The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-06-20
Tiger Youngster Needs EncOur-
agement, Not Sneers, When
He Has an Of Day
TRYING HARD TO MAKE
GOOD SECOND Stacker
His Weakness on Ground Balls
Is Being Corrected By Man
ager Jennings and Bush
BY RALPH l.. YoNKER

The 5000 fans who were out at the
baseball park cheered Marty Kav-
anagh sarcastically when he grabbed
Fosters pop in the eighth inninci The
dy was an easy one and the cheering
81 the fans was meant 20 impress
upon Kayanagh the fact that he was
a boob for having missed two ground
balls earlier in the game when Boehl
ing hit 10 him. Each OF the errors
meant run for Washington and II
looked as II they meant the loss OF
he game.
Just as soon as Kavanagh missed
these grounders the fans forgot that
they had cheered him the day befor"
for hitting a home rim OF Walter
Johnson and began TO pan him. Marty
happened 70 haze a bad day and the
fans began their banning.
Kayanagn Is not a finished second
baseman. He came ~ Detroit almost
directly from club In a Class 4
league, the Tn.State league. He was
a third bsseman the greater part OF
the time when he was there Man.
ager Jennings transformed him into
a second baseman Hughie himself
says he doesn't expect Kavyy 10 be a
polished player until next season at
the earliest.
Becoming a good second baseman
after having played third for a long
time Is a tremendous task. Kayanagh
is working hard TO make success or
his venture. He is a young fellow,
not overly sensitive. but nevertheless
affected BY either encouragement or
sneers. /. the fans viii encourage him
whenever he happens TO have bad
day instead OF hooting him. he will
soon play better baseball tor them as
a result.
Kavanaghs weakness is on batted
balls that hug the ground As
third baseman he has been used TO
grabbing all ground balls quickly, or
at least batting them down fast ana
recovering in time for throw ~
first. AS a second baseman he must
not content himself with quick stab
but he must get good hold of the
ball as II comes TO him so as to throw
without having TO make a recovery
When he was a third baseman he
found that the balls he had 10 handle
we're hit almost at him. He had com
paratively little ground 70 cover As
a second baseman he must go get tbs
ground balls. playing to both sides
and up on them in order 20 get the
base runners.
Kavanagh of late has been playing
the ground balls too high. He has
been trying TO take them on high
hop rather than getting down close
to the earth where he can follow the
ball closely and come up with IL IL II
happens TO bound high,
Manager Jennings, Coach Burke and
DOME Bush all had hand in giving
Kavanagh a few practical lessons In
covering second base this morning.
Hughie and Bush went right out into
the field with Kavanagh and kept him
chasing ground balls for half an
hour. He was much improved when
he had had his lesson.
Kavanagh has his bad days now and
then and he will have them in the
future. Ii is because he is a young,
ster and a recruit that they are par
ticularly noticeable. Bush and Nor.
iarty, although vets, have their OF
days also.
Except in the handling OF ground
balls, Kavvy's playing is excellent
lie handles thrown balls finely. puts
well. and is the best man Detroit has
mad at second base in the double play
since the time OF Germany Schaefer.
Kavanagh has lost three games on
errors, He has made six errors that
let In runs that had no effect on the
way the games went. He has made
10 errors that had no effect in the
producing Of runs That certainly is
not bad record for man In his
position.
The way to get the best out Of Kav.
anagh is TO lend him little encour.
agement, Ksvanagh is good spirit.
ed fellow. He is working hard morn
ings as we'll as afternoons 10 perfect
himself. He deserves no censure just
because he happens 20 have an off
day now and then But he does d.
serve encouragement for that very
reason.
STICK WITH EN-, KAvvY,
DON'T RUB,
Manager Jennings has all sorts Of
confidence in Kavvy
"rll keep Kavanagh on second base
right along no matter II he does hap
pen 10 go wrong now and then said
Hughie this morning Hes going TO
make a swell ball player In a wear or
two. He fits fine and his only weak
ness in fielding is on ground balls
'He was discouraged By his show
ing yesterday. but ] cheered him up
by relating a game which | lost for
Brooklyn one day Herman Long
and were playing against each
other. Herman had four errors and
| had Ave The last one made with
man scoring from third with two
out. II won the game.
Bill Coughlin had date With Mike
Maurer today 10 talk over Mikes go
ing 70 Scranton as a pitcher for Bill.
who manages the club there Mike Is
the young Detroit southpaw whom
Jennings took south couple OF years
ago. Coughlin got catcher from
Providence while here and heard
Bobby Lowe, Tiger scout who has
been coaching AZ Washington & JEFF
ferson recommend some college pitch
ers.
Red Mckee. Tiger second string
catcher. Is at hts home in Saginaw
recovering from a slight illness lie
ls expected 10 join the club in q DAY
or two
There are two opera houses In Ant
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