Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-20
CUBAN PLAYER.
SECOND COBB
BY HUGH 5. FULLERTON

y
Almeida, the Cnban wonder with
the Cincinnati Reds. recently pulled
of a Cobb like stunt In q game
against the Pittsburgh Pirates and
came near turning defeat into victory.
The move that the stranger from the
island developed Is something for the
American ball players to study and
work out for themselves. Cobb has
been getting away with Il for several
years. and Almeida Ii the first play
|er / have seen who pulls It In the
same manner.
The play came up this way Al
media was at second base when Q hit
was delivered that nominally would
have sent him home with the tying
run. But the score was close, and, a.
both teams had been scoring freely.
and as the batter was not q long
driving batter, the Pirate outfielders
were playing closer to the diamond
than usual, with the intention OF
making throw to the plate II the hit
should happen to be OF the nature 70
make such q play advisable.
The ball was hit to Mitchell 80 hard
and fast that 1t reached him on the
first or second bounce, although he
was drawn trifle out Of position to
make the throw, as the ball was to
his left, compelling him to assume an
awkward. posture and then to lose
time in Strengthening up for the home
ward heaye.
Almeida was in perfect position to
see the course of the ball He knew
that 1t was almost certain death to
attempt to score with the short throw
in Mitchell's favor, yet the situation
justified taking almost any reasonable
chance rather than to delay at third
and await either hit or double
steal attempt He swung a BIT wide
coming from second to third, 50 as to
cross the bag without swinging out
onto foul ground, giving him
straight run for the plate.
Just before he reached the base he
slowed up and changed his stride, as
If to stop. Mitchell had the ball, and,
giancing up, saw the runner was not
srrinting or making the turn at top
speed. Naturally he slowed down al
so; that is, he did not make the play
AT top speed as he would have done
had Almeida kept running.
Then the Cuban put on full speed,
caught his sprinting stride in flash
and before Mitchell could Jump back
into throwing position and hurl the
ball, and he beat the ball to the plate
easily. His change of stride in cross
ing the base had fooled Mitchell into
bit of momentary carelessness, and
the fraction of a second of delay
proved the difference between a put
out at the plate and tally.
The point this play raises Is
whether base runners gain by slow
ing up before reaching the bags while
trying TO take two bases, more than
they lose in swinging wide after
turn the angle at full speed, and some
time must be lost.
The average runner rounding third
loses from eighteen to twenty-five
feet distance by swinging wide after
crossing a base and this may be
saved by swinging in an arc ap-
preaching the base, slowing down a
trifle and crossing the bag so that the
distance TO be run at the finish is
only ninety feet Besides this the
change of pace fools fielders. In the
case of Cobb, who can, by altering
his stride, seem to stop and then be
in full flight in two steps, the trick
works frequently and nets him scores
of extra bases each year. Almeida
by his play proved that others can do
the same thing.