Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-16
Player Griffith Wants Is Not
a Youngster.
However.
LOOMS UP WELL AS HITTER
CovaIeskie Is to Have His
Third Trial in Fast Com
pany Next Spring.
BY j. ED GRILLo.

|
lpressive one, when the fact is
taken into consideration that he
and his manager. Joe Tinker
were not on good terms. Bates
took part in I20 games and these
were sandwiched in between va
Irious lay-offs. He was at bat SOC
times, scored 81 runs, made lie
base hits. stole p bases and had IL sac
| rifice hits. all of which gave him a bat
| ting average of .2S3.
/ Whenever a player bats that close to
the coveted .SO0-mark he is going at a
| good gait, and this is especially true
when he is playing under conditions
| which aye not encouraging.
| Though Bates started his base ball
career in 1905. he is hardly to be classed
! among the youngsters. for he was born
/ years old. He did not start to play
| until he was twentythree, however. and,
according to reports has not reached that
stage where he has slowed up.
/ He is a left-handed batter and throw
er, is FIVE feet seven inches tall and
weighs around 10 pounds.
| Catcher Billy Kelley, who with Marty
4 ~ looiS Sdiiic " IItlSOu!SH as OHe-ndiI
of the thirty-thousand- dollar battery.
will not wear a Pirate uniform next
| season Kelley will be sent to Toronto
Like O'Toole. his famous and high
| priced battery partner, Kelley never
made good. much to the surprise of all
scouts and judges who had seen him in
action in the minors. But Kelley lacked
on. essential which prevented him from
| shining In fast company. His nerve was
none of the best and he grew erratic In
4 he hos u-h Vic
natural ability.
The sum offered by the Pittsburgh club
| for ORIOLES release was as is known.
| $50. 800. Added to this was the 1880
paid for Kelley. the pair costing $4,000.
the highest figures paid for any two ball
players up to that time.
Harry Covaleskie. who few years ago
| made himself famous by beating the
G ants in enough games in two series to
suit Of which he was known as the
| Giant Killer" is to have his third trial
| in fast company next spring, when he
| will don the uniform of the Detroit team.
Covaleskie had a splendid season down
| in Chattanooga last summer. He took
part in more games than any other
pitcher in the league, and finished second
among the twirlers. Harry played In
forty-seven games. of which he won
| twenty eight, lost nine, tied four. was
| taken out once and finished five other
| contests. giving him a percentage OF
1857. Cova!eskie pitched In 319 innings,
allowed 239 hits and 72 runs. while he
struck out 104 batsmen. gave lib passes
| and hit % batsmen. Next spring will be
| Covaleskie's third attempt to stick in
| big league company.
| After his memorable work with the
Phillies against the Giants. he fell down
and was traded to Cincinnati. which club
sent him to Birmingham. He was re-
called by Cincinnati. but failed to make
| good, and for the past couple OF seasons
| has been pitching in the southern league.
| Jennings had his scouts look him over
| last summer and came to the conclusion
that he would stand a chance to hold his
| own in the American League hence pur-
| chased him, and will give him a trial in
| the spring.
| One of the principal objections that the
Players Fraternity has made against the
/ present system in vogue in base ball
| was In the case of Hap Myers. the for
mer Boston National first baseman. who
! was sent to Rochester at the end Of the
| season, and charged that he had been
railroaded out of the big leagues because
Of the interest he had shown in the
Players Fraternity. 1t develops how
ever that this is not based on facts.
| The records of the National League
headquarters show that the Boston club
| asked for waivers on Myers on three
| different occasions and that both the
National and American leagues waived
| on him. In other words. none OF the
big league clubs considered him Of suff-
Gent value to prevent his going into the
| minors.
When a player is waived on SO often 1t
should be plain to him that he is not
considered good enough for fast COM
pany. Myers feels that he belongs among
the topnotchers. but he has not been
able to convince any big league man.
ayers to this effect
| III Gov Tener decides to accept the
| National Leagues presidency IL is un-
derstood that he will be rendered a five
year term at $4,000 per year. That sort
of position surely would have some
] thing on being the governor of a state,
| and the chances are that man of Te-
| ner's experience would not be bothered
| in base ball as have been his predeces-
| sors. All the National League club own
| ers have ever needed is some one who
did not have to fear his job and could
| carry out the rules without fear or
| favor. IL Tener Is elected for Ave years
| his success is assured, for he will then
be able to handle the club owners as
| position from year to year.
! While the hit-and-run play is often
used in base ball. 1t is really a
run is successful the batter usually
comes through with clean-cut safe
lire drive for one or more bases. which.
when the play is pulled off as 1t should
| be- is next to impossible Hit-and-run
| requires Il scientific batter. His object
| is to shove the ball toward the direc-
| ton which the infielder has vacated In
! order to cover the bag toward which the
runner had started. 1t might be the Sec
| ond baseman or the shortstop The
batter Is supposed to SO place the ball
| that II the infelder can reach 1t at all
| he has to cover enough ground to make
| a double play impossible. and nine times
out Of ten. II he manages to throw the
| ceeded in moving up the base runner.
| There is a chance for the ball rolling
safe. but the double play is absolutely
eliminated. T.
| But II is but seldom that one sees the
| hit-and-run play worked in this way.
| Nowadays the8 batter gives the runner
| the sign to start and then he takes a
! WALTON at the ball. Sometimes a three
| base hit results. on which the runner
| could have scored. even IL he had not
| started to advance. but moro often a high
! Nv Koes up and when the play ia suc-
/ cessful 1t il because the batter gets the
| ball into safe territory:
i ConcedinE that has. ball has advanced
4 in many respects. there Is no doubt thar
\ the teams Of a few years back were
Il more adept at the hit-and-run game
than they are today.
Il II was the brilliant showing OF the
II Athletics in the worlds series which
created the impression that they wouId
have an easy time winning the American
II League penfant again next year, and va
this dnes mt follow by any mAana n.