Evening star., 1915-06-12

Safe. You missed him a foot.
Base runner and shortstop are mixed
up on the bag. The umpire is standing
directly over the play with arms out
! spread. eagle fashion. In an instant
| there is an argument started by the
PLAYER with the ball still held Ip his
/ hand and 1t is taken up by tho feather
lunged fans. who rise up with thunder
Gus yell of protest at tho rank de-
! cision, writes George Young In the Phil
adelphia Ledger The umpire walks
away to resume his position in the field.
the shortstop holds his nose. the fans
yell "Robber'' and the base runner picks
himself up out of the dirt. whi.ks a
cloud Of dust from his stocking and
makes ready to advance another base.
| This happens almost every day on the
| ball field Maybe the runner was out.
! maybe he was safe. 1t is always the
+, Same on a close decision when the score
is tight, especially when the verdict Is
| against the home team. The spectator
who sits far out in center field, where
| IT Is utterly impossible to see play
that is decided by inches, is always sure
the umpire is wrong il he decides other
| than the way the fan sees 1t from a
| distance. Many times the fan takes his
cue from the player or the base run
ner; sometimes the fan believes the um-
| pire is right. even when home player
kicks. Most Of the time some one is
wrong, no matter which way the de-
| cision goes. That's base ball. and it all
| goes with the art Of base running and
| the tagging of runners.
Putting the ball on the base runner
(, these days is one Of the finest points
speed kings like Ty Cobb. Fritz MaiseH
Eddie Collins and Clyde Milan, in the
Charlie Herzos. "cosey'' Doian. Max
Carey and Honus Lobert. in the Ma
tional, tearing around the base paths
and shooting into the bags with the
/ famous "toe-hook' or "fallaway" slide,
it not only requires considerable
amount Of skill on the part of the
guardian of the bag or home plate but
| whole lot of gamness on the part of
! the one who is taking the throw and
| tagging the man coming at the bag feet
/ first with two spiked shoes flying
| through the air.
Avoiding the Flying Spikes.
Few of the thousands of fans who
| sit in the stands and watch the game
| day after day throughout the season
realize just what it means to keep
| ones eye on the ball. place ones self
! in a position to tag the runner and
put the ball on him when he Slides
almost all at the same time, and avoid
! being cut by the spikes. Many times
| the baseman is cut or bruised and the
| fans never know it; many times the
, player himself does not know it until
| he goes to the clubhouse after the
| game and removes his shoes and stock
| ings to find a cash, maybe an inch or
two long, inflicted in one Of the early
l TIN ~ttA " a a
| helps to deaden the pain, and the play
er is too anxious to be in there fight
! Ing for his side to notice a little thing
| like scratch"
cry as he limps about for a few mo-
| ments, and he goes back into the game
| to get another bump the next time a
runner hits him instead of the bag.
who Is hurt. Many a player has been
| carried of the field with a broken
ankle or a sprained knee that keeps
him out of the game for weeks. prob
ing to hook the bag" with his toe or
| to slide his leg around the hand that
is waiting to tag him with the ball.
| Nine times out Of ten when player
| iieves he was safe and will inform the
umpire that he was sitting on the
bag when touched with the ball. 1t
is the same with the guardian of the
l
! knows he missed him a foot" Most of
| the time he kicks because he is sure he
| had his. man and thinks he e being
J robbed by the umpire.
| AS an illustration of how a player can
be mistaken: The writer was umpiring
spring practice game between two
| teams of Phiilies in the southern train
| ing camp several years ago. With>John-
nv Bates on second. John Titus on third,
| Ad Brennan pitching and McDonough
| catching, Brennan made a wild pitch
which scored Titus. Bates came all
the way from second and McDonough
| recovered the ball and threw to Bren-
| nan, who swung his arm around to tag
| Bates sliding home. Brennan's elbow
hit Bates on the shoulder. but the ball
! was never near the runner The de-
cision was Safe" and Brennans flow.
of objections made the tourists in the
stands blush. 1t was not until Jack
| litsch, the old Phillies catcher who
acted captain of the Yanigans, and
Charlie DOOM. who was catching for the
regulars. informed Brennan he was
wrong. and proved 1t. that he.really knew