The Detroit times., 1913-07-17
Making Base-Hits Out OF bunts
is Obsolescent, Says Manager
Jennings
MORIARTY HITS 500
b. SINCE CHANGING FORM
Gets Three Hits in Yesterdays
Encounter With the Boston
Champs

: The gentle art of bunting when
has been lost 10 baseball for years
is heing revived with success by sew
aral Of the Tigers. Cobb, Bush ana
High are the men who have oeeh
pulling the cross-up stunt success
fully.
Yesterday Hughie High fooled
Gardner completely in the hfth IN
ming. High had already driven out
one hit in the game and he was ap-
parently preparing to lay OUT aho'nei /.
He had swung at one wheh ne .E Sc
down roller towards third. The
hunt was not perfect. II reached
carapar too soon for safety, but
Hushie's speed carried hlm 10 the
HOG IN time TO beat the throw
The art of making hits by bunting
- ohsolescant in baseball today. ac-
cording TO Manager Jennings he re-
calls the time when Willie Keller was
ar his prime and saws that II the third
haseman PLAYED back as they do now
In the time OF While and his pals
thew would make million hlts on
hunts. eco.
Nowadays. however there are few
man who have an established reputa-
ton as great hunters. few OF the
tastest men in the American league
got hits now and then by using their
sneed 70 beat out hunts bur as a
ueneral thing they prefer 10 hit the
ball out. J.,
Jackson. who leads the league III
hitting refuses 10 bunt. He doesn I
avan like to sacrifice. The feet Nap
would rather hit that ball hard ana
speed away than take chance on
hunt. even though he is one OF the
IA stest men In the game.
Cobb makes use Of his speed 10 peat
ont many. hunts. but even Tyrus Ism
LAYING them down as he did once
push sets them down occasionally.
Crawford tried bunting when ne was
IN a batting slump several weeks ago
hut he had little success at II ana
returned 70 his style OF smashing
them back through the box Tor
singles.
.s Manager Jennings says that the de-
cadence OF bunting dates back ABOUT
five or six years. At that time the
fast men began to discard that meth
cd. II was doubtless because the
third basemen all got so that they
were playing their positions for hunts
go successfully that II became nearly
impossible to get hits on hunts
The natural result was the swing
ing OF the pendulum In the opposite
direction. The hitters began discard
ing bunting and as they did SO the
third basemen began playing back
farther until now nearly all OF them
play for hard hit balls rather than
hunts.
II may be that bunting will become
stylish again with some Of the fieeter
players. II that Is so the third sack
ers will begin to play In for these fast
men gain and bunting will naturally
be forced out again.
George Moriarty has hit 900 in the
three days that he has been using
his new style Of hating. That augurs
mighty we'll for his continued success
with the fail.
Monday George copied one hit.
Tuesday he took two. Yesterday he
gathered three. Every one OF his hits
has been legitimate one. too hard
hit ball where the felders couldn't
handle It.
Southpaws and right-handers are
looking alike TO George. The follow
ing stable shows how he has hit the
past three days. (Ciphers denote
times at bat without hits, the figure
Il" denotes hit. and ''B" base on
ba1ls.)
Monday: OF Bender (right-hand- I
cry 0 o; off Bush (rtght.hander)
Tuesday: OF Plank (southpaw) ,
0 /.
Wednesday: OF Collins Csouth.
paw !; off Bedient fright
hander) J..
This gives George ten times at bat