Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-07
DON'T LOOK FOR
FANCY WORK ON
PATHS
PLAYERS Think They're
Lucky to Get to First
in Big Series
Bv FRED LUDERUs


h.sn made between our players and the
RED sox have noticed that lot has
hsan said about the relative throwing
,hnitv Of the catchers. have no inten-
.,oo Of comparing Killefer. Burns and
ADAMS with cady, Carrigan and Thomas,
Nat do think II is worth mentioning
,h.t this particular feature of defensive
~,.v cuts little figure In a worlds series,
"a I believe this year it will cut less
than ever.
M course It is essential that a club have
catcher who can cut the ball down to
she bases accurately and quickly. but IL
80, took over the records of past worlds
sssrlea YOU will find that the stolen bases
hsve been few and far between, and that
,he attempts to steal have been rela-
tively far less per game than thy are
N the playing season. The reason for
thls is obvious.
In a worlds series, where there is so
much at stake, the manager and the base
runner are both backward about taking
the chance to steal The pitching is
rsnally very good in worlds series, so
that a player generally considers himself
fortunate il he is able to get to first
hase at all. Having got there, he will
think several times before he takes the
chance on stealing
CHANCES AGAINST RUNNER.
The reason 1 have for saying 1 think
Il thene will be less attempted base stealing
4 than usual, is that both clubs catchers
have the reputation, and justly so, of
4 being good peggers. Furthermore, the
pltchers we will use and those upon
whom the Red Sox will rely all hold
I he runners close to the bags This
means that a man who starts to steal
Is taking an unusually long chance, for
he is not only running against the chances
Of a perfect throw but he will not have
4 the long lead on these pitchers that he
/ has been accustomed to get during the
season.
There is always lot of talk about
4 one team or another that is going to
run wild on the bases in the worlds
series. But this has proved in the
past to be just talk that's all. No
cluh In a worlds series ever did run
wild on another; in fact, the clubs which
were predicted to do the most free run
ming were the very ones which were con-
servative.
For example, take the series between
1 the Chicago Cubs and the Athletics in
1 1916 Everybody was predicting that Lapp
and Thomas would not be able to check
the wild circling of the bases of the
Cubs. Well, you know what happened.
The first Chicago man that started down
to second was caught so far that not
another runner tried to steal that game.
The series went five games. The Cubs
stole three bases and the Athletics seven.
The last time the Red SoX were in the
worlds series, 1872 when they played
New York, the Giants stole a dozen bases
and Boston six. But 1t must be remem-
bered that this series went eight games.
so that the average, after all. was quite
small The Red Sox then averaged three
quarters of a stolen base a game.
The team which plays us has many of
the same players that played then. There
are speaker, Lewis, Gardner, Hooper,
Cady and Carrigan, of the regulars, ex-
elusive Of the pitching staff, which cannot
figure in any base-running argument. The
new men, Scott, Barry. Hobntzel and
Thomas, who replaced 'Heine Wagner,
Yerkes, Stahl and Nunamaker, add very
little speed to the team, If any.
n This seems to indicate to me that there
viii be fewer attempted steals by Boston
this year than in 1912, for the veterans
must have slowed down some in the last
three years. / will not hesitate to say,
therefore, that there will be very little
stealing done against us; at the same
time / am not prophesying that we will
40 any big amount of 1t ourselves.
Last wear the Braves stole nine bases
on Schang and Lapp while the Athletics
were able to steal only two in the four
games. / think that one of the main
1 reasons for this was that the Braves
were hitting the Athletics pitchers
pretty hard, so they concentrated more
?. 'heir attention on the batter than on
tne base runner. This enabled the Bos-
ION base runners to take much longer
eaos than they could otherwise have
zone, the result being that Schang's
thfows We're either late or he had to
fusn them so that he was inaccurate.
alexander. Chalmers. Mayer and DEM
aree watcn their bases very closely,
Yaita oh
15xey, being a left-hander, is able to
noio his men on closely, too, and
a0nt mink that the Red Sox will take
any big leads.
WILL BE CAUTIOUS.
~ considering the actual hase-running
sp.hty or the two clubs there are two
POINTS TO be taken up. First. the one
nave Just been talking about-base
"eallng-and the second is running after
: nase hit or long caught fly ball.
mere VIII be just about as few chances
ss hsn py the Red Sox and by us. I
w,pk' In the series In this way as the
o.aeF. Speaker. Lewis and Hooper are
sAo 70 have great throwing arms, and
suppose tney are Just about as good
.hat department as they are reputed
De' This means that We will have
pe rather cautious, for instance, in
tne 70 take third from first on even
y the same way the Red sox will
handicapped, for our outfelderI are
~ nom weak throwers. While we were
y tne last western trip Paskert made
~ wonderful throws from centre field
Y me plate. cutting down runners. One
pnese throws saved us the ball game
~ tne other prevented our being beaten
tne ninth inning, Vdt We later lost
~ say, don't think the Red sox will
~ much base-stealing; but II they
esla. l am convinced that either Burns
n = NhieIer, whichever one Is behind the
49, VIII check them, and do II so effec-
ts mat they will cease operations in
oifecuon. Burns has a strong arm
= accurate and fast ia getting on
~, 'nfo"s. When XIII" is In form, there
Al Il better pegger anywhere OF course,
III nor definitely settled whether "Kilr'
-. pe able 10 play or not. He has been
.9nz 70 New York every day since Sat
..+s and taking a spinal treatment. the
Vi, ape, am very hopeful that Killefer
al pe al right. for we want every one
4.rs = men 70 be In shape In case we
ssi % call on them.
1slef himself Is much more hopeful
ne was few days ago. The cold.
[.f feather In Boston didn't help him
n. ana he was very blue there. But
In. nmgnt he came up to me and said;
&. ~ Lady, I'm feeling great. ] think
"a s'ment Is doing me lot OF good.
maybe ! haven't some faith In that
I&s,s1. ne cured a blind man; so why