New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-10

as he started for the field. He dldn I.
Some of the men on that Philadel-
pnia club arc what we call in baseball
parlance cold turkey hitters. That
is, they want 20 know where the ball
is coming and whether it is to be a
fast one or A curve before they swing
a. IT, But we knew this, and ! don't
believe that a batter got tipped off once
i'm the series to what was going TO be
pitched They weren't sure until after
the ball had left the twirler's hand.
Our plans were TOO carefully made TO
permit any sign stealing. For this rea-
son. Rudolph made Oldring, McInnis
and some of those other cold turkey
hitters look pretty bad, for he vas
crossing them up" all the way. lie
pitched wonderful game.
A lot had been printed in the papers
before the series about me carrying
batters along with a set OF signs from
the bench and telling a man just what
70 do when he was at the plate. II IS
true that ! had carried along some OF
them all season. but | knee that
Connie and his lieutensnts would be
looking for this, so | framed II 10
cross" them here also. ] had another
man on the bench give the signs to the
hitter. and the Athletics were all watch
ing me right through the series. ! told
this other man how to handle the bat
ter. and we stopped them again there.
] gave nothing but "phoney" signs,
which meant nothing, 10 worry them.
! could not figure for sure whether
Mack would start Bender or Plank in
that first one. OF course, ] thought II
would be Bender, for Mack had once
said that the "Chief" was the best sim
gle game pitcher in the world If there
was just one battle to be won. | guess
/ Connie" has changed his views now.
But ] was not leaving anything 10
chance in that series which ! could tg-
ure out beforehand. No ball player on
my club ever eats much lunch. because
think hearty meal i'm the middle OF
q the day makes a man loggy and heavy
and not fit for work in the afternoon.
Many a player has eaten his way right
out Of the Dig league by stutfing at
lunch when he has accepted a chance
at the old table d'hote bill Of fare, and
/ did not want to see the club stuck be-
cause the players did not eat what the
: management was paying for.
For the two games of the series
which were played in Philadelphia, my
! club dressed at the National League
park, which is only few blocks from
/ Shibe Field, and then they went from
| one park 10 the other in taXicabs IN
/ their uniforms. On the morning of
that first game | had my men out at
/ the Philhes' field at II o'clock, taking
a workout. / had a left-handed pitcher
throwing TO the right-handed batters
/ in one corner of the field, and a right
/ handed pitcher throwing TO the left
/ handed swingers in the other corner.
I They busted that ball numerically for
a couple Of hours before the team ever
+ went near Shibe Park. Hank" Gowdy
picked the first one pitched to him In
practice, and believe that wallop gave
/ him the confidence which made him the
| batting hero of the series. Also, this
/ arrangement made me sure that no one
was stuffing himself with lunch.
Braves Have the Edge.
We went TO Shibe Field with little
/ edge on the Athletics after our two
hours practice. and the fruits of this
percentage" were shown along about
| 1880 on that first afternoon. when Ben
der retired from the box. We had also
carried the Athletics off their feet with
/ our rush. But ] am running little
ahead of my story.
The result, however, must have been
somewhat of a surprise TO the Chief"
who. when the Athletics manager asked
/ him what he thought of the Braves. re-
piled: =.
"Why should | go over 10 New York
20 watch those 'bushers play? can
/ beat them with one hand tied"
Connie" had told Bender 10 go 20
/ New York 10 look over our club IN the
final series with the Giants at the Polo
| Grounds. and the "Chief" did not think
/ the precaution necessary. ! agree with
him. don't believe II would have
helped him any.
The Athletics took the field for the
/ first inning Of that opening game as II
/ they were bored by the fact that they
/ had TO waste their time playing the
/ series, as if they wanted 70 get II over
with as quickly as possible, as IAN
| guidly as they would have gone 70
/ work il il had been a series with the
/ CIeyelands in midsesson. Bender got
/ Thoroughly warmed up and then kid
ded" with the crowd by throwing the
/ boIl underhand. Ny club went out
,bcro with laws set and full OF spirit.
We had the edge on our opponents,
ard I knew IL then and was surer than
over that we would win. | hope
| haven't written any Of this instslment
boastfully. | have merely wanted TO
tell the reader what happened and 10
saw that we went to work in that first
game ready 10 the minute.
T fCop,risht. 1915 BY the Wheeler SYNDICATE. me-
4, nj, ,Iehth article which will appear ~ Inc
| r,lhun, n-It sunday. Mr.. stalilsp sili tss W
TIE actual pi.ylss 81 q. ..,''' ,b,sssh I. sI,s
III. Ian IN, ''oereentags" his srtst ssapon tW
~. hr,t tlms. the in,lds ~ortin" Of the s:stos
Clan Nil b. revealed durlhs the pla1ins OF nss
| |em.n,o1. tour games. u mlsht be tub called
"nossbsg ns~t"