Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-13
Coachers' Boxes to Be Set
Back, So Catchers Won't
Have to Guard Signs.
MUCH TIME WASTED TO
PREVENT SIGNAL STEALING
Owners of New York Clubs to
Confer on Use of Polo
Grounds.
BY ]. ED GRILLO.

MI sorts of suggestions have been
made and discussed which have for d
purpose the shortening of ball games
but the latest scheme emanates from
the brain of owner Frank Navin of
the Detroit club. Navin figures that if
the cOachers. boxes at first and third
bases We're placed back about ten feet
the games would be shortened ma
terially The idea is that the catch
ers nowadays take up SO much time
trying TO hide their signs from the
coachers that much time is wasted.
and this could be avoided by so plac-
ing the coachers' boxes that the catch
ers would have nothing to fear from
that source and could give their signs
without any hesitancy.
Under present conditions the catcher
has To go slow about giving his signs
He keeps an eye on the coachers, and
then crouches low and gives the sig
nal. All this takes time. and as re-
suit. Navin contends, the games last
longer than they should.
The matter of moving the coachers
boxes was taken up at the recent
meeting i'm Chicago. Navin said that
Clark Griffith advocated such a change.
but the ola Fox was not present to
up again by the American League at
its spring meeting. and it is not un-
likely that the change viii be adopted
Manaser Griffith left this morning for
charlottesville, where he proposes to re-
main until he has completed arrange
ments for the housing of his players or
has had reason for abandoning the place
as Il training grounds. Griffith seems
confident that he will be able to arrange
matters so that Charlottesville will again
be the Nationals training grounds.
Eddie Foster dropped Griffith letter
this morning. The little fellow says that
he is not near as heavy he was last
spring and that he will require less time
TO get IN playing condition. Foster has
the reputation of being a slow beginner
in the spring. He usually has TO work
for six weeks before he shows anything.
but he says in his letter that he has
taken the best of care of himself this
winter and that he expects to have little
weight to take off when working time
begins.
President II. y. Hampstead of the
Yankees probably will arrive at an agree
ment this week by which Chances men
will play this year at the Polo Grounds.
says the New York Sun. As the new
park at kingsbridge will be finished next
winter il is believed that one-year
lease of the Brush stadium will be signed.
The park at Broadway and 166th street.
where the American League teams have
played since 1902. will be diSmantled
shortly Ii Is understood that the orig
inal grandstand will be sold to the Jer-
sey City club. 1t will be taken down in
sections. placed upon floats in the Hudson
and then towed to Bayonne The stand
will replace the right field bleachers at
West Side Park.
Base runners. in the not far distant
future, may be RANKED on a percentage
bass, just as the work of the batsmen,
felders and pitchers is now tabuated.
IT has been suggested that record be
Kept of the number of times II man is
caught trying to steal, and the total of
unsuccessful attempts he added to his
stolen bases. and then divided into them.
The result would. it is thought, give a
correct line on mans base running
ability.
Clyde Milan of the Nationals was boss
Of the American Leagues raffies brigade
last year. purloining lightweight bases.
The speedy Washington star, had an aver
age of OIL steals per game. according
To the proposed way of reckoning. but
that record hardly does him justice.
j. Clyde actually was a base runner of
the .139 class, since he was stopped by
the backstops on only thirty-one occasions
when he started to steal The Cleveland
catcheTS. strange to say. tagged Milan
the sreatest number of times, mailing him
in seven attempts to pilfer. \ reasonable
explanation for their success IN throwing
him out frequently IS that he was
not a bit backward about testing their
wings.
Milan was thrown out five times by
the New York backstops. four times by
the wind paddiSts OF the st Louis. Chi
cago. Boston and Philadelphia teams. and
thrice by the maskmen of the Detroit
club The men who thwarted Milan in
his attempts TO steal last season are
named below:
Cleveland. by O'Neil. 4; Easterly, 2;
Livingston. l.
New York., by sweeney, 3; Street, .
-. Louis, by Krichell, ,; Criger, l;
Stephens, |.
Chicago. by Kuhn. .; Sullivan, /;
Schalk I
Boston, by Carrigan. >: Cady. =.
Philadelphia-4. by Egan =: I-app. >.
Dctroit-:;. by Onslow, =; Stanage, l.