The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1913-05-31

| against a pitcher who palpably is 80
ratified that he is blind to every
tnins except the man at the plate and
Allows the runner flying start. Then
an instant OF hesitation by the pitcher
may make the steal a success 1t is
gooo judgment. at times, for a fleet.
| daring man who is good slider, to
steal when the batter Is helpless be-
fore pitcher and when two are out.
The double steal, executed with run
ners on trst and third is according to
the closest students of the game.
proper under the following conditions:
Wneh two men are out and a weak
Oatter or a slow runner is at the plate,
ana when one run is needed to win the
game-the play in the latter case be-
ing Justli1able with no one out, or with
TWO out-hut not with only one out
many Judges object to the play unless
TWO ara out-but last season | saw
II worked repeatedly by clever teams
| win no one out. With runners on
hrst and third and a decent catcher
l
get runner over the plate, ought
not to succeed in more than two cases
in seven.
| In the defensive end OF the game
every situation is a study of the bat
ter, anu going beyond the individual
batters II is a study of the stage OF
the game. The great problems of the
game are! When to play the infield
close. 10 choose between attempting
a douhle play when runners are on
first and third and letting the run
count. and above all to place the out
helders with regard to the stages Of
the game
| The Commonest blunders OF really
great managers and players are made
In the disposition Of the outfield. A
| great many captains who arrange
their infeld carefully pay little atten-
tion to the second line OF defense. and
really they rely more upon the In
dividual brain work of the. outtield
than they do of the infielders. This
Is partly because they are more close
ly in touch with the infield and partly
because OF the fewer chances for the
outfield 10 get into vital play.
The outfield problems really are
i more veXing than those of the int1eld.
The situation mainly is forced upon
the inheld, With runner on third and
one or none out, and the run means a
tie or defeat, the infield is compelled
to come forward. In the early stages
OF the game the manager is forced to
decide whether to allow the run to
score, or to try to cut 1t Off and must
base his Judgment on the ability OF
his pitcher to hold the other team to
a low score. and of his own hitters to
bat In enough runs to win. Teams
such as Detroit and the Athletics
hardhitting and freescoring teams
can afford to let the other team gain
run, rather than risk its getting two
or three, as they can score more later
Teams such as the old Chicago White
Sox, the hitless wonders" OF the
American league. could not allow the
opposing team a run and had to play
the closest inside game.
Many of the better major league
teams, that is, those possessing fas
intielders. will vary the play whe1
runners are on first and third, one ou
and a run to be cut of from the plate
by playing the first baseman and thirt
baseman close. and bringing the shor
stop and second baseman forward
only part OF the way-holding then
in position either to make a long fas
throw to the plate or to try for the
double play from second to first.
have seen Evers and Tinker make the
double play from second to first ever
when both were playing close, chang
ing their plan like flash, covering
second and relaying the ball to frs
at top speed. although they had played
in to throw to the plate.
One Of the greatest variations of the
play / ever witnessed was made By
McInnis Of the Athletics. Collins ant
Barry were playing perhaps twelve
feet closer to the plate than they ordi
narily do, runners were on first ant
third, one out and a run needed tt
beat the champions. Collins and Bar
ry intended to try the double play 1
It was possible and to throw home l
it was not. McInnis and Baker wer'