Evening star., 1914-03-15
BY BILLY EVANS.

Lovers Of foot ball al I'd wrestling will
no longer get an occaS ional thrill at
ball game. Low tackles by the coacher
and impromptu wr estli lg bouts between
coacher and base irlnn er are no longer
the style. Many a ;sanie has been saved
and perhaps lost because Of some daring
tackle by the coacher. Many game has
furnished its wrestiI ig feature, with the
coacher on the defe pSve and the oase
runner on the offensive. Third base ter
-tory was always the scene of such hap
penings Usually they came up at a very
important part of the game. All catch
as-catch-can events wi b be missing from
the ball field this sum- ner. for nothing Is
to be gained by such tactics. On the
contrary, the rules q rmmittee has or
dained that the base runner shall be
called out for such Interference on the
part of the coacher.
Judging from the roussh methods many
coachers indulged In last year, it would
not be a bad idea for all managers to
handcuff some OF them " hen sent to work
at third base. At least. fifty times last
summer / observed coachers interfering
with the action of the lbase runner. NO
doubt every other umpire had as many
situations arise in games in which he had
charge. In every instance the method OF
the coacher was brought into play, be-
cause of a difference OF opinion between
coAcher and base runner. as to the
chances of the runner to reach the plato
in safety. Perhaps q majority Of times
the Judgment of the coacher is the best
due to the fact that he Is IN a better po-
sitton to see the play and the possibih-
lies. However. I have seen many i'm
portant games lost through tho failure OF
the coacher to grasp the opportunities
presented.
Coachers' Duties Are Important.
There is no denying tho fact that the
duties Of the coacher at third base are
most important. Under the new ruling
ne must be even moro alert than ever.
He must reach his conclusions more
quickly and transmit them Immediately
TO the base runner, for no longer can he
nrofect himself and the base runner by
resorting to a low tackle or wrestling
hold 1t is going to be mighty hard for
some of the coacherS who were prone TO
indulge in foot ball and wrestling tactics
N slowing UP the base runner Managers
in the past usually selected some feiloY
who would resort to such tacucs- Now
these coachers must reform. or new ones
be pressed into service, for nothing Is TO
se gained by such tactics and consider
able can be lost, the base runner Is
declared out for such an offense:
The general public, think. will regard
this rule favorably For my part like
il very much and ! know all umpires
will feel Just as / do about 1t. 1t has
been the custom in the past for umpires
TO call the runner out If the coacher IN
terfered with the runner when a play was
being made at the base. Often a runner
would overrun third, the ball would be
thrown there to make a play on him, but
through the activity of the coacher in
stopping the runner and hurling him back
in the direction of third, he was often
able to avoid being touched out. In such
cases the umpire always called the base
runner out for the coacher's interference.
because he directly iuterfered with the
play.
Was Hard to Draw the Lines.
In many cases runners round third,