The Detroit times., 1913-05-27
Successful Clubs Are Usually
Those Who Employ One
Catcher Almost Alone
ARE ARGUMENTS FOR AND
AGAINST CUSOM, HOWEVER
Some Pitchers Show Preference
For Certain Young
CatcherS

Manager Jennings has the support
OF past experience in his policy OF
using Stanage to catch practically all
the Tiger games.
Anyone who turns back the musty
pages OF baseball history. and notes
CLOSELY, cannot fail TO discover that
nearly all the pennant winners OF pre-
vious years have had one catcher on
their roster who has done. the bulk
OF the receiving through the previous
season.
Sullivan caught the most games for
the White Sox when they copied In
1906. Schmidt was king bee receiver
for the Detroit Tigers In 1907. King
was the man most prominent behind
/ the bat when the Cubs turned the
spennant winning trick In 1908. Glib
fson did the heavy work throughout
1909, the year Pittsburgh came out
/. first. Meyers was the whole show In
1912, when the Giants won out.
The one-catcher-for-a ll-games the
DRY, hard as II Is on the man who Is
scheduled to work every day, seems,
from the standpoint of experience, 70
be the best Still, there are argu-
ments both ways.
One side contends that to have one
player work all the time tends to
wreak havoc with the club II he
should be hurt. Again. this side main
tains that some receiver handles one
pitcher better than he does another
Lastly, sit Is declared that catching
day after day wears a man out.
Opponents of this side reply to the
6rst argument to the effect that IL
rarely happens for one catcher, doing
the bulk of work, to be out FOR
very long time; and that the other
catchers are well able TO take care
OF the backstopping until the best man
comes back.
To the second contention the an
swer Is made that, II catcher Is
good man, he should be able to handle
all shoots come from whOmsoever
they may. They illustrate this with
the case of Walter Johnson whose
effectivness was said to be doomed
with the release of Charley Street.
Yet. when Street was released to New
York, Ainsmith did just as well.
Thirdly, 1t is declared that catching
every day hasn't worn out any star
TO any great extent yet, the majority
OF receivers being physically able to
endure hard work.
Both sides have able contentious.
There have been instances In the his
tory, Of the game, undoubtedly. when
the absence OF a star backstop, from
injury or other causes. has rendered
ineffective the pitchers. everything be-
ing restored to eouanimity when the
veteran donned the stun again.
There have been instances, too.
when pitchers seemed to have worked
better with a particular catcher be-
hind the plate. Joe Wood maintains
he likes Cady as a receiver, as he
always seems TO work better with
him than with any Of the others.
And there have been illustrations
where hard work has killed good
catcher. There are some who always
will maintain that Johnsons terrific
shoots. handled uncomplainingly day
after day by Street. finally broke the
former Washington star backstop's
great endurance. and where the cause
OF his being sent to New York, from
whence he later drifted to the minors.
Coming back TO Jennings and pre-
cedent. II seems likely that Hughie
will use Stanage most of the time. II
In an open fact that infelders work
most successfully when there Ia
man handling the pitchers shoots
in whom they have entire confidence
IA confidence borne OF steady and
continuous work week in and week
cut.
They know where his weak points
are land each receiver has one or
two failings, slight though they may
bel and constantly on the lookout for
them. The same principle seems to
apply to a catcher as It does TO an
inhelder himself RI the latter is dis
ablpd In any way the substitution or
utility man tends 10 demoralize the
team play. Taken all in all. It seems
that the one catcher contenders might
have the best OF 1t. for. backed as II
has been by experience and by strong
contentious from big leaguers who
surely ought to know. the successful
manager IL the one who employees the
least number OF men behind the bat
during the course OF the season.