The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-03-24
JOE TINKER THINKS
COAGHER IS VAL LIABLE
Cincinnati Manager Declares Many
Runs Are Lost BY Poor
Judgment.

Joe Tinker says there are ten mon
in a game of baseball. To the nine
who hold regular positions Joe ADDS
the ooachez at third base and asserts
that this role is every bit as impor-
tant as that of any of the others. or
course there are only nine on the
side that is in the field, bat the side
at bat, according to the new manager
of the Cincinnati Reds, il incomplete
without. a smart ball player in the box
a few feet outside the third page me
Il don't consider the first pase
coacher a very important person,
saws Joe. He may be of some &C
count in catching signs or diseur odng
a pitcher, but he only has to take
care of the runner at FIRST base ana
that runner is in position TO take
care of himself But the man over at
third must be alive and must know
baseball pretty thoroughly. 1nnumer-
able games have been won because the
third base coacher knew when to have
his runners take chances, and innurn-
cradle battles have been lost because
bone coaohers held UP runners or
made them go ahead at the wrong
time.
with the Cubs we were always par
ticular about our coachers at thtrd
base when a game was tight re-
member one occasion last spring. we
were tied up in the eighth inning ana
we got a man to second base with two
out King Cole was coaching at third.
Some of US said to Chance: VIII he
know enough to send him in ? Mean
ing had Cole had experience and
knowledge of the game to coach the
runner all the way in from second on
a nv sort of a hit.
'iChance immediately called Cole to
the bench and sent out Artie Hoffman
in his place. The batter hit ground
ball to the infield. 1t was fumbled
momentarily and the play was made
tn first too late to get the batter. Artie
sent his man home without the slight
est hesitation and the winning run
was scored, although the play at the
plate was close.
-.a,~he other side didn't score in the
next inning, and it was our game, but
If Holman hadn't taken that chance
at the right time we might have
wound I'D in a tie or been beaten.
.'Of course some may suggest that
we might have won any way; that the
next batsnaan might have hit a home
run if the runner had been helo Al
third, but the only safe basis on which
to figure baseball dope is results One
can never tell what might have nap
pened, but always know what did hap
pen and can make plans for the fu-
ture-
II believe a great deal of the recent
success of the New York Giants is due
third base The New York club might
have won two straight remnants with
out his advice, but I have seen lots
of close games COPIED by his team be-
cause he knew how to coach
Roger Bresnahan, the Cubs new
ranuisttion, always endeavors to shield
his young pitchers from whatever
cases Of rattles may be induced by this
conversation of coachers at first and
third bases.
whenever catch a coaeher trying
tn upset my pitcher" Roger says, u
shout encouragement to my man as
loudly as 1 can. And usually succeed
in drowning out the coacher.
No one doubts this latter statement
for Roger certainly can make q noise
when he wants to. In this respect he
il the antfthesis of John Killing. John
usually talks, but his remarks are
4,ianissino and addressed to the batter
or umpire. Bresnahan's voice can be
heard all over the lot Although Tin
lser and Chance are gone, the CUBS VIII
hardly be known a quiet bunch OF
athletes as long as they have EVers
Rresnahan and Zimmerman.