Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1913-10-23
QUICK THINKING IS
STARS GREAT ASSET
Ability to Think Quickly Is an
Essential to Success in
Fast Company.

Ball players pride themselves--the
good ones-on their ability to think
quickly. says l. h. Sanborn in the Chi
cago Tribune. 1t Is an essential to
success in fast company, and the slow
thinkers never get above the mediocre
level in the majors. But the players
are not the only ones out there on the
field who have to have their wits keyed
up to high speed and figure out all
the possible plays in advance.
The umpire's job, requires n lot more
than accurate eyesight and judgment.
and the ability to stand the gibes of
the rooters. The successful arbitrator
must think rs fast as any of the play
crs, sometimes faster than the foxy
men of the diamond, or they will catch
him mapping. Occasionally they do, but
not as often as one would believe, to
hear the players talk.
The quickest exhibition of thinking
ever saw under the circumstances
was given by silk O'Loughlin, of the
American league staff, some half dozen
years ago situation arose without
warning which never before or since
has been duplicated on the major league
diamonds.
Washington was playing at the old
White SoX park and long Tom Hughes
was being hit pretty hard by the south
siders. AT the end of the inning Cap
tain Schiafly. who was in charge of the
team temporarily, left the field to hunt
mp another pitcher who was warming
up back of the pavilion to be ready to
relieve Hughes.
Three Senators we're disposed of in
succession in Il remarkably short time
and the White Sox went to bat again.
Hughes remained on the slab and Man
hSel Jones stepped to the plate.
He hit the first ball etched on a
fast bound straight through the posi-
ton usually occupied by the second
baseman-but there was no second
baseman there Schlafls was still look
ing for the relief pitcher. and no one
had noticed his absence from the in.
field.
Before the right field picked up the
ball or Jones reached first base on the
nj. Umpire o'I.onghlin had slipped off
his mask and was vigorously motion
ing for Jones to come back to the plate
and stuck to the advantage he had
gained on first base. He did not get
far with his argument. for Immediately
OIoughlin yelled, You can't play ball
with eight men in the field"
That is as true as gospel and it is
stated in plain language in the playing
rules. but how many persons would
have thought of that obscure rule. sell
dom referred to, and have applied 1t
instantly to the situation as OLough-
lin did"
Recently Bill KLEIN had an original
problem to solve. 1t came off in Phil
ndelphia. and the bases We're full Of
Phillies, with two out. Becker was on
third, knabe on second, and Lobert on
first Paskert played the string out
to three and two" and of course, the
runners started from their bases on the
next ball pitched. knabe took such a
long lead he rounded third and was
.,t,1, Iii Il
ming to score along with his predecessor
IL the Cubs failed to get Paskert out
Lavender failed to get the bali over
md I'askert walked, thereby forcing all
the runners to advance. Knabe
crouched as if trying to escape notice.
and sncakcd back toward third base.
but Needham spotted him and fired the
ball to Phelan. who tagged the runner
out before he could rctouch third.
Nearly all witnesses agreed that
Becker had not crossed the plate when
Hnabe was touched ont, retiring the side.
Everybody knows the rule that no run
can score after the third out Is made,
but there Is also a rule declaring that
q runner is entitled to advance one
base when he is forced so to advance
Isy the awarding of q base on balls
to a successful batsman. 1t does not
say anything about how long said rum
ner may take to complete his journey.
There might have been a lengthy
argument and perhaps Il protest of the
game. but KLEIN did some quick think
ing right there. and declared Becker
touched the plate before Knabe was
declared out. That removed the play
from the argumentative stage
There can be no protest except n
Misrepresentation of the rules Is
charged. KLEIN did not try to unravel
that rule tangle, he merely made 1t
question of his judgment as to whether
or not Becker had registered in time.
and there is no protesting the judg-
ment of an umpire