Evening star., 1914-05-31

I'm going to hang onto that fellow"
Today Fletcher rated of the best shortsops
in the business.
To show you the value of backing up let me present
this incident from game with Pittsburgh 1t in
the 1911 pennant race when had to fight out almost
to the last games to the flag. In of the games
against Pittsburgh catcher threw wild to second
base Leach, the Pirates center fielder stealing.
Seeing the wild throw Leach turned and tore for third.
But Snodgrass, center fielder, had fast and,
taking the wild throw the fly, he drove the ball
third cutting down Leach AS turned out, the next
batter drove long fly to outeld and on it Leach could
easily have scored We won that game by single rnn
We it to Snodgrass and his backing up.
Under Chance the Chicago Cubs the best hackers
UP in the business. In of games against them
Devore first base, and told Doyle to bunt. In
stead he hit slow bounder to Evers. Doyle thrown
out at first base; but trying down Devore, who
racing for third the play Chance threw the
third basemans head. But Sheckard, the left fielder
had away behind third to back up and getting
the ball the first bound he threw out Devore at the
plate. Sheckard must have started to in to back
up third when Doyle hit the ball
You sometimes pitchers who and back up first
base when most plays made there. used to have
my men do that too until one day when Mathewson
did much backing up that he tired himself out and
could not do himself justice. Concluding that it
unnecessary additional physical strain, thereafter
refused to let my pitchers support the first baseman
HAVE heard fans crtcizing me from the grandstand
for not going the coaching lines, for leaving
the coaching lines after the other team got ahead and
remaining the bench. @Quitter" among the
pleasant words poured upon 1 am not defending
my position, because make it rule to give
excuse. 1 am mentioning this merely to emphasize the
importance of playing the game from the bench 1t is
there that many games and lost If the Giants
drop behind, go the BENCH because from that po
stion l have the direction of my team better in
charge than if am the coaching lines.
Sometimes | don't the lines at all. l
member game when playing st. Louis and
Salee announced St. Louis pitcher. 1 mmedi-
atey gave my orders to bunt. l realized that it
early in the season and Saee not yet in very
good physical condition. A bunting game would stand
him his head and tire him out. The Giants bunted,
and to offset this form of attack Bresnahan the ST Louis
manager, rearranged his infied. He made Mowrey, his
third baseman in the plate to be
and get our bunts. At changed our tactics
s"Eit it OUT told the Giants.
liner whisted past Mowrey, then another. The
game had broken and Bresnahan took Sallee from the
box. We made thirteen runs in that inning.
In 1904 l the National League championship
with players who were to another. The result
that had to play the game myself. By this do
not mean that l occupied position on the team: l
directed it from the bench Whenever the batter
up critical stage, he would tie his shoe or fix his belt
give him time glance at the bench to what
l wanted him to do. We had system of signals that
governed every situation the field. l know it
condemned by managers; but in case it
necessary. Whenever l wanted the at plate to
bunt used to blow my Honestly, before got
through that year my nose was red. The opposing
well as my watched. If one of
outeders playing too close for certain batter
l often stopped the game and made him change his
position. Once l detected Brooklyn catchers signs
and tipped off Our batters. l seldom seen on the
coaching line that year. We won the pennant from the
bench.
recall one of our games in Pittsburgh We
the good but in the seventh inning Clarke, the