind some one mapping
. +brou, NAV, he made in time to catch
,i, oes his Guard
Won tau, first about the battery
si.gnals ON them depends the de
battery efn't tha sn %"" til cast in