The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-30

ter. and well-Htted to the batting end
OF the coming series ut least.
Can't Equal Baker.
or course. Shafcr Is not the equal
! of Baker, who is OF the greatest
! SluEgcrs in the modern game. man
always high up in the 800 class, and
I besides that has a cleanup drive, like
/ ~ to break UP game any time. You
recall his famous drive that upset the
hopes of the Giants IL couple of years
ago; but perhaps YOU have forgotten
| that in that same game lie hit two
other balls quite as hard that did not
happen to go toward the right spot
He does that all the time, and against
almost any kind OF pitching and, be-
sides that. he hits for his team. He
hits we'll in concert with batters in
front OF him. hits toward right field
Niciously on the hit and run-a fact
that Viii hamper the Giants with Doyle
covering second so large q percentage
OF the time and with a man on third
he is one OF the surest men in the
business TO deliver the long fly. He
hits almost every ball squarely and
hard, and seemingly without wasting
power. ] am told by one OF his fellow
players that lie follows through on
every ball he hits as golfer does,
although that fact is not apparent
from the stands. In my estimation. he
any man since Ed Delehanty's day.
not even barring Lajoie.
Before considering the relative speeds
of these men. 4 word Of explanation
about speed is due. When ! speak OF
speed In these articles | do not mean
entirely how fast II man can run. In
studying speeds l have taken into con-
Sidcration the rapidity with which a
player starts for ball, with which he
handles it, with which he covers
ground. the rate at which he goes &c.
FIRST. the speed in starting 10 steal and
in running and sliding. his speed in
taking two bases on a hit. Many Il
man who can run 100 yards in close
to ten seconds cannot reach first after
hitting bah in six seconds. Billy
Sunday heralded as the spcediest man
that ever played ball. who Went over
first base AT n tcn-second clip, could
not get 10 first base one step faster
than Jiwmy Ryan could, and he could
beat Ryan thirty yards in a hundred.
Tilly Fast ON Dnscs.
Shafer is the fastest man of the
trio. = speedy. neat man in the field,
a flyer going down TO first. quick
starter from the plate and q fair one
from first base. There is little of the
snowy or sensational in him: he is
neat and graceful and effective in
is slow. hat-footed and rather awk-
ward. II is one of the puzzles of the
team 20 see how rapidly he executes
plays vhen he looks SO slow. He is
one 81 those sluEgi sh looking fellows
who are deccivng to the eye
remember once seeing n Jap run
II race against Tim Donohue The Jap
looked as if he was running twice AS
fast. and Tim beat him Il yard. Baker
is neither aa slow nor as awkward rs
he appears. although he is not fast in
any relative use OF the term, excepting
ia ri, MI hall % has
knocked down lie gets the ball TO
/ first i'm "a hurry and with immense pow
| CT back of II, and he covers ground
well between himself and the base, al
though not so far toward shortstop
where Barry is invaluable in helping
him. lie starts quickly forward for
hunts AS n rule, and his rapid throw
inc hides his slowncsS when he has 10
come far 10 get them.
Baker is an extremely effective fleld-
or, blocking the hard drives that sizz
down toward third in nice style, re-
covering WITHOUT lighting the ball. and
shooting it 10 first with great speed
and accuracy. He is one of the best
and most reliable throwcrs in the
business The speed of his throwing
offsets much Of the seeming advantage
OF the TWO New Workers in their speed.
Baker does not neld or run as rapidly
a either Shafcr or lier2og ON ths
Is clever and agile base runner.
nice slider and tricky At times. Her
zog Is not a finished base runner by
any means, but hc makes up for ii by
the desperation with which he tries
II is my firm belief that, on the bases
lie would be better man in a worlds
series than Shafcr but that is Nc
Graw's problem-not ours.
BAKER Sure TngGcr.
There is one respect IN which Baker
has il all over Shafcr. and that is in
blocking and tagging runners 1t is
an old story OF Bakers awkwardncss
., third that has mislcd a lot Of us.
Before Tho cubs and Athletics played
FOR the worlds championship we were
toutcd from inside American League
sources that Baker did not like The
spikes. ana that If runners jumped at
linn ne would mun the ball or fail 10
touch tn. runner in striving 10 avoid
him The cubs tried It, They jumped
~ him. ana Instead OF finding him run
ming. they bumped against about as
solid bit OF flesh AS there is in base
! ball They came back TO the bench
! angrily demanding to know who
: WAS so awkward he couldn't dodge.
r aud that he merely stuck his leg in
: front OF the base anchored there and
, blocked by sheer strength The Dc
8 troit team had the same theory-and
: thcy jumped al Baker until Cobb cut
him ana caused Il roar Cobb thought
. Baker would desert the bag, but he
did not Then two years ago the
I Giants had the same idea. Snodgrass
took two ny.ns leaps. feet first a