Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-20
BASE RUNNERS HAVE LITTLE
CHANCE AGAINST CATCHERS
Eddie Collins Says that ArmOr-
clad Receivers Prevent Many
Scores.
CARDIGAN AN OFFENDER
Some Basemen Have the Right
Method of Tagging a
i Runner.
By EDDIE COLLINS
champion Second Baseman of the
American LeagueD

RO..aPAOh 9oCuhu Ddbenhn Of INC
American League.)
AT the close OF the football season
each year it Is customary for repre-
sentatives from the various colleges
to convene and discuss and alter II
necessary the playing rules. During
the last ten years the public have
not been entirely satisfied with the
game and consequently changes in
the rules each succeeding year have
been made with the idea of perfect
ing the game, and making 1t more ac-
oeptable from spectators point of
view.
With baseball, however, there has
been q noticeable absence of any such
crying need of reorganization of the
game. Year in, year out. the rules
remain unchanged Occasionally.
some one ventures to suggest some
thing which will increase the hitting
or something of that kind. The in
PRODUCTION of the cork CENTRE" how
ever. supplied that need, and now the
rules are seldom referred to with an
idea of alteration.
From a spectators standpoint, they
may be all right--in fact. l believe
they are-but from my experience as
a player one particular play has oc-
CURED so often. and been SO forcibly
illustrated. that I think some pro-
vision should be made to prevent it.
refer to the blocking of a base rum
ner by baseman, or more especially,
by the catcher.
Section 5 of rule 81, in the rule
book reads THE base runner shall
be entitled, without liability to be put
out, to a base il he be prevented from
making a base by the obstruction of
a fielder. unless the latter have the
ball in his hand ready to touch the
base runner"
Should Enforce the Rules.
All of which reads plainly enough
and really ought to prevent the
blocking to which l am Directing, but
l have yet to see the rule enforced.
How often does it happen that man
tries to score on a base hit from
second and slides into home, appar-
emily safe, ahead of the ball, only to
be called out? you never reached
the plate" the umpire answers to the
surprised players protest.
What chnace did he have against
an armor- clad catcher? Protected by
shin guards, knee pads, chest pro-
tector and ] don't know what all,
the latter plants himself in the base
line, usually about three feet from
the home plate on the line towards
tDIIu, dIlu III Olotl " SOUL tiiC IooN
runner simply must collide, as he
can mot slow UP to avoid a miX-up,
and to go around Is impossible. Con-
sequently, the blocking takes place,
as there is not one base runner in
ten who can upset or get the best of
catcher.
am selecting the catcher as the
target of my harmless abuse, as at
the home plate most of the blocking
takes place. Occasionally, a baseman
and q runner will go to the mat to-
gether, but 1t is more often acciden-
tai than Intentional, and is due to
poor throw or something which
necessitates the man making the play
at the bag being in line with the
runner.
George Mcbride Knows How.
/ want to distinguish between be-
Ing In the base line and blocking.
George Mcbride, the Washington
shortstop, never blocks man sliding
into a bag. but he has knack of
receiving the ball directly in the line
when he is about to tag a man, and
somehow he seems to straddle the
baseline and really makes it inpera-
tive for the runner to slide straight
into the bag, right between his feet.
Mcbride does this for two reasons.
First, as soon as he gets the ball. all
he has to do is to bring it down in
front of him, right on the runner,
and he knows where he can find the
man to put the ball on him immedi-
ately. Secondly, it prevents the base
runner from making a "fallaway"
slide as the only opening he has for
the bag is straight in. Consequently,
rarely does a man elude Mcbride and
slide In safety, unless he beats the
ball entirely.
This is the way all infielders, and
especially shortstops and second
basemen, try to make the play. l
have simply used Mcbride as an ex-
ample, as he is one of the best ex-
ponents of the art of touching a run
ner that 1 know of.
No Doubt About wagner's Tag.
Heine Wagner, of the Red Sox, lacks
the grace of Mcbride in tagging a
runner, but, believe me, you are never
in doubt when Heine touches you;
and If he gets the ball from the
catcher anywhere near the time you
are sliding, you've got to bore clear
through him to get to the bag. He
usually has his feet, knees, shoulders,
in fact, his whole body, between you
and the bag. He gets spiked lot
during a season, but he is a regular
stone wall to run into.
Bill Carigan, of the same club, is
another who protects his base at home
plate from would-be scorers as If 1t
were solid gold. In his college days
Bill was some whale of a football
player, and l have always had a
sneaking idea that he really enter
tains these mix-ups around the home
base just for old-times sake. AT
any rate, he sidesteps no one, and a
runner hasn't a snowball's chance of
scoring with him in the line.
How Ainsmith Caught McInnis.
/ saw Eddie Ainsmith, of Washing
ton, in a game last year at Shibe