Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-07-01
BALL PLAYERS MUST
Be Quick thinkers
Diamond Men Have TO Keep
on the Watch Every Min
ute During Game
HAVE TO DECIDE
PLAYS IN A FLASH

Errors IN baseball are OF two xmas
mechanical and mental. The young
player breaking into the game may
hang up perfect record mechanical
~. yet make so many mental mis-
takes he will be passed up by his
manager as hopeless and may never
know why he failed.
The mechanical error is overlooked
by everybody except the rabid fan.
He never forgives a ball player for
not holding every ball within reach,
no matter how hard it is hit or how
slowly it is rolling; no matter how
much a player is compelled to extend
himself merely to get the tips of his
fingers on a drive. A ball that can
not he reached is a base hit and every
thing else an error. The mental err
ror is overlooked by the rabid fan,
40 matter how costly it may be, so
long as the fielder tries to do what
The rooter thinks he ought to try.
The manager of the baseball team
pays little attention to the mechanical
error. even if it loses a game, because
he knows 1t was an accident and also
knows when a ball bounds to an in
fielder crOokedly or when a fly has
an ugly twist that makes il difficult
to negotiate. But the good manager
does not overlook the mental hunder,
and will not soon forget or forgive
L. particularly If IL costs 3 victory.
When the bases are empty there IS
only one thing for the inhelder or
outfielder to do. of course, and that
Is to play for the batsman. But rs
soon as runner gets on, both in and
outfelders have something else 20
thing about With a runner on
drst If the ball is hit to the pitcher
u infelder. he must decide before
that ball gets to him whether to make
the play to second to force the run
ner or to throw the ball to first
There is no time TO decide after get
ting the ball, for an instant's hest
tation to survey the situation may re-
suit in the loss of both chances. The
same is true when there is a runner
on second or third. but with two d
three runners on the circuit the in
felders' troubles are not increased as
much as you would expect The rule
Is TO get the runner who is neares
the plate if possible when the score
Is close. but If he cannot le retire
tho play usually is made on the bats
man. When your team Is safely il
the lead il is best TO play for thu
batsman anyway. unless there is al
easy and absolutely sure chance {,
put out the runner ahead of him.
The outfielder has a good man!
more things TO think of than the aver
age fan believes. When the ball il
hit to him the gardener must know
before il reaches him what to do will
that ball. so that no valuable tim'
is lost after he gets It. One of thu
sommonest mistakes of the amateur
outfielder is to try for impossible
PLAYS. The average college playe
almost invariably will throw the bal
home. no matter If he hasn't on
chance in a million to retire run
ner going in from second on a bas
hit
This should not be done even in
,lose game unless there sc an evel
chance to retire a man at the plat
II is better baseball to make sure
stopping the batsman at first base
for when a ball is thrown home iron
the outfeld the man who hit 1t
going down to second if he is wis
Ia the game. From second he ca
score on a single, but it takes tw
singles to score man from frs
base.
Ping Bodie, formerly of the Whit
Sox. once lost a ball game without u
he least understanding why. and tn
fact he never could understand wa
the chief reason for his delegation I
- the minors, because he repeated
made the same mistake It happene
while Harry Lord was being tried on
In the left field and the game wa
against washington. The Sox ha
a lead OF three runs in the sevent
inning. A Senator reached third has
with one out and the next man hit
Ay to Lord. With only one chance
a thousand to throw out the runne
at the plate Lord threw home ate
catching the fly. because there wa
no one else on the bases. The ru
scored and the Sox were only tN
Iins ahead.
In the eighth inning with a Senate
on second base and two out the me-
man hit a single to Bodie in centr
Ping came up with the ball and mac
swell throw to the plate, but failS