Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-08
SMALL FIELD NO
HANDICAP TO
THE RED SOX
Luderus Says the Playing
Grounds Cut No Figure
in the Worlds Series
SAYS PHILLIES WILL WIN
BY FRED LUDERUS

Captain and First Pasenfan OF the Champion
| Phillies
We have been criticised all over the
country because our ball park happens TO
have short right field fence and a left
held bleacher stand into which lot OF
nome runs have been hit. This has been
used by Boston fans as an argument that
We Will be favored In the worlds series
with the Red Sox because we are ac-
customed TO play here and the opposing
team is not. l think l can show that this
view is entirely incorrect but that does
not alter the fact that l am convinced
more and more that We are going to be
winners regardless OF todays game.
In the first place, we can't help play
ing i'm our ball park at Broad and Hunt
ingdon streets, because we haven't any
| other. Then / don't see how il can be
claimed that this helps us any more than
1t viii the Red Sox club 1t has been
said that both Cravath and myself have
| gotten number of home runs on our
grounds which would have been putouts
on other fields. 1t is true that occasion
ally he and l have gotten drives lust
over the right centre field wall which
| might have been converted into putouts
on the Braves new field provided the
outhelderS were playing us right. On
| the other hand, it would be interesting
10 know Just how many extra bases we
| nave been robbed of by this same wall
! A'iiiN anu again L nave NIT tne wall IN
| dead right and in right centre so hard
that the ball bounded back and l didn't
! nave chance to think of taking second
Some of these hits would have been
| home runs and others would have been
| doubles and triples but for the wall
| rms same thing applies to any number
OF players on our club. / have seen the
Tune when ! hit the wall with n line
drive and 1t bounded back into the right
| helders hand and l had to run to make
nrst base on a blow that might have
gone for extra bases elsewhere
As for the argument that we have the
advantage of the Red Sox because Pas
| kert and Cravath know how to play the
balIs that carom from the wall, 1 can't
see that Every ball hits a different
place; one time it may strike the score
| board or the rail below it and bound ali
kinds of ways. Nobody can tell certainly
now 1t VIII come back to the field. There
tore 1 think that Hooper and Speaker
are not at disadvantage on our field.
As far as the left field bieachers is
concerned, the Red Sox have Just as good
opportunities to drive the ball in there as
we have. l figure that Duffy Lewis
| being n dead left-hitter, has an even
better chance to land in there than
| either Cravath or I, because both of MS
hit to all fields Then there is Speaker
VINO Is rated as a long hitter-certainly
| he'll have just as good an opportunity
This opinion of our ball park is not as
| prevalent in Boston now as It was before
we started our last series at Braves
| Field. In those games the long hits that
all of the fellows were getting showed
the people that Philadelphia walls and
bleachers were more of a hindrance than
a benefit. At any rate. there will be no
| kick on the size of Braves field. and
after the games Monday and Tuesday in
Boston think that the people will see
just how hard some OF us do hit the ball
! The diamond at Braves Field is going
to slow up the work of the infelders of
both clubs. 1t has not been made long
consequently the ground is soft and fiaky
Around first l know that the balls slow
up good deal after bounding off the
grass. This means that the shortstop and
second basemen of both clubs will have
to speed up their work in making double
plays to offset the lessened speed of
ground balls. In the games that 1 have
played in Boston the infield has been more
than usually slow because too much
water was sprinked on the diamond Just
before we begun practice This was done.
of course. with the idea that IL could be
rolled and made harder, but a ball field
can't be made in n day, and this treat
ment is not the best.
The Boston outfied is fast enough, but
It is very rough in spots. From the
stands it looks to be perfect but any of
the outhelders will tell you that Braves
Field is one of the hardest in the country
right now on which to handle ground
balls. There are so many Irregularities
that all the outfielders have a tough time
Of it handling the bounders cleanly
Moran, the Braves outfielder juggled a
few of our hits the other day, and the
bleachers proceeded to ride him almost
out of the game. / heard Cravath say
afterward that he considered himself for
tunate that the balls hit to him came on
a long hop, otherwise he might have
had the same trouble.
This irreguarity of the outfield in Bos-
ton is likely to either cause a PLAYER to
make an error or a batter TO get an
extra base in the series, but It is an even
break for US and the Red Sox. Another
thing that may play an important part
In game any time in Boston is the way
the sun shines over the grand stand
The shadow cast by the stand prevents
the outfielders from getting their eye on
the ball perfectly until It has passed out
into the glare. Whitted, Paskert and
Cravath are all good In sun fields, SO
don't anticipate much trouble in this
direction.
have been asked II thought the Phil
lies would be nervous on the field in Bos-
ton. I can't say certainly. of course, that
given man might not be a little nervous
In tense situation OF the game, but II Is
my opinion that all OF our players have
been through enough baseball fire TO play
Just the same ball before the big crowd
that is expected In Boston as they do on
our own field AS for myself. II has been
long time since 1 felt anything like real
nervousness and hardly think that will
feel shaky In any games Of the series.
This nervousness in a ball game is a
peculiar thing. believe that Just a little
bit of anxiety is a good thing, because
II keeps fellow on his toes all the time,
but just as soon as he reaches the point
OF overanxiety he is likely to kick a ball
away, make wild throw or lose himself
at the bat so that he becomes easy pick
ing for the pitcher Here again think
our club is safe. / feel sure that In all
the games Of the series that we have to
play our fellows will be in Just the right
mental condition-they will be on the
alert all the time, but they won't get
overanxiOua and ocraek