The Detroit times., 1914-03-12
Little Oscar Devotes All His At.
tention to Tapping the Ball
To Position
HAS HIS EYES ON THAT
SECOND BATTING PLACE
Wants To Beat Paddy Bauman
Out Of His Second Base Job
This Season


car Witt. Tiger utility inhelder, Is d.
Getting all his efforts this spring At
he Tiger camp solely towards prep
ling himself to fiji that place In the
Second position In the Tigers batting
order Which Manager Jennings wants
bove everything else to be supplied
satisfactorily this season.
Witt Is devoting all his serious at
ention this spring TO learning to hit
<ie ball ON the ground TO whichever
cid he wants TO. Last year. after q
lther dubious season, he decided that
would cut OUT choking his bat, take
grip on the end aud swing like Stuffy
IcInnis, OF the Athletics. and pound
1at pill.
However. upon talking things over
With the board Of strategy at GulfpOrt
I MS spring. he decided that he would
not try complete free swing, but
;ould half-choke the bat and cut out
,lamming at the bali.
Witt doesn't care how hard he hits
he ball now. He Is content merely
% tap it. But what he does want 10
10 Is TO sap II In the direction ne
,hooses. 30 that he can work perfectly
"a the hit.and-run play.
With a fast ,aan like Bush batting
lrst for the Tigers, and man who is
lot only fast but who gets on the
oases about half of the time that he
aces the pitchers. a good hit-and-run
Imam following hin would be very,
|sery valuable to the club. A mediocre
ielder who was al expert at the hit
nd-run gag wonid be given an intield
I,Osition in preference to q brilliant
elder who worli not hit.
Witt IL laying on the ball easily.
ut with two obJects--to hit II on the
round and to either side OF the
lamond he plea3es. He doesn't care
he never hits the ball out of the In
leld this spring. as long as he hits It
| IN the ground and to tho second base
aan'S or shorts,op's position. which
liver he chooses.
Or course, Oscar wants to be able
bnnt With more than fair precision
10 40 TO sacrifice has man down TO
,econd from first when that Is the
.slay called for. He believes that he
an hit we'll enough on straight
way hitting to get away with his
bart OF the progralD when there Ii no
|SOdy on the bags ahead OF him.
fEl third baseman of the Washington
Nationals. prepared himself for his
Oh with the Senators in exactly the
Name way that Witt Is doing for the
Flyers. Foster vas no better than
hit ~ hitter until he decided that
lef would make h!t-andrun man OF
iInself and that he has succeeded
soes without saying.
Witt believes that he will have the
best year OF his career this season II
be can get the hit-and-run play down
o q state anywhere near projection.
he has had a great winter In the
mountains Of the west and he starts
The year feeling III tip-top condition.
Last season Witt was out OF the
lame part Ct the tina because OF Ill.
kGos. The year before. also, boils and
Stomach trouble bothered him
Whole lot. This year Oscar says. he Is
ABSOLUTELY free from any aiiment and
he sees no reason why he should not
10 through the season in topnotch.
Shape.
Witt doesn't care what position in
he infield he IL blayed this season a.
0nx a. be- gets steady job. He
feels equally at home at third base or
kt. second and hc has no preference
Tor either.
Oscar is good enough fielder so
hat he can hang onto an infield job
e his hitting is up to the standard,
lie IL also more than commonly fast
~ the bags. During his high school
Hays he won numerous models for
pSinting and baseball has taken
Away none Of his speed OF foot.
In winning q position on the inneld
HMt will probably have to strike at
tecond base. inlsmuch as there seem
ID be plenty OF capable candidates for
XIrSt base 90 tina. that position will
10, filled alright and still leave George
M0riarty free 20 play third base.
Il Witt goes % secold he will force
1nddy Bauman on. OF job. Bauman
.anne 10 the Tigers last season from
Providence. He made himself solid
II second last yea. because he was the
best hitter available but Manager Jen.
hinss il still looking for a man who
wtll all In more acc4ptably at the
tocond place in the batting order.
OF course Bauman himself may
make as much or more improvement
han Witt. in which case Paddy will be
Otained at his old Job and Oscar Will
have to be content with his old utility
bositlon.
Chicagos city government In 1914
will cost more than twenty-five mil
ION dollars.
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