The Washington times., 1914-06-28

remember how many chances / had, but
| il must have been close to a million.
mission were charged in the score, SO
the numerous base hits that ought 70
have fielded and didn't were not list
ed.
It was one awful day. and it cured me
of wanting to steal any of Eddie Col
Inns laurels. Collins can remain the
king of second sackers- for all that ]
ever will do to get his job. II he is the
king, ! must have rated about the
deuce, for my work certainly was en-.
tirely different. I was original, II
nothing else, however, and handed the
fans a good laugh.
Lots Of players have an ambition TO
| be first basemen. l can understand
why they pick out this place. for the
work looks easy, though 1t isn't, end
YOU get in on SO many plays. OF course,
4 every man wants to be in On every
| thing, and an outflelder. who may not
have more than or two easy chances In
game, envies the fellow on the initial
corner, who gets a dozen or more put
outs.
Speaking Of first basemen. ! believe
that If Nick Altrock could hit the ball
he would be one Of the greatest initial
sackers in the world. The way that fel-
low can handle a baseball is wonder
full He takes all kinds of throws with
the greatest ease, and makes trick
plays out of pegs that some bagmen
would consider themselves lucky TO
stab at all. Just watch him some after
noon before the game, and see If he
isn't a wizard in tanning the pill. OF
course, the fact that he is neither a
hitter nor a base runner bars him from
| holding down a regular job.
Joe Bush, of the Athletics. Is another
fellow who could give a good account
of himself in the tirst-basing JOB. de
can hit, too, and is fast on the bases,
so one of these days he may be con-
verted into an infielder. The Athletics
are not exactly suffering for q brst
baseman right now, however, with
"Stuffy'' McInnes, one of the best in the
world, in their lineup.
There are lot OF players IN the DIG
leagues right now who started their
careers as pitchers. but were converted
into men who could be in the game
every day on account OF their hitting
talent. Detroit has two of these made,
Bob Veach, each of whom was a finger
when he first broke into professional
ball. 1t surely was a lucky thing that
some manager was wise enough TO see
that a man who can hit like Crawford
couldn't be used as a pitcher. no matter
how well he might be able to twirl.
Batters of the Wahoo mans type are
needed In the game every day. and not
once in four or five days. Veach is
another fellow who says he WASH !
can sting the ball. He also prayed
third base before finding his real posi-
ton in the outfield-
There seems to be an entirely un~ar-
ranted belief in some quarters that the
American and National League pennant
races already are as good as over. rake
my word for II that no pennant cam
paign ends the last of June. There are
three long months of battling ahead. and
much may happen in that time Even
the Cleveland club, which has been
trailing the American circuit ever since
the season started, could come through
and grab the banner II II had phe.
nomenal burst of speed, though this, OF
course is not much of a possibility
At the time of writing there are five
clubs in each league within half dozen
games of the top. and that isn't very
many with more than ninety TO be play
ed. In fact, It would be possible for the
first and fifth clubs TO change places IN
a single week II one grabbed all its
games and the other dropped them all
New York is holding its own in the
National. and looks like II ought to win
but there is many slip. and Nc
Graw isn't likely to concede himself the
flag by a long way. AS result OF the
Washington clubs disastrous Western
trip, il looks as though Griffith would
have a hard time getting back into the
real battling, but his pitchers may rally
and pull him through yet; 1t is hard
hasn't been doing better. OF course. he
has been shut out a number of times,
and no pitcher can win games unless
the team gets him at least one run.
But the Tigers declare that Walter
hasn't nearly the speed and the break
on his fast ball that he had last season,
and he admits himself that he isn't
right
one Of the biggest upsets that baseball
had had in my time occurred when
Cleveland took four straight from the
Nationals not long ago. Even in the
DAYS when the Nationals were founder
ing around near the bottom and the
Maps were up in the flag chase, wash
ington used TO wallop them, and 1t seems
almost incredible that when Griffith has
q good club. and Birmingham's bunch
is trying TO keep from falling out OF the
bottom. the tables should be turned.
Yet 1t happened, and l suppose that
Grif never will get over 1t.
Perhaps the Federal Leagues big
offers TO some of the stars of the
American and National has had a de-
moraliZing effect on baseball in gener-
al There seems TO be an idea among
some OF the boys that they do not have
to play ball any more, because the Fed
erals will take care of them IL they
want o jump. This is a bad "a. te
OF mind, for. regardless of all ths coin
the outlaws are handing around so
laVishly. a man owes IL to his en-
ployer to give his best efforts so long
as he is on the pay roll, and sooner
or later there will be a day of reck-
oning for those who soldier.
The mania for paying the most or
dinary players salaries bigger than the
President Of the nited States re-
ceives will pass sooner or later and a
safe and sane policy will be adopted
under which the stars will get the
money and the mediocre athletes will
get mediocre pay. No business can
be run successfully when a kings ran
som is paid for bad work. and the
Federals will expect something OF their
high-priced acquisitions or wiz cut
them down. So the man who shirks
his lob in the American or s<tional
League. believing that there is a sort
Of Utopia to be found in the Federals
isn't likely to profit in the long run. .
] do not blame the ball players for
wanting 10 get the money. however.
A mans baseball life Is short enough
at best. and an accident may rol'
him of his m-ans Of livelihood at any
time. There are no pensions for aged
and infirm tosssrs. anG when YOU
cease to play ma!or league ball YOU
find that somebody else has your
lob. At the same time. the younger
men should look ahead ard try TO
figure whether the ''hoom" f. going
to collapse and leave them fat. or
whether they will he assured II a
satisfactory income TO: as long as
they want to stay In tho game
cannot see much future TO any busi-
- l.