New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-14

that am going to bunt; then cross him by
smashing one right at him always watch the
shortstop, and if he gives signs OF covering
second base ! drill one through him
Collins Of the Athletics is one Of the greatest
.,;ont;fc bittcrs. Foster OF Washington IS another
GOOD miner at the ball. He's likely to punch 1t
,rvvhcrc Contrary to general impression,
Sneaker Of the Boston Red SoX is not suggcr
He Is clever scientific batter. 1t IS peculiar that
NIcInncs the Athletics first bascman, IS a strong
hitter against star pitchers and poor against weak
pitchers. In his case it's all a state OF mind
.hinl, that Connie Mack Of the Athletics more
than any other manager, studies his men S" as 70
make them good htcrs. When he signed Old
ring his left fielder, the "Rubc' was weak on
slow curve Barry his shortstop was Joke
hitter Walsh, his right fielder, never looked good
if the pitcher threw a curve. Mack has not only
made Barry Of the most dangerous pnch
bittcrs in the American League, but he has even
improved Baker. Under him Harry DAVIS, ms
Old first base star, became one OF the I0sI ooli''''
battcrs on the circuit.
Frank Chance is another manager who transforms
the batting STYLES Of the under him. When he led
the Chicago Cubs, Tinker, his shorstop used 70 De
AathcWSOnS mark
One day. by throwing low slow curve over the out
side corner Of the plate Maty struck out Tinker three
times Chance began ponder this. He considered
Tinker "ChOkcd MS pat, tldJ - IlCu IL wei u"
from the handle and crowded the plate. Whereupon
he made Tinker change his style. He told his shortsop
to Use a long bat hold it at the extreme end, and 70
stand s far back in the battcrs box he could get
The next time Matty pitched that low, VIDE curve
Tinker stepped almost across the plate and swung INTO
the ball. lining it out for two-bagger From that day
h, was Nattvs Nemesis BY polling instead OF chop
ping the ball he broke up game after game and cI-
NAKED it in the memorable play-oit game for the Ma
tonm League championship in 1905, when his hits OF
Nattv won for Chicago.
60 much for what Chance did for Tinker. The first
wear that Crccbroke into the American League he was
known as sluggcr Then the pitchers and outtelders
got together as they always do when new man begins
hitting like tornado and studied his case. They com
pared notes. and discovered that Cree was natural
right field hitter All his drives fell safe near the foul
line Thereafter whenever he to bat the telders
simply shifted over and balls that had fallen safe were
caught Crccs batting average sumped. This went
on until Frank Chance became manager OF the New
York Yankees One day Chance said to Cree:
you don't place your feet right. As long as YOU
stand that way you'll always hit to right field.
81 can't change my form now, replied Cree and
I've been doing pretty well with this style.
Not well enough to suit me-, retorted Chance.
"And you'll change your form or change your JOB.
Cree preferred change his form, and toward the end
Of last season was hitting the ball all parts OF the field
Managers are very careful in this way and if play
ers hitting falls off they investigate at once. have
seen many good htters strain their eyes by abusing
them BY doing 50 they simply shortening their
careers as valuable men. | take exaggerated care OF
my eyes will not read unless the light is good. do
very little Of it on trains, even when the shaking motion
is not pcrccptblc | had slump in my hitting one
year. and an ocust, one Of the best, told me that
had strained nv eyes bv reading on railroad trains.