Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1913-02-18
PINCH HIT MEN
DRAW GOOD PAY
Genus is Rare and Get Big
Money from League
Managers

apnears less often In the batting or
der of the club than those OF SOM
Other players who do not get 50
much money. Why lie is a pihch
hitter. and pinch hitter OF ms
ability is invaluable to a team WIN
championship aspirations. As IN 'ne
case of Mccormack, the baseoa"
season will be notable tins year 'o'
their pinch-hitting ability.
years ago when the baseball was
Ear from being the scientiiic game
thar II Is now for club to carry
man who seldom attempted TO pl"!
,n the field. but occasionally was
sent in to bat for another weaker
hitter in pinch was practically an
unheard OF thing. 1t was resarueN
as a useless expenditure OF money
~ 8, was thought of at all. But base
hall of today demands 1t, ana oas'
pall of the future. a year or so hen'e
will see more OF H.
Pinch hitting has become a part VI
the game just as pitching ana iieiu-
ing have always been part OF '"e
snort The player who can take an
occasional turn at bat and prouu'e
, bit when a hit means run OF
more in a close contest and that ru"
means victory. is player to Whom
any big league manager Is "''''"e
In ,,,,. , roDd salary
They are scarce. u rs an import
ant nosition TO fiji The work u
easy but IL is only one ia my
players who can bat 1t capably ana
hat Is conservative estimate.
The only requisite is that 'he
player be natural hitter. lie muS'
nave a clear eye and be able To he''
Tho hall with free swing ana b'
ahle 10 solve in just one short 'rlP
70 the plate what an opposing pl''n'
- has" Other players IN the
game have had an opportunity w
stndy how we'll the opposing p''ch''
,s working on that particular daS
uis curves may he breaking FASTER
than usual. His slow ball may p'
more pulling and his fast one ma" mag
have a Jump on II or his 'spi' oa'
ball may be acting eNceptloha'''
strangely.
All this the regular players nave
s,udied while al bat " thel nav
failed on their first attempt 'h'l
nave had time to reason why they
failed and act differently the mex
time The pinch hitter has mad ne
such opportunity. As he sits on nv
hench waiting for the manager
call which may come AT any mo
ment or which may not come at at
that day. he listens TO his teamma'''
discussing the quality OF the pitchlh'
thew are up against He watche'
the pitcher closely, but all TINS
nearsav and his observations ar
made from a distance.
When he is called the chances ar
that there will he runners on ih'
bases and there may be two our
The responsibility of the game
suddenly shifted to his shoulders ~
means victory or defeat to his cluI
and every game that he figures u
NAV later be weighed in the 0alahc
for or against his club In the Una
standing
II is a responsibility that lie"
even though they be veterans, ar
capable OF assuming without Quain
Possibly the close observer o
baseball NAV have noticed that ther
are some players who are more pre-
ficient than their associates at M
ting when runners are on the path'
To use the technical expression
They hit we'll behind the runners.
There are other players who ar
good batters when the bags are emf
" They can do better with IN
stick then than at other times sue
players are generally called upon
mead the batting order. and N
ones who can hit well behind III
runners" follow them on the ba
ting order where the manager %
lieves their ability will be more @
fectiye
For the most part IL will be foun
that players who are carried 70
their pinch hitting alone are not
proficient In the field There al
other PLAYERS who are just as eoc
hatters as the pinch hitter or hitte
OF the club and who can field
veil Therefore they are needed
the game all OF the time. but 81
uation frequently presents itself
me manager where these particuli
players are not the next In order
bat. That's when the pinch HIT
e "the man OF the minute"
Mccormack Is not a good fielde
He Is slow Yet II was McCorma'
who won more than one game Z
the Giants last season Otis era
dali. the pitcher. Is an eycelle
pinch hitter. McGraw frequent
calls upon the demon reliever"
hat. This Is unusual As a ru'
Tor some reason or other. pitche
seldom are particularly adept vt
the bat
Cranfall recalls another who "
listed as pitcher but who was mo
or less OF failure az a twirl'