The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-09-25
MATHEWSON THINKS THE GIANTS
HAVE EDGE ON The 0UTFIELD

a bet in returning the youngster, and
takes him up. Again he pulls boots
and fails to bat, and Is returned to the
sticks" There are numerous players
OF this type. I could reel on twenty
names. but they are names which few
Of my readers would recognise. BE-
cause they are those OF men who have
failed to make good. and have been
only stars in the minors. The Same
type OF persons exists In all walks OF
life. They can only be stars In the
minors.
Nearly every man who comes up In
to the big leagues feels the difference
In the atmosphere there. and Is espe-
cially amazed by the large crowds
The players with the right stun In
them soon get over this feeling and
play without regard for the hootlng
of the crowds. as all seasoned ball
players do. Few big leaguers realize
that a crowd is bowling during q ball
game. They Just know the shouting
is there as the grand stand. the bench.
and the fence and the rest of the
scenery. II is part of the contest
and has no effect on the performance
of the players. But II Is all new to
the youngster. For this reason, the
smart managers have observed tho
practice of holding their recruits ON
the lOT eOInt Nule nuu tu6n
easing them into the game gradually
after they have become used to the
scene and the surroundings. BY the
sudden injection of a verdant young
ster into the lineup, many n manager
has spoiled n promising future.
Got Bench Treatment.
George Burns received this kind Of
training on the Giants bench for q
McGraw would put him in to run for
some one occasionally. or he would
let him Ilay for an inning or two to
finish game which was hopelessly
lost or certainly won. In this way.
he got accustomed to things so that,
when he began this year with a team
that faces the biggest crowds in tho
country, IL was not like a recruit 60
ing to work but like a veteran picking
up where he had left off IL was only
for short time that Burns displayed
any inclination toward nervousness.
and he never showed II in the field.
His batting was not as hard at first
as IL has been since. but he was lust
as good fielder. Just as fast and lust
as sure.
Burns is not rated as good a bat
ter as OldrinS. He is just as sure In
the field. and a better base-runner be-
cause he is faster. The young left in
fielder is one of the fastest men ON
the club and is heady base-runner
besides. He Is very dangerous
young fellow to have on the paths.
He can cover a lot OF ground on a
short hit. and Is a hard smooth slider
when the question of his arrival is
close. He is difficult man TO touch.
- COR I'M. 20 - So
naturally.
Good base-runners are going to
count for the Giants in this series. I
( believe. We had a fast team in 1911.
and II was generally predicted before
those games that we would steal base.
fuently on Ira Thomas. but he had
been practicing and was prepared.
Base stealing did not figure to any ex-
tent in the game. We could not get
away with II. But this year the bulk.
II not all OF the catching. will be done
| by Lapp and young Schang Lapp is
not physically strong enough to catch
every game of the series. ana his
throwing Is not as steady as Thomas
anyway. He will have one good day.
and another when he won't be able to
get stealers at all
Schang Wonderful Catcher.
Scharg has proved himself 10 be a
wonderful catcher in his first year
out. and Mack has been forced to
work him oftener than he originally
intended because of the injury to
THOMAS. This is lucky for the Attn
/ letics. They tell me SchanC throws
a very hard ball down TO second. but
Iet us get one or two stolen bases
on him. and he is going TO get ner-
, Nous as any young catcher would. IL
Is cinch that McGraw will try 10
Work the stealing game until he fs
convinced II Is useless. and Burns,
with his speed. will be a valuable
asset in this style of attack.
Burns has rapidly developed into
| q rroat batter. He has naturally a
GOOD eye. being very expert at any
| thing which requires quickness or
vision. He Is a very good shot and
a great pool player. Because Of his
accurate eye. he is a hard batter 20
I pitch 10. since he refuses 20 90 after
bad balls The man. twirling against
/ Burns. has 10 pitch TO him. He has
I The ability TO get on with great fire.
| queucy." lie also hits the ball wen
/ and Will probably be a factor in the
series with the stick" So much
/ has McGraw thought OF him recently
as a "sticker" that be has given him
/ the fourth place in the batting order
/ which IL generally recognized among
ball players as the post OF honor or
! cleanup position
More Consistent Hitter.
Oldring probably eNcels Burns az
a consistent and dangerous hitter. Hs
I j. apt TO break up a ball game TO
\ you any time. "Rube" got a ba'
break In tho series Of 1911 II viii b.